The leader., 1898-04-13

On, Tn railroad man. was maid on
yesterday and came In 10 town last
night with my money. Well. the fact
Is, ] got to 5ucking the tiger and lost
u all. IL get to Orange this morning
in time TO go to work again I'm all
right, but II | don't I'll lose nv place.
That was an explanation of his
penniless condition that would have
caught great many men ana tb.y
would have given up to him. But Il
made me suspicious. Somewhere | had
read or heard that gamblers never per-
NIT man to go out of their places in
that condition il they know IL. And ~
he actually had lost his money in n
gambling house II was certain that the
gambler would have staked him To
enough to get home. So I hesitated
about giving him anything. and for lack
of something better TO say said again,
'How's that? ] don't understand
He went over the whole story again
very gently and smoothly this time, and
put in few little extra fiourishes that
convinced me that he was a fakir. As
he talked he stepped little in front Of
me and noticed the badge of my college
fraternity which I wore on my waist
coat. 'Ah!' said he, you belong TO that
fraternity, Ell? was Psi U from Co.
lumbia.' He went on with lot about
college fraternities that made me think
he had eaten a fraternity book. He
knew more about them than had ever
heard, and | had had foremost place
in the rush line in my senior year. He
seemed to be familiar with them all,
and he talked about them in very in-
teresting fashion for nearly half an
hour before he got back to the subject
of the fare to Orange. Then said:
"'No, shall not give you any money.
because | believe you are profession
al beggar. Bat you've got a good game,
and you probably make a good thing
out of it. However, / should advise
| you to modify il little. Gamblers,
you know, will always grubstake man
who has gone broke in their places, so
that's weak point in your story. Patch
it up little, and don't be so glib, and
you're all right for some time
assure you,' he protested, that
| never asked man for money in my
life before | saw you. | realize that |
am not in position to resent your in
suit, but want you to understand that
1t is an insult and that you have mis-
taken me. | am actually in need of
that money to save my place, and if |
don't get it | don't know what shall
do; ] can send it back to you, and will
do so gladly as soon as | get back to
my friends
NO | said, and turned away; L
don't believe you
! Il am mason, too, he called after
me. | turned and walked back to him
at once. have been member of an up
state lodge ever since | was in college,
and thought ! would try him. Where
were you made a mason 2 | asked. He
hesitated an instant and then repied:
In Hornellsville.' Well, | suppose ma
sons are made in Hornellsville, but they
don't admit it in that way, and | said
to the beggar: Never try that game
again, for you can't tell when some ma
son will try you and you don't square,
Then | went away.
We'll, that fellow met me three times
on the street after that, and each time
began his story. At last told him that
he was fool as well as beggar, be-
cause he couldn't remember the faces
of the men he addressed, whereas any
man would remember forever such a
story as he told. Then he shifted his
ground, and | never saw him again.
The doctor laughed. Your expert
ence was something like one had just
the other day, but it didn't result in the
same way. About six weeks ago tall,
gray-haired, MISUNDERSTANDING man
came into my office and presented a
card which read: