The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

Pickwick at Ipswich. He got into the wrong room at the inn by mistake and
 went to bed. Scarcely had he laid his head upon the pillow when middle-aged woman entered with candle and began to take down her back hair. MT. Pick wick peeked through the bed curtains and
 realized the horror of his position. Hem!
 madam,' he said. Don't be frightened"
 But the lady was scared and it was only
 the sight of MT. Pickwick's round and benevolent face, crowned by cotton nightcap and framed in the bed curtains, which he drew beneath his chin, and the
 unmistakable fact that his fright was as
 great as hers that prevented her from
 screaming and ringing the bell for help. A barley was held, and MT. Piokwick having partially dressed himself behind the curtains, was thrust from the room
 by the lady as he was still explaining
 with, There, there; go along, go along! But now MT. Pickwick could not find his
 own room and crouched in a recess of the
 passage helplessly. He saw light coming.
 It was Sam on his way to bed. Sam gazed
 blanlkly at his master standing there, with
 part of his clothing on and part held in
 his hands. MT. Pickwick tried to explain. Come along, sir,'' said Sam, "I'll show you to your room. You rayther want somebody to look arter you. sir, ven your | jedgment goes out a-wisiting.' "Good night sir" added as he closed the door | of MT. Pickwick's room. And then he stood for moment outside and shook his head solemnly
 Finally came the day for the trial of
 the suit of Bardell vs. Pickwick. Mrs.
 Bardell was there supported by two | female friends, and little Tommy was given conspicuous place for effect
 upon the jury. MT. Pickwick, of
 course, was there with his three | friends, Tupman, Snodgrass and | Wrinkle, all three of whom, as well as
 Sam, had been summoned as witnesses | by the plaintiffs attorneys. On the | witness stand Wrinkle was as clay in | the hands of his examiner. He was
 made to tell of the scene in Mrs. Bar | dells parlor when he found Mr. Pick wick supporting that injured woman | in his arms and trying to sooth her ag- itation, and made to tell the story in | way most damaging to his friend. And then they wormed out of him the | incident of MT. Pickwick having been ] discovered in lady's bed room at Ips- wich, and they made him tell that in a | way most damaging to his friend. The l more he tried to explain the unfor- | tunate circumstances, the more they in- l volved him in their tolls. When | Wrinkles examination was over MT. | Pickwick's case looked very black in- deed. Snodgrass and Tupman on the | stand were made to corroborate Wrinkle. | Wrinkle flew to his hotel and was found l after with his face buried in a sofa | pillow bewailing his fate and threat i ening suicide.
 Sam was quite another matter. When he took the stand he was match for | judge and court, and managed to bring l out the fact that when he went to Mrs. BardelPs for Pickwick's clothing he had heard Mrs. Bardell and her friends now with her saying how nice it was of ] Dodson and F'ogg to take the case lon l spec" and, in short, did as much dam l age to the plaintiffs case and as much | good to his masters as was possible. l But it was of no use. Sergeant Buz- l fuz made most eloquent appeal to the | jury and brought in some letters writ l ten by MT, Pickwick to Mrs. Bardell. 1 One read "Garraway's, 12 o'clock, Dear Mrs. B. Chops and tomato sauce." What does this mean?" shouted Ser geant Buzfuz, "Chops and tomato sauce! Gracious heavens! is the hap 1 piness of a sensitive and confiding fer l male to be trifed away by such shallow
 artifices as these?" And he proceeded