The St. Johns herald., 1897-04-03
MR. BOFFIN AND
 THE BAILIFFS.

Its a wicked shame, that's wOt
 is, Mr. Boffin," chimed in Mrs Asprey
 the housekeeper.
 Couldn't have b'lieyed it of tn
 guv'nor. Never, till this minnit, know''
 him to do anything but wot was puffick 1 ly genteel.'
 ''Ah, MT. Boffin! One don't know
 where to trust"'
 If he'd a told me l wouldn't hay, taken it so crool. But to let Us in fO 1 the bailiffs like this, without a word O. warning, and him a kicking up is eel. on 'oliday! Well. it's a dirtier trick than I knows 'Ow to express, Mrs. As prey. And me a served him faithful too, for twenty yearsr'
 Il 'ope that when you're writing tc him, Mr. BOftin, you'll put it to him quite straight"
 You may trust me. mem. shall he puffickly candid. Oh, yes! He'll fidget in his chair when he reads my letter to. morrow. If the pOsthOrfice wouldn't be shut before messenger could get there I'd send him wire But as it is there's no chance of his getting back
 ere till termorrow night"
 If he comes at all, Mir BOffin.'
 "Oh, l think he'll come, mem. He'll ave the proper feeling to come when he gets my letter, Mrs. Asprey."
 Don't you count upon his proper feel ing, Mir. Boffin? If he'd have had much proper feeling he'd never have served us this nasty trick. Borrowing fifteen 'undred from a Jew I never! And him always pretended to be rollin' in money. Well! He don't owe us much wages, that's one comfort"
 No, mem. He've always paid our wages to the day. That we must al- low"
 Just his artfulness. MT. BOffin. A cheap way of keeping up his credit while he was running into debt. can see through it now"
 And only last week, mem-if you'll believe mel brought him in wine bill for Seventy-Odd pounds, and he set tied it as easy and casual as lord
 ''Ah, MT. Botfin! Brazening it out to the last"
 If anyone" said the butler, Oracu- larly, had told me an hour ago that the guv'nor wosn't as safe as the Bank of England I'd have said to that man. You're liar and you knows it. And now to have the bailiffs in.'
 As Mr. Boffin spoke a foOtman popped his head into the housekeeper's room, where the above dialogue was taking place.
 Beg pard'n, MT. Boffin, sir; but one of them gents is arsking for yer"
 Thank you, William: you may tell the feller that I'll attend to him at my leesure," said Mir. BOffin, with extreme dignity.
 ''Very good, MT. BOffin, sir"
 And William departed with the mes sage.
 To think of your being hordered about and 'ectored over by those low chaps.' exclaimed the hOusekeeper, with sympathetic indignation.
 "Beggin' your pardon, Mrs. Asprey, but I'm not being hordered about, nor yet 'ectored over, mem." (Mr BOffin drew up his short obese person to its full height) And I sent 'em that mes sage on purpose to let 'em see it. But I am going to see what their next move Is, not becos' they hOrders me-fOr l knows better than to take hOrderS from such vermin-but becOS' Pm the guy nor's representative and, shabby as he has be'aved to me after twenty years still considers myself the so to speak, of his hinterests and his property"
 With this speech. delivered in his most impressive manner. Mir. Bofin quilted the hOusekeeper and went to join the sherif's officers in the large front hall
 There were two of them. The one. a square-built, bOw-legged, mwholesOme- faced man, Seedily dressed and of vul- gar aspect; the other, far smarter, mere pleasant-loozing and more pre- sentable individual who might easily have passed for well-tO-do clerk or collector. From the first he had taken the lead-indeed, the bOw-legged man had scarcely opened his mOuth-and was evidently the boss and spokesman of the pair.
 sorry to trouble yOu,' he said to MT. BOtfin. quite civilly. but before I go. aud leave my man here in possession. shall have 10 take an inventory of your masters effects, and thought that you might like to go round with me while do so"
 "Certainly, I shall wish to keep my leye on you, young man. retOrted the butler, with distant frigidity.
 ''YeS. Of course. Quite sO,'' remark ad the other, carelessly, as he produced I notebook from his pocket. NOW .hen. We may as well begin here-eh? Cmph"' (writing) Front hall-Turkoy .arpet oak table, four oak chairs pattern, fancy hatrack. case stuffed pheasantS. oak stand for same," etc, until he had jotted down all the hall furniture in his notebook.
 Well. where next: Dining-room- eh? Very good. Umph! Turkey car pet No. ?. our-SiX-eight-ten twelve Chippendale chairs-red mo- rocco; large mahogany table, antique ideboard-splendid piece. too; len large portraits in Oils-ancestors, pre- ,ume An. fine painting that over the l Romney! Thought so! ufifIIIf hea-ll-tiful.
 "Thank you, young man. It's really i