Therefore upon hearing Mr. Higgleby’s announcement as to the nature of his trouble Tutt registered horror.

“What?  What did you say?” he demanded.

“I said,” repeated Mr. Higgleby with a shade of annoyance, “’the fact is, I’ve been arrested for bigamy.’  I don’t see any reason for making such a touse about it,” he added plaintively.

“Who’s making a—­a—­a touse about it?” inquired Tutt, perceiving that he had taken the wrong tack.  “I’m not.  I was just a little surprised at a man of your genteel appearance—­”

“Oh, rot!” expostulated Mr. Higgleby weakly.  “You’re just like all of ’em!  I suppose you were going to say I didn’t look like a bigamist—­and all that.  Well, cut it!  Let’s start fair.  I am a bigamist!”

Tutt regarded him with obvious curiosity.  “You don’t say!” he ejaculated, much as if he wished to add:  “How does it feel?”

“I do say!” retorted Mr. Higgleby.

“Well,” exclaimed Tutt cheerily, passing into the second phase of the Tutt-Tutt treatment, “after all, bigamy isn’t so bad!  It’s only five years at the worst.  Generally it’s not more than six months.”

“Get wise!” snapped Mr. Higgleby.  “I didn’t come here to have you throw cold chills into me.  I came here to find out how to beat it!”

“Why, certainly!  Of course!” protested Tutt hastily.

“I was—­”

“And I expect you to get me off!”

“Yes, yes!” murmured Tutt, his usual style completely cramped.

“No matter what!”

“Yes,” faintly tuttered Tutt.

“Well,” continued Higgleby, taking out a cigar that in shape and looseness of wrapping closely resembled its owner, “now that’s settled, let’s get down to brass tacks.  Here’s a copy of the indictment.”

He produced a document bearing a large gold seal.

“Those robbers made me pay a dollar-sixty for certification!” he remarked peevishly, indicating the ornament.  “What good is certification to me?  As if I wanted to pay to make sure I was accused in exact language!  Anybody can draw an indictment for bigamy!”

    COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS OF THE PEACE IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF NEW
    YORK

    The People of the State of New York against

    THEOPHILUS HIGGLEBY

    The Grand Jury of the County of New York, by this indictment,
    accuse Theophilus Higgleby of the crime of bigamy, committed as
    follows: 

The said Theophilus Higgleby, late of the borough of Manhattan of the city of New York in the county of New York, aforesaid, on the eleventh day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and nineteen, at Cook County and the city of Chicago in the state of Illinois, did marry one Tomascene Startup, and her, the said Tomascene Startup, did then and there have for his wife;

And afterward, to wit, on the seventeenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand