DESCRIPTION OF THE SWINdler.

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For reasons too obvious to require explanation, the theory that the substitution might have been made in the post-office at Washington seemed still more unreasonable. The swindler unquestionably exchanged the package containing the money and contract, for another exactly resembling it in size and external appearance, while his companion was pulling on his boot before the work of sealing began.

At this time none of the parties on the trail knew whence Worms came, or whither he had gone. Guided by his own assertion that he had served in the Union army, special agent Tidball called at the war department, and through the courtesy of the adjutant-general was permitted to examine the records.

It appeared that "Charles Worms" enlisted as commissary sergeant in the Fifty-Eighth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, October 7, 1861, and served until January 18, 1862, when he was commissioned second lieutenant, and subsequently first lieutenant of company K of the same regiment. February 26, 1863, he was appointed by President Lincoln an assistant quartermaster of volunteers, with the rank of captain, and assigned to duty with the Eleventh Corps, Army of the Potomac, and was afterward transferred to the Department of the Gulf, where he served in New Orleans and vicinity till the close of the war.

From data furnished by the victimized landlord, as supplemented by information obtained from the records of the war department, the following accurate description of Worms was prepared by the officers, and published in circular form.

"Born in Lille, France; about fifty-two years old; five feet six inches high; stout built; weighs about 180 or 190 pounds; dark complexion; brown eyes; black hair, mixed with gray; moustache; uses snuff and often coughs; a white sediment or matter collects in the corners of his eyes every hour or so; talks a great deal of women, and is fond of card-playing; frequents German play-houses, and might be found there at almost any time; wears gold watch and vest-chain, with foreign gold coin charm set in a twisted border or rim; wears plain gold ring on small finger of left hand; wears eye-glasses, black bows, and when not in use is in the habit of toying with them; speaks French fluently but with a German accent, and is a good German scholar; he has much the appearance of a Jew and would

hardly be taken for anything else; styles himself "doctor" or "captain ;" has small thick feet; when last seen wore tongue-boots, left one cut to relieve a swelling of the instep."

So far as could be learned, Worms had long before disappeared below the mental horizon of every one about Washington. He was not and never had been employed by the interior department as inspector of Indian supplies. At the war department, the generation that once enjoyed personal knowledge of him had passed away. He seemed to have returned after the lapse of many years like a lost comet, and to have vanished as suddenly as he came.

At first the officers surmised that he had probably left the country by way of New York city. Thither they accordingly started on the first day of January, 1876, stopping at Philadelphia to visit the German hotel on Walnut Street, the surroundings of which were found to correspond with the description in their hands, but nothing of value could be gleaned there.

On arriving in New York city, the officers began to hunt for the fugitive with unrelenting vigor, though possessing no tangible clue to work from. Apprehensive that the swindler had exchanged his ill-gotten greenbacks for gold and fled to Europe, they called at the various banking-houses that deal in foreign exchange, but could find no record which seemed to meet the conditions of the supposed transaction. All the foreign shipping offices were visited, and the several lists of passengers sailing between November 22d and January 1st carefully examined, but the vermicular name was nowhere to be seen. A description of the peculiar appearance and manners of the missing man failed to recall the sinister physiognomy to any of the officials of the steamship companies.

The city directory -that thesaurus of weighty information was then resorted to. The Worms family was found to be numerously represented among the denizens of the metropolis, several sons of the house rejoicing in the initial "C." The

JOGGING A SLOW MEMORY.

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owners were hunted down, and their separate identity from the original and genuine successively established.

The register of the St. Denis verified the statements of the victim, but did not further illumine the darkness. The prospect did not wear a cheerful look.

During the day spent together in New York, Worms took his companion to a German restaurant near the Grand Central

"Yas, yas," ruminated the tapster, "I mind 'im now. Talk much, didn't he, 'bout bein' a soldier? Talk very big."

Depot, where the affectionate twain indulged in frequent potations and heart-disclosing hilarity. Fortunately the dupe who paid the score retained the business card of the establishment. Thither the officers went on a voyage of discovery, not sanguine of success, but resolved to leave no possible source of information unexplored. The proprietor, a goodnatured Dutchman, did not know Captain Worms, and had

never heard of such a personage.

Strangers came and

went, drank and talked, but he asked no questions.

However, the persistent efforts of the special agents to refresh the memory of the host succeeded at length in recalling the faded lineaments of the ex-quartermaster. "Yas, yas," ruminated the tapster, "I mind 'im now. Talk much, didn't he, 'bout bein' a soldier, an' fightin' in de wars? Had tall man wid 'im. Talk very big."

By dint of much mental effort the proprietor succeeded in recollecting fragments of the conversation that passed between the hilarious companions. Worms mentioned an old army comrade whom he proposed to call upon. The gentleman lived up the river, but was employed in a large establishment down town. As nearly as he could remember it, the German gave the officers the name, and though a mere hint of the real name, the resemblance in sound enabled them to find the person to whose former acquaintance the swindler had boastfully referred. He proved to be a gentleman of intelligence and character, who served with distinction during the war, and who had no concealments to make in the interest of the associate that had turned out so badly.

He had not seen Worms for a long time - in fact, had almost forgotten the existence of such a man. The exquartermaster returned from New Orleans with considerable money, and after a time formed a copartnership in a retail mercantile house with an Israelite, who, for convenience, may be called "J. Schmidt." Matters did not prosper, however. Ere long, the concern mounted skyward in flame and smoke, under circumstances of such suspicion that, at the instance of the insurers, the partners were arrested for arson. After considerable litigation, the trouble was finally compromised, when the supposed incendiary quit the city. For five or six years the gentleman had neither seen nor heard of him.

Then began the hunt for the former partner. By further reference to the directory, the line of "J. Schmidts," stretch

A SUGGESTIVE COINCIDENCE.

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ing up and down in serried columns, seemed too formidable for investigation in the short period allotted to a single life. Old volumes were exhumed, and after patient search it was

"But I haf no writteen audoritee, remonstrated J. S." found that one member of the illustrious tribe lived on the same street and at the same number where a "C. Worms" had resided several years before. Interpreted in the light