So I allowed my qualms to give me no further uneasiness and told myself that Gottlieb was clever enough to manage the business in such a fashion that there would be no "come-back." A week or so later I encountered in our office a narrow-shouldered, watery-eyed, reddish-nosed party that I instantly recognized for Hawkins.

There could be no doubt about the matter, for he had a way of standing at attention and thrusting his head forward when addressed that were unmistakable.

He was waiting, it turned out, for Gottlieb, who had sent for him to come on from Baltimore; and the readiness with which he had responded could be better accounted for by the five hundred dollars which he had received at the hands of our emissary for travelling expenses than by any desire on his part to regain the society of the present Mrs.Dillingham.
"I suppose," began Gottlieb when he had retired to the seclusion of his inner office, "that you fully understand that the divorce secured by your wife is inoperative--Tut! Tut! Don't interrupt me!"-- for Hawkins had opened his mouth in protest--"for the reason -- for the very good reason, I repeat--that you were never served with any summons or notified that the proceeding had been commenced.
Am I correct ?" Hawkins grinned and turned his watery eyes from one of us to the other.
"Quite so, sir!" he stuttered.

"Exactly, sir!" "Now, on the contrary, if any one says you were served with such a paper, it was quite impossible for the reason--by the way, what _was_ the reason ?" Hawkins dropped one eyelid to a narrow slit and pursed his lips.
"Quite impossible, sir! The fact is, sir, I was waitin' on a dinin'- car that ran at the time between San Antonio and New Orleans, sir." "You see, Quib ?" exclaimed Gottlieb.

"My suspicions in the matter were quite correct.