be no "come-back."

A week or so later I encountered in our office a narrow-shouldered,
watery-eyed, reddish-nosed party that I instantly recognized for
Hawkins. There could be no doubt about the matter, for he had a
way of standing at attention and thrusting his head forward when
addressed that were unmistakable. He was waiting, it turned out,
for Gottlieb, who had sent for him to come on from Baltimore; and
the readiness with which he had responded could be better accounted
for by the five hundred dollars which he had received at the hands
of our emissary for travelling expenses than by any desire on his
part to regain the society of the present Mrs. Dillingham.

"I suppose," began Gottlieb when he had retired to the seclusion
of his inner office, "that you fully understand that the divorce
secured by your wife is inoperative--Tut! Tut! Don't interrupt
me!"--for Hawkins had opened his mouth in protest--"for the reason
--for the very good reason, I repeat--that you were never served
with any summons or notified that the proceeding had been commenced.
Am I correct?"

Hawkins grinned and turned his watery eyes from one of us to the
other.

"Quite so, sir!" he stuttered. "Exactly, sir!"

"Now, on the contrary, if any one says you were served with such
a paper, it was quite impossible for the reason--by the way, what
_was_ the reason?"

Hawkins dropped one eyelid to a narrow slit and pursed his lips.

"Quite impossible, sir! The fact is, sir, I was waitin' on a dinin'-
car that ran at the time between San Antonio and New Orleans, sir."

"You see, Quib?" exclaimed Gottlieb. "My suspicions in the matter
were quite correct. This gentleman has been most outrageously
treated! If you will kindly retire for a moment--as I have a matter
which I wish to discuss with him privately--I will turn him over
to you for the purpose of taking his affidavit."

A few moments thereafter Hawkins appeared in my office, apparently
in the act of stuffing something into his pocket, and announced
that he was ready to sign his "davy." Although I had no taste for
the business, there was nothing for it but to do my part; so I
called in a stenographer and dictated the following:

"SUPREME COURT--COUNTY OF NEW YORK

"RUFUS P. DILLINGHAM, Plaintiff )
_against_ ) _Action for Annulment of Marriage_
LILIAN DILLINGHAM, Defendant )

"CITY AND COUNTY OF NEW YORK, _ss_.:

"ARTHUR P. HAWKINS, being duly sworn,