the situation, and, before he exactly
knew how, was engaged in conversation with the fair unknown. She was an
admirable conversationalist and spoke with that expressive pantomime
which gives probability to the blackest lies. Thus conversing, he
accompanied her to the residence she had been describing. The
"residence" proved to be an assignation house. He entered, unconscious
of the character of the house, and, as he had been on his way home,
remained within only a few brief moments. Bidding the lady politely
"good-day," he took his leave. As he walked rather briskly up the street
he was accosted by a gentleman, who brusquely said:

"So, sir! I have got you at last. I have had my suspicions excited for
some time past concerning the probity of my wife, but until to-day have
failed in discovering proofs of her infidelity. Now, however, I have
them! You have just left the house. I saw you and her meet on the street
and I followed you."

The respectable elderly gentleman protested with all the indignation of
maligned innocence, and was fluent and resourceful in explanation. He
had, he said, simply been doing an act of politeness that any gentleman
deserving the name would have as readily discharged, and so forth. His
interlocutor didn't see it in that light, and told him so. The following
day he was waited upon by the much-injured husband, who informed him
that he was about to institute divorce proceedings against his wife. To
demonstrate that he was dead in earnest he produced a formally drawn
complaint in which the wildly astonished and indignant merchant figured
as co-respondent. The result of this cunning maneuver may be foreseen.
The old gentleman paid a large sum of money to the "injured" husband on
the condition that he would withdraw the legal proceedings against his
wife. When the money had been spent, the leech again renewed his
black-mailing effort, and with success, although the respectable
gentleman had been guilty of no further crime than the indiscretion of
accepting the woman's invitation to step inside for a minute or two.
With the second payment, however, he obtained a promise from the
"husband" that on the receipt of the money he would start for California
and importune him no more. It is perhaps needless to state that the
scoundrel never left, but soon after made further demands, always
holding over the victim threats of exposure in divorce proceedings. This
system of extortion continued until as muc