everal times running he
had been discharged for absence from rehearsals. He had reached
the limit of his resources about the time of my arrival in the city
and had been in a most lugubrious frame of mind when I first had
the honor of his acquaintance. Suddenly, however, he appeared one
day with a large roll of bills and entered upon a period of
lubrication and open-handed hospitality, in which we all participated.
During this season of good cheer, as Toby and I were strolling down
Broadway one afternoon, an ugly looking man who had been following
us stepped forward and, touching my friend on the shoulder, said
gruffly:

"The captain wants to see you."

The uttering of these cryptic syllables produced a most extraordinary
effect upon my companion, for he turned deadly pale and the
perspiration collected in beads upon his temples, while he commenced
to wring his hands and bemoan his ill fortune.

"What is the trouble?" I inquired in great solicitude.

The belligerent stranger, however, pushing between us, grasped Toby
firmly by the arm and marched him across the street, while I trailed
behind in the nature of a rear guard. I had already begun to
suspect that the ugly man was none other than an officer of the
law, and visions of myself locked up in jail as a possible accomplice,
although innocent of wrong-doing, hovered in my mind. Toby, giving
every indication of guilt, slouched along beside his captor,
occasionally glancing shamefacedly over his shoulder.

We were now nearing a police station, and our companion, for the
first time showing any sign of personal interest, inquired if we
had a lawyer. On receiving a negative reply, the officer strongly
recommended our immediately retaining counsel in the person of one
Gottlieb, who could be found across the street from the police
station and whose precise whereabout were made obvious by means of
a large sign about six feet by three and one-half in size, reading
as follows:

ABRAHAM GOTTLIEB'S
LAW OFFICE
NOTARY DEEDS
RENTS COLLECTED BAIL BONDS
INSURANCE GENERAL ADVICE

Without giving Toby time for consideration the officer led us across
the street and into the stuffy little den occupied by the lawyer.

"Here's the gent I told you of," said he, nodding in the direction
of a hawk-faced little man smoking a vile cigar, who was sitting
with his feet upon a table. "I'll leave you alone," he added, and
sauntering acr