The sun., 1903-02-22

1T was just about twilight a. We strolieo
down to the railroad station When We
reached the station, the women stiii nusn-
ing their laohrymo glands and the meh s.
still emitting the hoarse mutters. the wits- ha-
ing gentleman, who had been Tagging Pc
hind, stepped up to me, touched me on tne
sleeve, and beckoned me TO ciuInp o.
frs across the way from the station ""n
a nod Of his head, ., 49,. r..
asked me in quiet sort .hos 9, WAY three blocks
J from here,' I repGed-I had pretty SVEN
routebook Of loan Offices In those days,
] and had dug Lisberger's up on previous
| visit to Spokane. ,a
| Suppose we walk to Lisbergers. ssi6 no
the walking gent and ! iei, Hor mt0 sse n s was was
going TO pour Goals OF fire on our heaot
Two hundred said the walking gen
,leman to Lisberger, slipping on ms y ne nne
blue-white finger gem and passing over
| TO the pawnbroker. who gave IL pu' o"e
glance and then said:
'Name?
know any banks herc' the walking
gentleman inquired OF me when We hao
left the pawnbroker's, ,,.,
.Gaetz 4 Baer's, the Coeur dAlene,
| over the way. the swelest between Denver
and San Francisco told him. >,
"'Suppose We walk over there, ne salu
TO mo, and again | fell into step with MN
II was a sure-enough clout to me 70 nnu
out that our walking gentleman had any
sporting blood.
rsMr. James Thorndyke. which was the
name the walking gentleman gave bouEnt
$500 worth Of blue chips a. one or tne
Coeur d'Alene faro layouts, ana pussreo
one Of the 500 stacks over TO me. Two
boxes cleaned Ms out. both OF us nhuims
on the Stag at the same minute. The walk
ing gentleman didn't leave his seat but
leaned over to ME.
would you mind he asked me. re-
moving his sapphire and diamond PIN
from his scarf, taking this over 70 Las,
berger'sP He'll give you hundred and
a half on tits worth 5000. don't want
to lose my seat.
.Lisberger pushed me the $50 without
q word, and took the money In canter
over TO Gaetz 4 B1er's. where the walking
gentleman was still seated AZ nus !aDlp;
keeping cases. He bought $3.50 worth OF
blues, and very civilly pushed SIS worth OF
them over to me. shook my head.
Its not nv night said beginning TO
feel mighty differently toward the walking
gentleman. Swing 'em along Yourself
He lasted two deals WITH hls siD' eMnc,y ,,H
pushing his last $50 over 10 call the turi on
the second deal. He made i queen,ten,
and IL came out ten-uueen. The walking
gentleman stood up In his place ana Degan
10 shcd his seal-lined ulster-the weather IN
Spokane was cold.
with a smile that struck mo al being rather
| winning. although l had never noticed It
before, 7 should like TO keep my seat, but
II YOU think am making messenger OF
I'm take it over, Of cour'e, said l.
Hell give you $500 on IT, said the
walking gentleman In mattsr-of-fact
tone.
.Iisberger whistlcd at the beauty NJ the
garment and handed out the SOD readiiy
rernarking that he hoped ] wouldn't re-
! dean, that he'd like 10 own Il himself.
Il was back to the Coeur d Alenc inside
of ten minutes and found the walk ing
! gentleman keeping cases with his gold
| pencil without any trace OF excitement
| He bought chips with the money. que'-
| toned me with his eyes as to whether l
wanted to play, and again l shook my
head.
sThen he began on the third round.
He could not lose. Inside OF an hour
| he had SO, 900 worth OF blues and yeilows
in front of him, and still going easy. BY
| this time l knew, OF oourse. what he was
playing for, although he hadn't Haid q
word, and when he had the % 900 worth Of
disks heaped up ! rooted for the hunch
to strike him to quit and cash In.
| But II didn't. and wasn't butting IL
| could see that he was an artist at the ga e
| that his nerves we're still as steady as steea'
! aad that his winning streak had shown
| no indication o4 running out.
! AT 10 y clock. when the walking gentle
man was : 900 ahead. | told him that
| I'd be gone for only few minutes, and
| hustled over to the station 10 see II tho
| Members of the company were still there.
I found them huddled up. the women
still! wadding their handkerchiefs up into
| little knots and the men trying to dope out
the names OF people back East 10 whom
they might wire.
Il suppose they all though l was sure
| dippy when | burst in upon them. -,
.'Cut out the walls, / remarked. 'rhere'n II
be eats and sleeps all rignt-just hang on
| a little while longer-the walking gentle
man has got 'em whipeawed both ends
from the Iniddlc-stay mere, and then
raced out and back To Gaetz d Blers.
As | glided over to the table where Mr.
Thorndyke-he had become Mr.. Thorn
| dyke with me you'll observe was play
ing, l aw Gaetz hold up his hand TO the
| dealer.
said GActz, and Mr.. Tnorndyke snrled
and pusned over his chips. be had Si%.Otl
worth. Inc money was paid to him IN
SsoO and 500 bills. -,
.We'll 60 over to IIsbcrger's, he said
The pawnsnops out that way used &c
keep open nearly all night TO accommodate
j the boys with the Duching fever. hs
redeemed his ring, pin and overcoat, anc
|
Dnl
That will extricate your? he inquired
Of mo, and maybe mis- tone DIDN'T soune
like a gentleman = and a scholars.
| Il started TO thank him efuAvcly--
don't mind saying that felt eifusive-bu
ne held up ms nand with an implorlht
gesture, and beginning to undoistan'
Ine man. forebote. he asned Llsberge
for some envelopes, and the pawnproAe
threw q package Of them onto the counter
The walking gentleman addressed an en-
velope to eacn member o; the compan.
except me--l already had mine and int
eaca Of the envelopes, except that addresses
to the leailns LAZY, he sippei two o.'
Lunui G 4 della bills. Into the leading lady
envelope he placed four tive hundi Ell o.i
la bills.
.'You hand these envelopes to the people
like good fellow said the walking gentle
man. They're no down In the inoutl
that they'd probably feel cmotionall,
grateful for the little favors, and couldn'
stand that. So | shan't see the,n again
Good-by. I'll be on for San Francisco
and, from there, for Australia. by the earl
train in the morning
We pumped mttsI don't mind ad
hitting that had a door-knob sonewhsr
around my Adams apple-and he starte
TO walk away. Then he hesitated, an