The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-06-25
NE TALKED roo GLTBLF.
It Was the Beggars sickness and Fluenc
That Beat His Own Game.

/ IL Was the Beggars sickness and Fluency
That Beat His Own Game.
Standing on the corner OF Thirty-se-
the other morning was young man
whose detected appearance might have
/ marked him for one VINO had found
/ bucking the tiger rather expensive APP
= parenty he was looking at the gutter In
/ deep thought. Occasionally he puRad at
| a half-smoked cigar. He might have been
! musing over the nights losings and con-
templating. perhaps, suicide. lie was
( fairly well dressed, with patent feathers,
/ clothes that fitted him, light overcOat,
and a good hat He wore a soft. dropping.
brown moustache, and his chin had been
shaved probably the previous evening.
Now the only thing surprising in all this
Is that the man was a professional beg
gar. one OF the smOOthest Of the extra
ordinarily expert "pan-handers" of ne
city. And while he seemed 20 be wrapped
I'm a mental discussion Of the question
Of the value Of life he really was watch
Ing very keenly every one of the late birds
who were just getting home.
There IS a restaurant I'm Broadway,
Just below where this prince Of beggars
stood. which keeps open until a very
late hour OF the night. Ii was the Gus
toners Of this retaurant who were just
then attracting the beggar's attent)l.
It happened on this particular morning
that a sun man, whose work mad kept
him down town until very late, went TO
this restaurant for supper. As he etrolled
| along up Broadway toward home, ne saw
the beggar standing IN re and IDLY spec
/ ulated on the possibility Of reading OF
/ that mans suicide I'm the evening oaps"3.
1 He had nearly passed the bessar when
| the man made a quick movement that
arrested the Sun mans attention.
Il beg your pardon sir, began The beg
ear "I-I-er-I-"
The sun man stopped and turned
round.
| THE fact of the business is" went on
the other, I'VE got TO ask you or some
! body for some money l never begged be-
fore in my life and it don't-you see 1t
isn't maxwell. ri tell you, / might as
well make clean breast Of II. ! trled
to beat a game down here and I'm
cleaned out. II haven't got enough
money 10 get home with. / live out at
Orange. Unemployed out there. / kno"
I've made a fool of myself / own up,
but'-he laughed. q strained, hoarse sort
of n SMILE / haven't a cent, THAT'S All
there Is TO II, and L can't walk II. Forty
cents would get me there, sir. or thirty
five even. / could walk 10 the ferry.
II was very well done. The fellow
seemed 10 be so distressed at having 10
beg that he almost fooled The sun man,
whom long experience with the profess
SIGNALS of Park row and city Han Park
has made hard Of heart. The fault with
II lay in its extreme cleverness. BeSgdrs
who are clever are TO be suspected. 20
Tn sun man said:
II don't understand. Now, what Is IL
you want?"
The beggar took the bait. "You see
he said II live I'm Orange. I'm rail-
road man. I got my pay yesterday ana
lost II buckng the tiger l haven't got a
cent. Can you let me have 40 cents to get
home with? l never begged before In my
life. sir. but / can't get out there unless
some one gives me the money, ana I'm
afraid II lose" He was OF again on
a long explanation Of his misfortune and
an excuse for losing the money, with an
exclamation Of his fear OF losing his place
~ he didn't get back 10 Orange. As ne
was talking he moved closer 10 ms IN
tended victim and affected to notice Tor
the first time a college fraternity uads'
on the Sun mans vest.
"That 3. X. l.. or Psi L. PIN ne
said. "Oh, its a Beke | see. Isl l.. mas
a yellow scroll. ] was college man
myself But | must have graduated be-
fore you entered. / was fraternity man,
too. / belonged TO Psi IT, and when
drst say your Acknowledged badge i
thught for a second you might be one,
too" and he ratified on again about COL
lege fraternities. lie displayed an aston
ishehing familiarity with the history and
condition not only OF the larger and bet
ter knwn, but even OF the smaller ones,
which are not so old and whose MEM
bership is largely in the Western col
leges. II was all too glib 10 come from
a man begging for the first time. That
sort Of man doesn't attempt 10 become
familiar, and he has ma tenacity. Beg
CARS who have a tenacity are 10 be sus-
pected.
The beggar branched on from one fra
t6rnity to another. then 10 other subjects
Of interest college men, athletics, base-
ball. football. rowing, and such things
but he worked II so that he could occa-
sionally get In a reference 10 his need OF
40 cents 10 get him 10 orange. As ne be-
came more fluent he grew more lmportu-
nate At tbs last he was fairly demand
ing the money Men who beg FOR the hrst
time and because they actually need the
money are not importunate. Beggars VINO
are impOrtunate are 70 be suspectel' Inc
sun man was convinced that the nessar
was a professional. so he turned ana
started 10 walk on.
'Inen you won hviP MT 0N''
the beggar.
mo"
.Tm sorry. sir" said the beggar. Il
dislike to disturb you, but I'm Mason
too"
The Sun man ia a Mason, and that re-
mark stopped him again.
"You live in Oranges" he asked the beg
gar.
yes"
"Iived there long?'
Several years"
know many people there
Eyes. know q god many"
Ever met Hiram Abin In ORANGE
"Abine" said the beggar. Hiram