SHARP PRACTICE. 



siderable distrust. He dined with rne, and was to 

 sleep at Woody ates ; but the subject that brought 

 him there was not broached until we were just pre- 

 paring to go to bed. Then he began with perfect 

 nonchalance. 



' Oh ! William,' he said, ' I have Mr. Isaacson's bill 

 for £500. It falls due on the 4th'— laying it 

 on the table as he spoke. ' Here it is, and it is as 

 good as a Bank of England note. Have you mine by 

 you V 



I replied in the affirmative, and added that I had 

 no doubt Mr. Isaacson's name would be good enough 

 with his endorsement added. 



' Yes,' he said, in the most innocent way ; ' but for 

 private reasons I would rather not have my name 

 appear to it just now ; and your bank, you know, will 

 take it with your endorsement.' 



I had, however, my own very particular, if not 

 private reasons, causing me to decline to take the bill 

 without his signature ; and ultimately he endorsed it, 

 and the matter was concluded, he taking one bill and 

 I the other, when we parted for the night. Both the 

 drawer and the acceptor of the bill he gave me proved 

 to be, as I suspected at the time, although they were 

 strangers to me, men of straw, and in a few days the 

 bill came back dishonoured ; on being apprised of 

 which Mr. Padwick promptly sent me his cheque for 

 the amount. I should add that the acceptor, Mr. 

 Isaacson, within a week shot himself with a pistol at 



