Shunning Creditors

The schemes that debtors sometimea volve to rid themselves of annoylng ollectors are always amusing - to verybody but the debtors. The very unniest character that Dickena ever onceived- in the mind of man - is Micawber, he with the flat purse an,d j dethoric speech. Who that has ever read it can forget the inexpressibly unny incident of Micawber, upon his departure for Australia, giving poor Traddles his "note-of-hand" for what he owed him, assuring him that that obligation at least was settled? And ïow Traddles, looking upon the transaction in a somewhat different light, meekly submitted to Micawber's peculiar lbgic and allowed him to walk away while he wae recovering from the shock. Some of the tactics resorted to by these haunted debtors show ingenuity wortliy of a better cause. On one occasion a man who had the constables on his track was about to take a stroll from his house. He was standing on the doorstep talking to his wife, when he eaw two suspicious-looking men coming hurriedly toward him. Quickly taking his note-book from his pocket he waited until the men were in ing and then, in a purposely loud voice, he said to his wife: "So your husband's out again. Ha never does seem to be in. It's shameful. I have already called half a dozen times to settle this account. If he's not in to-night when I cali I shall put the matter into court." "Did you say your husband waa out?" aeked one of the newcomers. "Yes," replied hia wife, "this gentleman was just enquiring for him." The three men turned and went down the steps together. "We've got little chance of getting anything there," the debtor said. "I euppose you are af ter the man, too? Come and have a drink." After that he was continually meeting the constables ahout hia house, and invariably passed a cheery word witli