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

man, hanging about asking questions
 about him. I felt some little astonish- ment I did not let my face betray it, and merely remarked tht if the bill was
 settled, that was all I felt concerned about
 A little later on in the day I got a short not from Carter which, so far as I can recollect at this distance of time, ran as follws:
 sloman's, Cursitor street, Chancery Lane:
 Dear Sir: I am afraid I must trouble you to come down here. The fact is that the sheriff's officer had a little mis- take yesterday, and I want you to come here and identify me as your faithful clerk. George Carter.
 I hurried down to Cursitor street. where I found Carter in durance Vile in the sponging house kept by Sloman, Well-known to all London lawyers at that time. His first words to me were: 'I will explain how the mistake arose when I am out of here; until then you had betted asa no questions, but take the proper steps (which he indicateO to procure my release"
 I had to go on to judges chambers and make a special application to the judge sitting there that afternoon. 1t happened to be Baron Martin, an lrlsh- man. with a keen sense of racy humor, but withal a stern sense of the necessity of maintaining the majesty Of the law and the dignity of the court. In addi- ton to swearing that Carter was not George Crome, and had been arrested in mistake for him, the judge required me to swear that I had had no hand direct ly or indirectly in bringing about the mistake which had occurred; this he re- quired of me as an attorney and officer of the court, and I was glad to be able to swear it with clear conscience. This done the old judge sat back in his chair and laughed heartily at the dis comfiture of the money lender, and or dered the immediate release of Garter, only adding these significant words at the end of the order: No action by apy party against the sheriff"
 It was not until the next day that Carter told me his story; how he had seen that the only safe course to get George Croome out of the country, and throw the sheriff's officer on the wrong scent, was to take Georges place at the Green Dragon, where he was not known; that after closing the office cn Thursday evening he went home, dress ed himself in black clothes, and batcOk himself with George Croome's portman- teau and travelling rug to the Green Dragon, informed the landlady that he was the gentleman for whom had WI t. ten to secure the room, that he wish tn ba iot1 1y hu hirr)- self, as he was in great grief, having recently lost his father, that he was go- ing to the funeral the next morning ear- ly, but would come back again in the evening for his luggage in time to catch the mail train from Shoreditch.
 The plan succeeded admirably. The sheriff's officer had been very neatly he had bribed the boots of the hotel, and had pumped him as to the movements of the gentleman who owned the portmanteau with G. c. printed on it, and kept quiet all day | waiting for Carter'ts return in the even- | ing. Carter then told me with much | glee how he had got good start of the | officer by arriving earlier than he told | the landlady he would do, and had talk l en the luggage to the station and had |
 
 placed it in the carriage under the care of the guard, and was just hurrying away from the station when he was tapped on the shoulder by the officer and told he must consider himself in custody. He felt bound to carry out his plot to the finish, and merely re- T thought I had managed to get away clear; 1t is Grimes. l suppose; we'll take me somewhere for the night i'll I can get my solicitor to arrange he thing tomorrow, and had gone off ige lamb to Cursitor street as soon IS he saw the luggage safe in the car. 'iage moving out of the station, and 1new that before night George would 'e safely on board the boat steaming or Antwerp.
 I felt it my duty to expostulate with Jarter for sailing very near to the wind, ut I could not keep 1t up when he re- ,lied: Well, sir, if that sharp sheriff's hicer did not know a poor lawyers Jerk from born gentleman, he is not ID to his business. '-Green Bags.