u scoundrel?--Didn't I give you back your
tobacco? Isn't that your tobacco lying there? Do you expect me to pay
for what I did not take?"

"But, sir," says the publican, now rather at a loss what to say, "but
sir-"

"But me no buts, sir," interrupts the diddler, apparently in very high
dudgeon, and slamming the door after him, as he makes his escape.--"But
me no buts, sir, and none of your tricks upon travellers."

Here again is a very clever diddle, of which the simplicity is not its
least recommendation. A purse, or pocket-book, being really lost,
the loser inserts in one of the daily papers of a large city a fully
descriptive advertisement.

Whereupon our diddler copies the facts of this advertisement, with a
change of heading, of general phraseology and address. The original,
for instance, is long, and verbose, is headed "A Pocket-Book Lost!" and
requires the treasure, when found, to be left at No. 1 Tom Street. The
copy is brief, and being headed with "Lost" only, indicates No. 2 Dick,
or No. 3 Harry Street, as the locality at which the owner may be seen.
Moreover, it is inserted in at least five or six of the daily papers
of the day, while in point of time, it makes its appearance only a few
hours after the original. Should it be read by the loser of the purse,
he would hardly suspect it to have any reference to his own misfortune.
But, of course, the chances are five or six to one, that the finder will
repair to the address given by the diddler, rather than to that pointed
out by the rightful proprietor. The former pays the reward, pockets the
treasure and decamps.

Quite an analogous diddle is this. A lady of ton has dropped, some where
in the street, a diamond ring of very unusual value. For its recovery,
she offers some forty or fifty dollars reward--giving, in her
advertisement, a very minute description of the gem, and of its
settings, and declaring that, on its restoration at No. so and so, in
such and such Avenue, the reward would be paid instanter, without a
single question being asked. During the lady's absence from home, a day
or two afterwards, a ring is heard at the door of No. so and so, in such
and such Avenue; a servant appears; the lady of the house is asked for
and is declared to be out, at which astounding information, the visitor
expresses the most poignant regret. His business is of importance and
concerns the lady herself. In fact, he had the good fortune to find her
diamond ring. But p