for himself.

"Yes," resumed Spout, "Myndert Van Dam."

As they shook hands, Mr. Dropper's attention was called in another
direction. He desired his companions to notice the fact that a man was
approaching with his umbrella, and having bought and lost too many
articles of that description, he should not stand unmoved, and see the
last one vanish from his sight.

[Illustration]

An individual of small stature, apparently about forty-five years of
age, with hair of an undeniable, though not an undyeable red approached,
holding over his head a silk umbrella.

Mr. Dropper stepped forward and confronted him. He said he was aware
that if every man were compelled to account for the possession of that
which he claimed as his own, the world would hear some rich
developments, in a moral point of view, respecting the tenure of
property; and it was precisely for this reason that he had stopped him
in the street. He inquired of fat party with the silk umbrella, if he
saw the point of his remark. Fat party confessed his inability to
comprehend its intent. Mr. Dropper then proceeded to state that when he
called fat party's attention to the subject of titles to property in
general, he did suppose that fat party would be led to ask himself
whether he had a legal and equitable title to the umbrella in particular
which he was then under. Fat party fancied that he _did_ perceive a
lurking innuendo that he had stolen somebody's umbrella. Mr. Dropper was
gratified to discover fat party's readiness of comprehension; at his
request fat party brought down the umbrella, which discovered the
following words painted conspicuously on the cloth outside:

"STOLEN FROM R. DROPPER."

Mr. Dropper insisted that there was the evidence, "R. Dropper," meaning
Remington Dropper--Remington Dropper being himself--"Stolen from R.
Dropper," by whom?--He would not assert positively that fat party was a
hall-thief, but he would say and he did say, that his umbrella was found
in fat party's possession, without his permission. Some old
stick-in-the-mud had said somewhere, to somebody, sometime, that an
honest confession was good for the soul, and if fat party would
acknowledge the unbuilt whisky, he wouldn't appear against him on his
trial for petty larceny. Fat party repudiated the idea that he was a
thief. As far as Mr. Dropper's recollection assisted him he had always
noticed that the biggest rascals protested their innocence the most
emphatically. Fat