Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-08-31

Juusment on selling.
i need money-right away" was
his answer.
That's all right" said |. Let me
give you an order for what you need I"
Thank you, thank you" said he
SO promptly that | knew | had done
what he had been hoping for, probably
counting on.
l give this incident to show what
our relations were. He was a Young
fellow OF good family. to whom | had
taken liking. He was a law dog
and as out of place in business as a
cat In a choir. | had been keeping
him going for four years at that time
by giving him tips on stocks and pro-
tecting him against loss. This purely
out OF good nature and liking; for |
hadn't the remotest idea he could ever
De OF use to me beyond helping to
llVen things up at a dinner or late
supper or down in the country. or on
the yacht. In fact, his principal use
10 me was that he knew how to beat
the box well enough to shake fairly
good music out Of it-and | am so
fond OF music that | can fill in with
my imagination when the performer
isn't too bad.
They have charged that deliberate.
ly ruined him. Ruined! The first
time ! gave him tip-and that was
the second or third time ever saw
him-he burst into tears and said.
You've saved my life, Blackjack. I'll
never tell you how much this windfall
means to me now" Nor did | with
deep and dark design keep him along
on the ragged edge. He kept himself
there. How could | build up such a
man with his bundled ways OF vast.
Ing money, including throwing il
away on his own opinions of stocks
for he would gamble on his own &C..
count in the bucket-shops, though |
had shown him that the Wall street
game is played always with marked
cards, and that the only hope Of win.
ming is to get the confidence of the
card-markers, unless you are big
enough to become a card-marker YOUR.
self.
AS soon as he got the money from
my teller that day, he was rushing
away. | followed him to the door
that part of my suite opened out on
the sidewalk, for the convenience of
my crowds of customers. I'm inst
going to lunch" said |. Come with
me-"
He looked uneasily toward a smart
little one-horse brougham at the curb
"Sorry-but can't" said he. I've
my sister with me. She brought me
down in her trap"
That's all right" said |; bring
her along. Well go to the Savarin."
And locked his arm in mine and
started toward the brougham.
He was turning all kinds of colors
and was acting in way that puzzled
me-then. Despite all my years in
New York | was ignorant of the elab.
crate social distinctions that had
grown up in its Fifth avenue quarter
l knew, of course, that there was
fashionable society and that some of
the most conspicuous of those in II
seemed unable to get used to the idea
OF being rich and were in a state of
great agitation over their own i'm.
portance. Important they might be,
but not to me. | knew nothing OF
their careful gradations of snobbism
the people to know socially, the
people to know in business way. the
people to know in ways religious and
philanthropic, the people to know for
the fun to be got out of them, the
people to pride oneself on not know.
ing at all; the nervousness, the hvs.
terra about preserving these disgust.
ing gradations. All this, say, was
an undreamed-of mystery to me, who
gave and took liking in the sensible
self-respecting American fashion. So
l didn't understand why Sam. as I
almost dragged him along, was STAN.
mering: Thank you-but-I-sbe-
the fact is, we really must get IN.
town"
BY this time was where I could
look into the brougham. A glance
l can see much at a glance, as can
any man who spends every day of
every year in an all-day fight for his
purse and his life, with the blows com.
ing from all sides. l can see much
at glance; | often have seen much.
never saw more than just then. In.
stantly, l made up my mind that the
Ellerslys would lunch with me.
You've got to eat somewhere" said
|, in tone that put an end to his at.
tempts to manufacture excuses. Tu
be delighted to have you. Don't make
up any more yarns"
He slowly opened the door. Anita"
said he. "Mr. Blackjack. He's invited
US to lunch"
lifted my hat, and bowed. kent
my eyes straight upon hers. And II
gave me more pleasure to look into
them than l had ever before got out
of looking into anybody's. I am mas.
sionately fond of flowers, and of chill.
dren; and her face reminded me of
both. Or, rather, it seemed to me that
what | had seen, with delight and
longing, incomplete in their freshness
and beauty and charm, was now be-
f0--o l., f..s