"Precisely, that's my name, sir," Jenks responded.
"Then," continued the stranger, "I've disagreeable business with you, Mr. Jenks;
I hold your arrest!
"
"Good God!" exclaimed Jenks; "my arrest? What for?"
"There's the writ, sir; you can read it."
"A
writ
? Why, God bless you, man, I don't
owe
a dollar in the world, but what I can liquidate in ten minutes!"
"Oh, it's not debt, sir; you may see by the writ it's
felony!
"
If the man had drawn and cocked a revolver at Jenks, the effect upon his nervous system could not have been more startling or powerful. But he recovered his self-possession, and learned with dismay, that he was arrested—yes,
arrested
as an accessory to a grand scheme of fraud and general villany, on the part of Smith, a conclusion arrived at, by those most interested, upon discovery that Jenks had pronounced Smith "good," and endorsed for him in sums total, enormously, far beyond Jenks' actual ability to make good!
It was in vain Jenks declared, and no man before ever dreamed of doubting his word, his entire ability to meet all liabilities of his own and others, for whom he kindly become responsible; for when the
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