The Quaker And The Rogue

Some years ngo a Quaker knight cf the Basara an i tliimblo, wlio exrcisud hia vucution in Caiiteibury, was iinposed upon by an adroit MOUndrel, who con tri vcd to trut a sint ot clothcs on credit, and afterwards decamped without payiig for them. The (Juakcr was too poor to lose the debí ; but, liko töo niany öthers ot bis clóth, he bad, apparently, no other aitfinative. The account was pluced ou bis books aud sonn fórgotteii. About five yoars afterward, as he was exiiiining bis old records of dobt and croSit, profit utid loss, his attention whs attracted to tbis account, c.iiii an liil the circuiustances attending it came fresb to hismind suddenly an odd thougbt suggcsted itselt'. "I'll try au experiment," said he to himself: "perbaps may succeed iu catching the rogue and íítng my Iay." Hu iiumediately prepared an adsertis.:'iicist in substance as iollows, wbicb be insertad in the Kent Herald ; NoTIOE. - lt' Mr. Jöbn "Webber, who whs in Cantfibury about tho moutb of August, in the yenr lHO.'i, willsend bis adnbs to the editor oí tbis paper, be will ïear something to advantage. Haviug instructed the editof hot ró dislósy his narüe to thè rogjie ii he ghould all, but request tho lattor to leavelusadress, tho Quaker palU;iitly waited the r uit üt' this experiment. In a short tune ie was ini'orfued by a' flote trom the erfior ihnt tfaie individual alludod tó in the idvortisement, haviiig arrived froin Lon ion, might be found at the " Rose Hotel." Tho tailor Vrst no timo ifl preparing a ranscript of ins account, not iorgetting o charge interest trom the time that the ebt was incurred. Taking a baihil' with ïim who bore a legal pTQOess ítrited to the occasion, he bood arrived at tho loilm ;a ot the swindler. The bailiii' wasinstruetd to stand uil' at a distance till a 8gnui hould indícate the. timo tbr him to aproach. The Quaker now entered the coffeeoom and rang the bell ; and when tho ervant appcuruii, requesKid turn to ïnfoim he gentleman cf whom he was in seurch, hat a gentleman wiahed to speak witli ïim. The waiter obeyed the suiumons, and soon botli debtor and creditor wwv ooking each other ir. the taco. " dost th'u do!'" kindly inquired he Quaker, in a bland tono. "Perhaps liuu i-o.st not ltnow me." "I don't believe I havo he pleasure of 'our acquaintance," poiiteiy answered our hero with a iorced cmile. " Dost thou remember purchasinga suit f clulhes soveral jrears ago of a poor ;ailor in this city, and forgetting to pay 'or thtni f " asked the Quaker. " Oh, nb ! " said the gentleman blnshng iliiriiUy. " Vou must be mistaken in he purson. It eannot possibly bo me ,hat you wi.sh to ünd " But the Ui'i'ker was not to be shaken off by this deriial of iiis identity. " Ah, John, l lïmnv thee well. Thou art lie veiy man 1 wished to see. Thou hast on at this very moment the coat I made ?or thee. Thou must acknowledge that t was of good stuif and well made, or it could not have lasted theo so long." " Oh, yes, said tho gentleman, appearng suildenly to reeolliict himself; "I do remember now the circumstauce. Yes, -es - I had intended to settle that little ill béfore 1 left Canterbury, and you may lepend on my tloing so. Ihave come here o take iu8SC8siön of á largo amount of property which has fallen to me by vill. iiee ! here is the advertiseiuent whieh apprised me of my good fortune." He hamled the Quaker a copy of tho paper containing the Bdvertuement whose histor we have giveii abcve. The Quaker looked at it with imperturbable gravily, and cuntinuf ■:] : " Yes, I see thou'art in luck ; but as my demand is a small one, 1 think I must insist on paymeut before thou comest into possossiuii ot tuy large esraie. A t;ip ut tho window here brought the biiilift' into tho presenee of the partios. The swindler wis partioul&dy ustonished at the appeamftce oí tliis jimctumury. wbo inimediately began tü executu his pint ot thu drama. "Whatl" exolajtnöd the rogue, in an angry tono, "you surely havun't aued me 'i " " Yes, I havo," replied the Quuker ; " and thou should.st bi) thaukt'ul thut nothing worse has happened to thee ! " " Come in then," said tho doctor, finding himself f uii'ly cauglit -'come in, uikI I will piiy yoft it I must." The threo went iuto the house togethor, and the slippery gentleman, having tiscertained the amonnt ot' the bill, piud it in t'ull. The latter, having signed the receipt, placed it in the hand ot' tho late creditor, with feelings buch as niay readily bfl imagined The Bwindler took it, and tor the first time gls&oed at tl! various iti'ms ot' which it was componed. lío said notbiug until ho uame to tho lust charue, which WW "tor advertising," "Halloo! whatis this? for adveitising t That is an odd charge in a tailor's bill. Yon aru i beatiog me." "Oh, no," eooiy replied tho Quaker; " that is all right. I havo charged thee tho cost ot' publishiag the idvertisement which thou juet sbowed me." Here the swindler savagely demanded, "Do yon rñííiiu to say you caused the publioation of that iidvuitisemeiity" " Truly, I did," repliod the Quaker, with most provoking coolncss. " Yipu told a falöuhood in it," quickly rotorted tho rough. "Cotiïince me of that," said tho impRrturl)jblo " and thou wilt lililí IIÍU IILIW LU UVXIAVOa "'Jl Illlill. " You Raid in your advprtisemont tliat [ sbould hear of sometbing to uiy advun-i'j'', if I would como here." " Thon art mistaken' iruöïüdia'telv rcsfiftndcd tho (iunker; "I only proiuised tliat thou sbouldst ' hear so'jcething tó advantagfi,' and is it riot to tho advantago of a poor tailor to collect an oíd dubt'r" " It' I católi you in tho Street," said tho ' swindlcr, in tbu deepoot ragn, ''I'll trivo you such a thnishing na will not leave thè breath in your body." " Nonstiise ! " said the Quaker ; " if thou reiilly intond to do anything of thnt sort, we had botter stup out into the ba(-k yard and finish the business at once." Tho rogue was complotely abashed by the coolness of fhe Quaker, and stood speoohleM and ulmost petrified. " Now, ' satd the tuilor, good-natnredly, "let me give you a word oi advice. When thuu luist occasion to get a suit ofclothts, thou badst better not attempt to chcat tho poor tailor, but pay him honèstly ; for tlicn thy coriscieuco will not disturb thee, mid thy sleep will be sweet and rolïushing. t'arewell 't "