n his lips, as though determined to subdue 'the flesh. "You
should come here often," he said to Shelton, as the latter received
checkmate; "you 'd get some good practice. We've several very fair
players. You're not as good as Jones or Bartholomew," he added to
Shelton's opponent, as though he felt it a duty to put the latter in his
place. "You ought to come here often," he repeated to Shelton; "we have
a lot of very good young fellows"; and, with a touch of complacence, he
glanced around the dismal room. "There are not so many here tonight as
usual. Where are Toombs and Body?"

Shelton, too, looked anxiously around. He could not help feeling
sympathy with Toombs and Body.

"They 're getting slack, I'm afraid," said the little deep-eyed man.
"Our principle is to amuse everyone. Excuse me a minute; I see that
Carpenter is doing nothing." He crossed over to the man who had been
drinking coffee, but Shelton had barely time to glance at his opponent
and try to think of a remark, before the little man was back. "Do you
know anything about astronomy?" he asked of Shelton. "We have several
very interested in astronomy; if you could talk to them a little it
would help."

Shelton made a motion of alarm.

"Please-no," said he; "I--"

"I wish you'd come sometimes on Wednesdays; we have most interesting
talks, and a service afterwards. We're always anxious to get new blood";
and his eyes searched Shelton's brown, rather tough-looking face, as
though trying to see how much blood there was in it. "Young Curly says
you 've just been around the world; you could describe your travels."

"May I ask," said Shelton, "how your club is made up?"

Again a look of complacency, and blessed assuagement, visited the little
man.

"Oh," he said, "we take anybody, unless there 's anything against them.
The Day Society sees to that. Of course, we shouldn't take anyone if
they were to report against them. You ought to come to our committee
meetings; they're on Mondays at seven. The women's side, too--"

"Thank you," said Shelton; "you 're very kind--"

"We should be pleased," said the little man; and his face seemed to
suffer more than ever. "They 're mostly young fellows here to-night, but
we have married men, too. Of course, we 're very careful about that,"
he added hastily, as though he might have injured Shelton's
prejudices--"that, and drink, and anything criminal, you know."

"And do you give pecuniary assistance, too?"

"Oh yes,"