ms, amounting in all, as we have before said, to about
two thousand dollars, and he was not a person at all likely to forget
this fact. Of this Wilkinson was made sensible, about an hour after
appearing at his store. He was at his desk musing over certain results
figured out on a sheet of paper that lay before him, and which had
reference to payments to be made during the next three or four weeks,
when he heard his name mentioned, and, turning, saw a stranger
addressing one of his clerks, who had just pointed to where he was
sitting. The man, with his unpleasant eyes fixed upon Wilkinson, came,
with firm yet deliberate steps, back to his desk.

"Mr. Wilkinson, I believe?" said he.

"That is my name." Wilkinson tried to feel self-possessed and
indifferent. But that was impossible, for he had an instinctive
knowledge of the purport of the visit.

The man thrust his hand into a deep inside pocket, and abstracted
therefrom a huge pocket-book. He did not search long in the
compartments of this for what he wanted, but drew directly therefrom
sundry small, variously shaped pieces of paper, much blotted and
scrawled over in a hurried hand. Each of these bore the signature of
Wilkinson, and words declaring himself indebted in a certain sum to
Andrew Carlton.

"I am desired to collect these," said the man coldly.

Much as Wilkinson had thought, in anticipation of this particular
crisis, he was yet undecided as to what he should do. He had been made
the victim of a specious scoundrel--a wolf who had come to him in
sheep's clothing. Running back his thoughts, as distinctly as it was
possible for him to do, to the occurrences of the previous night, he
remembered much that fully satisfied him that Carlton had played
against him most unfairly; he not only induced him to drink until his
mind was confused, but had taken advantage of this confused state, to
cheat in the grossest manner. Some moments passed ere he replied to the
application; then he said--

"I'm not prepared to do any thing with this matter just now."

"My directions are to collect these bills," was the simple reply, made
in a tone that expressed even more than the words.

"You may find that more difficult than you imagine," replied Wilkinson,
with some impatience.

"No--no--we never have much difficulty in collecting debts of this
kind." There was a meaning emphasis on the last two words, which
Wilkinson understood but too well. Still he made answer,

"You m