Mexico Missouri message., 1906-08-23

the table at their cOlleBe CLUB, are Ill
the people in New York society lmpe-
cunious?"
Livingston had been with him at
Harvard, and Livingston's family was
SO VIGOROUSLY not impecunious that
the question was devoid of any per-
sonal element. Livingston, moreover,
had dined just unwisely enough to be
| truthful.
We'll, to be candid with you, Dines"
the young man had replied, in burst
of alcoholic confidence, "about all that
you are likely to meet are broks--else
you wouldn't meet 'em, you know," he
explained, cheerfully. "You knUw, old
chap, few of you western people have
got into the right set here; there's the
Nesbits, for instance. On my word
the good wife and mother hasn't the
kinks out of her fingers yet, nor the
callouses from her hands, by Jove!
She worked so hard cooking and wash
ing wooden shirts for miners before
Nesbit made his strike. AS for him
we'll, caviare, I'm afraid, will always
be caviare to Jimmy Nesbit. And now
the sons married a girl that had ev-
erything but money-my boy, Nellie
Wemple has fairly got that family Of
Nesbits awestrlcken since she married
into it, just by the way she can spend
money-but what was 1 saying, old
chap? Oh, yes, about getting iu-it
takes time, you know; on my word,
think they were as much as eight years
and had to start in abroad, at that. At
first, you know, you can only expect
to meet crowd that can't afford to be
exclusive any longer"
From which friendly counsel, and
from certain confirming observations
of his own, Percival had concluded that
his lot in New York was to spend
money. This he began to do with
large western carelessness that speed
lily earned him fame of sort. Along
upper Broadway his advent was a
golden joy. Tradesmen learned to
love him; florists, jewellers and tailors
hailed his coming with honest fervor;
walters told moving tales of his tips;
cabmen fought for the privilege Of
transporting him; and the hangers-on
of rich young men picked pieces Of lint
assiduously and solicitously from his
coat.
One of his favo-ite resorts was the
sumptuous gambling house in Forty
fourth street. The man who slides
back the panel of the stout oaken door
early learned to welcome him through
the slit, barred by its grill of wrought
iron. The attendant who took his coat
and hat, the waiter who took his order
for food and the croupier who took his
money, were all gladdened by his COM
ing; for his gratuities were as large
when he lost as when he won. Even
the reserved proprietor, accustomed as
he was to wealthy and careless Glen
tele, treated Percival with marked con-
sideration after night when the young
man persuaded him to withdraw the
limit at roulette, and spent a large
sum in testing a system for breaking
the wheel, given to him by a friend
lately returned from Monte Carlo.
81 think, really, the fellow who gave
me that system is an ass" he said,
lighting a cigarette when the play was
done. Now I'm going down and de-
molish eight dollars worth of food and
drink-you won't be all to the good on
that, you know"
His host decided that young man
wno was hungry after losing 100000
in five hours play, was person to be
not lightly considered.
And, though he loved the rhythmic
whir and the ensuing rattle of the lit
tie ivory ball at the roulette wheel, he
did not disdain the quieter faro, play
ing that dignifed game exclusively
with the chocolate-colored chips, which
cost $1,000 stack. Sometimes he won;
but not often enough to disturb his
hosts belief that there is less of change
in his business than in any other
known to the captains of industry
There were, too sociable games OF
poker, played with Garner, of the lead
trust; Burman, the intrepid young
wheat operator from Chicago, and half
dozen other well-moneyed spirits;
games in which the limit, to use the
Chicagoan's phrase, was 1.-The beautiful
but lofty North Star" At these games
he lost even more regularly than at
those where, with the exception of a
trlfiing percentage, he was solely at
the mercy of chance. But he was q
, joyous loser, endearinC himself to the
other players; to Garner, whom Bur-
man habitually accused of being
"closer than warm night" as we'll as
, to the open-handed son of the chew
ing gum magnate, who had been raised
abroad and who protested nightly that
|, there was an element Of beastly Amer
, lean commercialism in the game. When
Percival was by some chance absent
: from a sitting, the others calculated
the precise sum ne probably would
, have lost and humorously acquainted
him with the amount by telegraph next
J morning-it was apt to be nine hundred
, and some odd dollars-roauesting that
. he cover by cneck at his early conyen-