The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03


 he had been betrayed, and drawn the conclusion that the chances were en- phatically in favor of being betrayed again; but Mir Pickwick never thought of viewing the matter with the cool eyes of wisdom He threw his sturdy body aud sturdy heart into the work of help | ing Alfred Jingle and Job Trotter. and. | strange, incredible, impossible as it may seem, he succeeded. He succeeded to re- mark one day to Job Trotter; None O that. young felleri' in refer ence to a declaration by Job that he was l willing to serve MT. Picl<wick till he dropped dead. None O thati No man serves him but mel" Then he dragged Job to the prison bar and poured a quart of ale into him to take off the edge of I the remark.
 one day MT. Pickwicl1 told Sam Weller that he could bear no moro to witness I the misery of the prison. "Henceforth," said he, "I shall remain a prisoner in my own room" And he adhered to this. For three months he remained shut up all | day, stealing out only at night when his fellow prisoners were in bed. His health suffered, but neither the entreaties of his friends or the remonstrances of Sam Weller could induce him to alter one 1 jot
 1 There is every reason to believe that 1 MT Pickwick would have ended his days l in the Fleet had not Dodson and Fogg I come to suspect that in him they had tackled an nfexibe subject. Despairing | at last of getting costs out of him, they | turned to Mrs. Bardell, for with their usual prudence they had made her sign a | paper in which she bound herself to pay ] if Mir. Pickwick did not. As Mrs. Bar dell did not have the money, they had her arrested, and she. too. came to the 1 Fleet.
 ''Iloorayi Here's gamet shouted l sam Weller, when he heard the news | He yelled for a messenger and sent him post haste for MT. Pckwcks attorney, Perker, who presented himself at the prison as soon as the doors opened next 1 morning,
 He told Mir. Pickwick the story of the womans arrest. and said: Her speedy | liberation or perpetual Imprisonment | rests with you" Mr. Pickwick jumped l up astounded. Hear me out Nobody but you can rescue her from this den-- and you can do it only by paying the | costs of this suit into the hands of those | sharps. Now pray be quiet. my dear 1 sr!"
 Mir Fiehwick. on the verge of a strong burst of indignation, took snuff violently, l till he had calmed himself l 'I have seen the woman." continued | Mir. Perker. By paying the costs, you | | ages and-thiS I know is a greater con l sideration with you-a voluntary written i statement from her that this business was fomented and brought about from the very first by Dodson and Fogg, and that she entreats and implores you to par don her"
 MT. Pickwicb exploded with wrath "A
 valuable document,'' roared he. 'If I , pay her costs for heri"
 Almost as eXplosively, Parker swore
 that the letter was voluntary, dependent
 in no wise on such payment; and then, with unconcealed triumph, he produced | il. There it is! Given to me Without
 promise of any lxindn'
 MT. Pickwick remained quite unim- 1 pressed. ''ls that all you have to say to me-" he inquired.
 It was not all. Far from 1t. Mir Per ker spoke at great length. about Mr. l Pckwicks health about his grieving friends, about the chance to right him | self in the eyes of the world. MT Pick l wick remained obdurate.
 Then said MT. Perker: Can you hesi- l tate when your action will liberate your faithful and attached servant, whom otherwise you doom to imprisonment for 1 the whole of your life?" 1 MT. Pickwick took snuff violently l And above all, said Mr. Perker l when 1t enables you to take the mag | unanimous revenge-which l know. my dear SIT, IS one after your own heart-of | releasing this woman from a scene of misery and debauchery to which no man | should be consigned if I had my will l but the infiction of which on any woman is even more frightful and barbarousg" l MT. Pickwick, who had been rubbing his spectacles, his nose, tights, head and gaiters. took alarming quantities of snuff with alarming swiftness, and surrendered. l He returned to his old life as he had left 1t, beaming, enthusiastic and trustful. l Had he permitted his experience to embt- | terhim or make him distrustful, he would I not have been Samuel Pickwick If there was any point in which his perfect 1 confidence in mankind was little shaker, It was In the matter of that variety of | mankind known widows Concerning | them, he became almost of mind with l the elder Weller who, having been mar 1 fied by widow at moment when he l had left himself unguarded, was wont to remark to all men: Beware O the wid- l ders."
 l Copyright, 1911, by J. w. Muller.) l Title of next Sundays article: Little | Nell-Dickens Best, Most Pathetic Char. 1 acter"