The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-12

the needy and impecunious, as a tenn porary haven from the storm, until such time as they are made to feel the treacherous nature of the anchorage to
 which they have driven, but living
 terror to the honest poor and a yeri-
 table pariah among the members of the
 legal profession.
 George Croome had got into the mesh-
 es of this man Grimes, who held judg-
 ments recorded against him on various
 nots of hand given for money lent to
 pay gambling debts; arrest and imprl-
 sonment of the person for debt had not
 been then abolished by the English law,
 and now l had to summon him to the
 rectory to take his place as chief mourn
 CT at the grayeside, and by dread was
 that Grimes, who would be sure to hear
 of the old clergymans death, would
 stick at nothing, but have George ar
 rested at the rectory, or even at the
 graveside, sooner than let him leave
 the country again, and so set him at
 defiance. In my dilemma, I made Car
 ter my full confidant.
 The funeral was fixed for a Friday af-
 ternoon in April. A large number of
 neghboring clergy had expressed their wish to meet round the grave and pay their last tribute of respect to the good
 old clergyman. I had received a tele- gram from George Croome on the Thursday morning, announcing his ar- rival in England, and fixing to see me on that afternoon. I wrote over to the landlady of the Green Dragon, an old Ia ieio al ieJ,o ta ct within five minutes walk of my office, asking her to keep small private sit ting room and bedroom for client Of mine who would arrive from abroad that afternoon to attend a funeral the next day, and who would go abroad again the next evening. I had the mis- fortune of having new office boy in my office, not as yet broken in to the first duty of a lawyers's clerk, namely, to hold his tongue. While George George Crome was closeted with me, going through the provisions of his fla ther's will, and learning his actual po- sition as regarded the interest which he took under it, Grimes called at my office, saw Georges luggage, a portmanteau with the initials of his name painted on it. and a travelling rug, and he succeed ed by a small bribe in eliciting from my office boy the fact that George Croome was to stay at the Green Drag on, and to leave again for abroad inn after the funeral. Before my interview with George came to an end, Carter came into the office and managed to draw out from my office boy all about his interview with Grimes, and 1t once his ken nose scented mischief II the air. Interrupting our interview 1e told us of his strong suspicion that ore he could leave London again; and we three sat in solemn conclave dsucss- ng what could be done to frustrate Grimes plans. All at once I noticed a bright flash of intelligence pass over Jarter's face
 You will give me free hand, will rou not, sir?" said he to me.
 Certainly, Carter" said I, "I will rust you frustrate Grimes by all legiti- i nate means"
 Very well, sir, it shall be done, ask 10 questions, and leave George Croome | Il my hands to do exactly what I tell [ i'm and he shall get back to his quar- CTS abroad safe enough; but he must | ot sleep at the Green Dragon; he must | leep somewhere else, but let his lug age go on to the Green Dragon as a
 lind to Grimes, just as if his dirty rick had not been suspected; leave the est to me-"
 And so it came about that instead of leeping at the Green Dragon, George
 I, tx~l, f his portmanteau, and leaving it and is travelling rug with Carter, came out ) my house and spent the evening with le, Carter arranging to meet us both at he old Shoreditch station early in the lorning, bringing me my mornings lal so that we could go down to the actory without calling at my office on ne way.
 I felt very little anxiety now that the natter was in Carter's hands. George foome and spent the evening together iscussing plans for the future, which lcluded his staying abroad for some me longer, his allowance to be remitted , him monthly through my office. On the Friday morning Carter met us the Shoreditch station with my office
 ail. I was very pleased to note that ith great good feeling Gas l thoughD | e had dressed himself in deep mourn g, and put deep band of crepe on his at. l said to him:- That is very thoughtful of you, Car 1T, to dress in mourning; very nice 'ken of respect to my dead client" Well, you see sir, I thought it would |
 l lrious look on his face, he added, You ight have wanted me to go to a fu ( eral perhaps, sir ( "No, Carter there is no need for that, 1 ank you; have you heard anything , ore of Grimes?'
 "Yes sir have, and he means mis- t lief The writ of ca. sa. has been, is-
 led, and is now in the hands of, the Y eriff's officer, who was making pri- f lte inquiries from the boots" of the reen Dragon early this morning. MT. aorge had better not come back to l 1ndon after the funeral; he must join e mail train at Stratford Junction 1 s
 Essex; the sheriff of Middlesex can | It execute his writ there. I will be ere with the luggage, unless I am ndered, and, if he does not see me | ere he will find his luggage in the st smoking carriage nearest to the ard's van in front of the train; you ke note of that, sir so that there all be no mistake, and leave the rest