Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10

We sat there for few moments in silence.
Then he took his hands away.
.'rn be here at II o'clock tomorrow:
sharp He paused: IL want IT,, TO ten you
a great discovery. There's money In It
lots Of it-for you and me. I'll tell you
more tomorrow"
Then he disappeared.
never gave the thing another serious
thought. I had been amused and enter
tanned, but when I came to think 1t over
I concluded that. remarkable AZ IT had
seemed 1t was perhaps only simple but
Of mesmersm. I was inclined to think that
the fellow had hypnotized me in order to
purloin something from my person, or my
desk, or my safe. but on investigation l
found everything untouched and intact.
That night at the club 1 was sitting In
game of cards. Among those at the table
was Judge - Of the probate court.
genial, sportive gentleman of something
blessed. as such men often are, with q
shrewish wife. When he took his seat at
our table some doubt was expressed, In the
judges presence and for his benefit. as to
whether she was aware of his present oc-
cupation. The judge took the banter good
naturally enough. but he said nothing.
MY DEAL" he said simply. with smile
The game progressed Finally It mar,
Judge and myself. The judge was an Al
bluffer. and knew It, I studied his coun-
tenance with elaborate care. but 1t was
If 1 could only get the old rascal con-
fused for once" thought to myself.
And then all Of sudden recalled the
fact, or the possibility, that | was living
storage battery charged with-what? I
didn't know. But thought I'd try 1t on.
at any rate The judges hand-the one
that held the cards-rested upon the table
Mine rested also on the table. He was
looking at his cards. Finally he looked
rJt afr 0f eYnpctat1Ou. He had
been waiting for me.
"Wen," he said, or rather started to
say. for the words froze upon his tongue
"My-my-my dear" he said at last. in a
weak voice a very monument Of apology
and humiliation, "my-dear, this ls-thls
| is no place for you"
The others looked on in amazement.
scared to death They thought the judges
| mind had given way.
l rose from the table.
| Then the judge stared and stared and
stared at me. He couldn't understand It.
tacles and wiping them clean. Bless me,
| Thought
But he didn't say what. For at that
moment ne glanced round at the crowd.
didn't understand 1t any better than they
old. but he wasn't the man to show it:
| He glanced again at his cards and re-
| covered his compoSure-almost But not
| entirely. For, as he looked, / saw in his
| face lust what 1 had been watching for.
| / tapped the table with chip.
IT call you," l said.
| Thirty seconds later l was raking in the
pile 1t was a good nights work
| Next day the man turned up, as he had
| said he would. / told him about my ex-
| perence Of the previous night. He was, OF
| course, delighted: more SO, / thought. be-
| cause he had convinced me than at the
| success of his scheme. He had taken that
| for granted.
| / took out large roll of bills and divided
| them in two. It was the money that had
won from the Judge on the night before.
Your half" l remarked, holding one
| portion out to him.
! He stretched forth his hand with eager
| ness, then slowly withdrew 1t and shook
his head. Finally he stretched it out
again.
s'I'u take 1t after ALL" he said glancing
down at his shabby wearing apparel. i
don't want to, but I must-I need the
money!
He spent some time secreting the bills
about his person. I watched him closely
| while he did it. SuddenIy7sit occurred "a
me that / had seen him and had known
him somewhere, but I couldn't place the
man. 1t puzzled me.
Now he said. as he finished. He got
up and locked the door. Now. he re-
peated. - hs drew his chair up close u