know how soon again he should need
them. That he was not dressed in them, and yet saved them, made him
capable of performing his one philanthropy.

Had he not been gorgeously dressed he would not have inspired the
confidence of the old Negro who came up to him on Tuesday morning,
disconsolate and weeping.

"Mistah," he said deferentially through his tears, "is you a spo't?"

Mr. Schwalliger's chest protruded, and his very red lips opened in a
smile as he answered: "Well, I do' know'th I'm tho much of a thpo't, but
I think I knowth a thing or two."

"You look lak a spo'tin' gent'man, an' ef you is I thought mebbe you'd
he'p me out."

"Wha'th the mattah? Up againtht it? You look a little ol' to be doin'
the gay an' frithky." But Schwalliger's eyes were kind.

"Well, I'll tell you des' how it is, suh. I come f'om down in Ma'lan',
'case I wanted to see de hosses run. My ol' mastah was moughty fon' of
sich spo't, an' I kin' o' likes it myse'f, dough I don't nevah bet, suh.
I's a chu'ch membah. But yistiddy aftahnoon dee was two gent'men what I
seen playin' wid a leetle ball an' some cups ovah it, an' I went up to
look on, an' lo an' behol', suh, it was one o' dese money-mekin' t'ings.
W'y, I seen de man des' stan' dere an' mek money by the fis'ful. Well, I
'low I got sorter wo'ked up. De men dee axed me to bet, but I 'low how I
was a chu'ch membah an' didn't tek pa't in no sich carryin's on, an' den
dee said 'twan't nuffin mo' den des' a chu'ch raffle, an' it was mo' fun
den anyt'ing else. I des' say dat I could fin' de little ball, an' dee
said I couldn't, an' if I fin' it dee gin me twenty dollahs, an' if I
didn' I des' gin 'em ten dollahs. I shuk my haid. I wa'n't gwine be
tempted, an' I try to pull myse'f erway. Ef I'd 'a' gone den 'twould 'a'
been all right, but I stayed an' I stayed, an' I looked, an' I looked,
an' it did seem lak it was so easy. At las', mistah, I tried it, an' I
didn' fin' dat ball, an' dee got my ten dollahs, an' dat was all I had."

"Uh, huh," said Schwalliger grimly, "thell game, an' dey did you." The
old man shuffled uneasily, but continued:

"Yes, suh, dee done me, an' de worst of it is, I's 'fraid to go home,
even ef I could get dere, 'case dee boun' to axe me how I los' dat
money, an' dee ain't no way fu' me to hide it, an' ef dee fin' out I
been gamblin' I'll git chu'ched fu' it, an' I been a puffessor so
long----" The old man's voice broke, and Schwalliger smiled the crooked
smile o