man shook her head, but made no reply for several minutes. Then
turning to her husband, she pressed her hands to her head and resumed:
"My pride is crushed, and my courage all gone, gone, gone. Bigelow
Chapman, my dear, when I married you I knew you were intellectually
great, and I looked forward to a brilliant future. The house is all dark
now."

"Extravagance, my dear, extravagance," said Chapman, shaking his head
suggestively. "It is a master that will break down the best of us."
Topman and Mrs. Topman have been indulging in extravagance; Gusher has
been spending all the money he could get, and all the young men in the
office went to doing the same. "And you, my darling--you know you havn't
lived--." Chapman was going to say, "so economical."

"But, my dear," rejoined Mrs. Chapman quickly, and evidently inclined to
change the conversation: "It was not me who introduced the handsome
young gentleman into the house."

"No, my dear--you only encouraged him when he was in," replied Chapman,
submissively. "I didn't tell you all, my dear, Topman is a forger, and
is not to be found. And, and the worst of it is--and that is what has
caused all the trouble--the great Kidd Discovery Company is dead! That's
where it is!"

"Dead, my dear, dead!" reiterated the astonished woman. "We call it gone
up in Wall Street--"

"Couldn't you contrive some way, my dear, to lighten the disgrace?"

"Wall Street is in a state of excitement, the sheriff is in possession
of everything, and beggary stares me in the face--"

This conversation was interrupted by loud ringing of the hall bell, and
in another minute Bowles opened the parlor door and the sheriff and one
of his deputies entered, and commenced their business. "Beg your
pardon," said the sheriff, bowing politely, while his deputy
deliberately took a seat and began a survey of everything within sight.
"You must excuse any lack of ceremony on our part. It is a part of our
duty to do these things, and we try to relieve them as much as possible
of their painful features." Then taking Chapman aside, he suggested that
the ladies better be got up stairs. And while this was being done the
deputy entered the back parlor, and placing his hat on the pier table,
began taking an inventory of all the furniture.

"You will find my deputy a gentleman," said the sheriff, addressing
Chapman when the ladies had left the parlor, "and if not such a
companion as you would prefer, I am compelled to leav