DRESSED UP AND-DOWN 



tricals, and for a short period old Mrs Harrison allowed 

 me to be a paying guest at her house in Gower Street. 

 Theirs was a most successful business, and very inter- 

 esting too. CalHng in there, as I have said, I found 

 Jack Harrison folding up a very smart box-cloth coat 

 with pearl buttons as big as plates. I was always 

 curious to see any nice things they had, and Jack was 

 then, as now, always willing to be a good fellow. I 

 always got on well with him and, as a friend, he would 

 always take a lot of trouble to see that I had the right 

 thing for any part I played or would lend me at a 

 nominal price a swagger costume for a fancy-dress ball. 

 But about that day before Croydon. I looked at the 

 coat and Jack saw me doing so. " That's your sort," 

 he said, " when you can afford to buy it." " Could I 

 wear it to-morrow ? " I asked him. " If I have a good 

 day then it's mine, if not I'll give you half-a-guinea for 

 the loan of it." He agreed, and I tried it on and 

 thought I looked the real goods in it ; in fact, I was so 

 affluent-looking that some of my little crowd thought 

 I had come into money. That beastly coat was to 

 cost me dear, and. Jack Harrison, it was your kindness 

 and my vanity which was to bring about my undoing. 

 At all events it was another experience in life, for it 

 was the first time that I had ever tumbled right into 

 the lap of a three-card mob and was done down at the 

 " find the lady " game. It was a glorious day. I had 

 a first-class ticket, and thinking that I had a carriage 

 to myself, opened the paper, and a nice benevolent old 

 gentleman came in, taking his seat opposite me. He 

 had a stock and a big horseshoe pin which I thought 

 contained diamonds. He was settling himself down 

 when suddenly he said : " There's my friend, Mr 

 Johnson," and a serious-looking gentleman in black 

 greeted him, and followed into the carriage. The 



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