The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-21

had bought a great house in Berkeley square, which was then being painted. While they were waiting. they lived in hotel Captain Stubbs paid the bills, but he did not object, for he kept a close ac- counting and calculated on compensating himself later.
 On the third day. just after breakfast he was called down stairs and served with notice of arrest for a small debt by Mrs. Stubbs of e15O and taken to the spunging house.
 Fllriously he sent for her and found out that she had nothing. He determined at once to pay the debt, get out of the house, draw his e9oO0 from his bankers and flee to the continent, anywhere to escape the swindling widow with her three children
 He sent for the keeper of the place and gave him a check, asking him to present it at his bankers and get 1t cashed. The gentleman returned in very few min utes with a note from the bankers saying that the entire account of Captain Stubbs had been attached in a suit against the widow for another debt. You see, subbs' said the keeper, grinning, there was two debts. So they arrested you for the little one and attached your money for the big one"
 Captain stubbs broke down at this news and cried like a-child. It was but natural. He had lived prudently and always with care for his future; he had not squandered his moneyl he had been business-lilSe; in hnr pl. nd what Is more, he Stayed there seven months.
 In all that time none of his old friends came near him. Even his sisters ignored him and would not answer his letters. He wrote to his mother, explaining that if she sold her furniture she could help him a little, but, as he afterward found, that scoundrel Waters had not permitted her to see the letters.
 When he went through the, court at last for. the relief of insolvent debtors, the revengeful stiffelkind put in his claim for a pair of boots. produced them in court and told the whole story, to the huge delight of an unfeeling mob.
 The commissioner, lawyers and spec tators laughed again when he told his tale. They explained to him that the rich widow was a notorious swinGler, who had married three men in the same way. Captain Stubbs also discovered that the man who had attached and obtained his money was the very same one who had told him about the widows wealth. With this final blow and amid the jeers of the court he was freed to walk the streets penniless.
 For while he polished boots for MT. stiffelkInd, who, having had>his revenge. was willing to give him shelter and lodging. Then the bootmaker obtained for him a place as letter carrier
 Robert stubbs, Esquire, late ensign of the North Bungay Fencbles, submitted to the degrading necessity for three years or more. He often thought of Stiffelkind, and could not help but despise him for having showed a gentleman into such an inferior and low pursuit. But he had to do something to live.
 One day he was assigned to a new dis | trlct. Among the letters he had to de- , liver was one addressed, Mrs. Stubbs. :" An elderly lady came to the door, screamed and cried, My son My son!'' He found that that fellow Waters had ! married his sister Lucy and had fitted up a house for lodgings for his mother and i sister Eliza. They were doing well, hav- ing an income of nearly f200 year over expenses. This fortunate state of affairs enabled him to escape the hated work Of postman and live like a gentleman agaln, though it is true that fate was stlll nig- gerly, for his mother could not allow him more than R50 year, and even then | thought for a little while that he ought to pay for his shirts, linen and washing out of it.
 He was gratified to find that his mother l had not been spoiled by years, but was l reasonable and conscious of her duty to- ward her children. Eliza was different ! She soon declared that the house would | be ruined and she fled to the Waters It was all because MT. Stubbs had those