so ingenious a manner of prevarication
that he actually believed his own tales. If what Smith at odd times,
when he happened to be in the vein, related of himself was true, then he
might be credited with having acted in nearly every city this side of
the Rockies and have supported all the great stars. He was closely
approaching his fiftieth year, yet he maintained he had participated in
the principal theatrical productions of a generation previous, with the
most reckless disregard of probabilities. He seemed to have no
appreciable estimate of time or place when relating his marvelous
experiences.

"Yes, sirree," said Smith, "I can call the turn on that trick. Why, the
thing is as fresh in my mind as if it only happened last night. Maybe
you don't believe me. Well, every man is entitled to his own belief, but
let me explain how I remember it so well."

"Fire away! We're all attention."

"Well, it happened in this way. I was engaged in the old National
Theatre in Chatham Street at the time when the 'Cataract' was brought
out, and it made old man Purdy, the manager, so hoppin' mad to think
that his Bowery rival should get the bulge on him with a scene like the
waterfall that he determined to see Hamblin and go him one better. Now
what do you think he did?"

"Put on the piece with two cataracts," innocently suggested Handy.

"No, he didn't put on no two cataracts either," replied Smith, somewhat
indignantly.

"Well, then, be good enough to let us know how he got square."

"He went to work and announced the production of 'Ali Baba and the Forty
Thieves,' with forty real thieves in the cast. How was that for
enterprise, eh?"

"Great! Were you in the cast?" inquired the low comedy gentleman.

"Nit! I wasn't of age then. You can't be legally a criminal under age.
Don't you know there's a society for the protection of crime?"

"Excuse me. No reflection, I assure you. I did not intend to be
personal. I was merely trying to find out how the old man filled out his
cast."

"Well, my boy," replied Smith patronizingly, "think it over a minute,
and you will realize that the morals of the old days were in no respect
different from those in which we now live. Thieves, then as now, were a
drug in the market, and the City Hall stood precisely where it stands
to-day. Thieves in those times frequently masqueraded as grafters."

"Smith," said Handy, "you take the cake," removing the briarwood from
his mouth to knock the ashes