Evening star., 1914-12-20

it rather than with forty or fifty francs.
OF course l never expected to see him
again; but, unlike the mother of the babe
of myriad ancestry, he turned up exactly
on the day he had specified. And he brought
"the goods" too. 1t was large, artisticallv
finished photograph, such as the real first
class artists in America charge ten and ff
teen dollars for.
Said he, "N1r. the Consul, l want not 2
cent-only if you are pleased with it just to
write me line saying you know | can do
the work. | want to get started again in
this world. 1t was such long time was in
the hospital where lost all OF my little for
tune!'
Poor fellow! Of course would help him.
Had he not done me an excellent piece OF
work? And had he not done it for nothing?
Was he not sick? Did he not really deserve
help? Moreover he had great Difference for
American Consuls. So | withdrew one Of
my cards from its case and wrote on it
something like the following:
l am well pleased with the enlarged photo
graph made for me by the bearer. l can testify
that he has done specially fine piece of work
for me.
Several weeks later 1 was visiting in
friends home. Said he:
what kind of fellow was that YOU rec
commended to enlarge photographs? He
came to my home and enlarged me out of
three hundred francs by representing that
he had little more material to buy to finish
trescolng a figured overhead ceiling for
which he was to be paid three thousand
francs. Of course, having your card back
Of him, let him have the money"
| tried to reply that the card represented
only my own personal dealings with the
man, and that others might not have the
sane experience; but all to no purpose Ii
was plain that he disliked me for his loss o.
three hundred francs.
The members of the American and Eng
lish colonies began suddenly to shun me-
Nor could | well blame them, seeing that
the enlarged, swayIng, long haired devil
had skipped the city after swiping them in
ore way or other to the tune of seven or
eight hundred dollars
Still, was inclined to look upon the mat
ter in rather humorous light until one dav
| received bill from one of the citys best
photographers charging me eighty francs
for an enlarged photograph. That genius
lad secured the services of one of the best
photographers in the city to enlarge my pic
ture! Of course the photographer could
well believe | wanted the work done, seeing
it was my own likeness.
By this time somehow felt my inability
to see into all the hooks and corners where
lurked deceit. But | said more emphati-
cally than ever, "Never again!"
MY next @out of the routine" visitor YVES
A'A a fellow pretending he was deaf and
dumb. l had heard of these chaps, and as
| looked him in the eye | mentally said:
you great big animated wad of false
hood, I'm going to catch you right now in
liel'
He was provided with pencil about half
an inch long, and dirty scrap of paper
whereon was scrawled:
a hav los my rale rode ticlit an pocket
booke."
"Yes, and you have lost also the ability
to tell the truth, | said, looking fiercely at
him, after having read the scrawl.
But there was nary a quaver on his part
l wondered if this was the real one hundred
and ninety-ninth case of the undeserv;ag
thousand.
l took piece of paper from the desk and
wrote on it:
you miserable whelp! You can talk
and hear as good as l can If you'll con-
fess, I'll help you If you don't, III have
YOU arrested"