The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-07

 his flow of soul was temporarily checked he engaged in surprising juggling feats with ruler and an orange or the office stool
 These latter arts brought about his introduction to the narchioness. In real life the Marchioness was the serving maid of Miss Sally Brass, name unknown. AS she dwelled below in a very little dark hole of kitchen next to the dust bin, her very existence had been equally unknown to MT. Swiveller till a tre- mendous sniff at the keyhole warned him one day that his feats of skill had not been without witness.
 He opened the door and bounced on a very little, very thin, very ragged girl who looked as if she must have been at work from her cradle. Please, sir," cried the young person. ''please, sir, I didn't mean any harm, sir. It's so very dull down stairs. I was only looking through the keyhole for company"
 MT, Swiveller's response was to call to a passing pot boy to bring a pot of beer and some bread and meat. Thus began a very interesting friendship, which was, how ever, for reasons of policy, confined en- tirely to those times when the Brass . brother and sister were away. MT. Swiv- eller's fervid mind and his acquaintance with high society led him to christen the young lady the Machioness and under this title he drank to her gravely and apostrophized her in poetry and song.
 At this time MT. Brass began to dis play a great friendship for Kit, invit- ing him into the office whenever he came to the house to visit MT. Trent, the brother of Nell's grandfather. One day, immediately after Kit had de- parted, he exclaimed that f5 note had been taken from his desk. MT. Swivel Ter and he ran after Kit, who re- turned willingly and volunteered to let them search him. Mr. Brass ostenta- tiously searched Kits pockets, leaving 1t to MT. Swive1ler to search his hat, with the result that he drew therefrom the missing note, carefully tucked away between the hatband and the crown.
 They turned him over to a constable, and despite the efforts of MT. Garland and Mir. Trent, Kit was found guilty and sentenced to transportation. the jury and the magistrates smiling skep- tically at his protestations that he could not tell how the note had gotten into his hat.
 Shortly after this episode, which up- set the kind hearted though careless, Swiveller exceedingly that conviyial +o work of consuming liquid refreshments, and fell into fever that kept him in delirium for three weeks.
 The firm of Brass immediately aban- doned him to fhe mercies of his land lady and announced that their connec- tion had been dissolved. Doubtless MT. Swiveller's connection with the rest of the world would have been likewise dissolved, had not the grateful Mar chioness run away and come to nurse him, selling all his clothes and other belongings to pay for medicine. When. he recovered his senses the Marchioness beguiled the time by re- counting to him many secrets of the house of Brass. She explained that she
 
 at keyholes because she had been kept in state of semi starvation and had hoped to discover the place where Miss Sally concealed the key to the larder. Finally she mentioned Knowingly that she knew all about Kits trouble and, being pressed, disclosed to the as founded Mr. Swiveller that the lads arrest was the result of a conspiracy between Quilp, Sampson Brass and Miss Sally, the f5 note having been snug gled into Kits hat by MT. Brass. Dick Swiveller at once sent the news to Kits friends. They acted so prompt ly and decisively that within a few hours they had a complete confession from Sampson Brass, Esq, who ex- plained that not only was truth a very sublime and grand thing, but that if anybody was to split" he might as well be the one and have advantage from 1t.
 The gentle Miss Sally managed to es- cape after she had sent note to QuiIp Therefore when the officers arrived at the dwarfs tumbledown offices by the , riverside, they found the entrance to f the courtyard barred with great beam In trying to find another entrance they got lost, for the fog had made the night impenetrable
 While they were. trying to get in, Quip was gathering d few things together to aid him In his flight. "Oh, Sampson!' he muttered, as he moved around. "Oh, 1 good. worthy Sampson! If l could only | squeeze your ribs once! If l only had | you in this room now with xour white face and your sick smileg"