thing of the other side of life. Among
these, white visitors were not infrequent,--those who were young enough
to be fascinated by the bizarre, and those who were old enough to know
that it was all in the game. Mr. Skaggs, of the New York _Universe_, was
one of the former class and a constant visitor,--he and a "lady friend"
called "Maudie," who had a penchant for dancing to "Rag-time" melodies
as only the "puffessor" of such a club can play them. Of course, the
place was a social cesspool, generating a poisonous miasma and reeking
with the stench of decayed and rotten moralities. There is no defence to
be made for it. But what do you expect when false idealism and fevered
ambition come face to face with catering cupidity?

It was into this atmosphere that Thomas had introduced the boy Joe, and
he sat there now by his side, firing his mind by pointing out the
different celebrities who came in and telling highly flavoured stories
of their lives or doings. Joe heard things that had never come within
the range of his mind before.

"Aw, there 's Skaggsy an' Maudie--Maudie 's his girl, y' know, an' he 's
a reporter on the N' Yawk _Universe_. Fine fellow, Skaggsy."

Maudie--a portly, voluptuous-looking brunette--left her escort and went
directly to the space by the piano. Here she was soon dancing with one
of the coloured girls who had come in.

Skaggs started to sit down alone at a table, but Thomas called him,
"Come over here, Skaggsy."

In the moment that it took the young man to reach them, Joe wondered if
he would ever reach that state when he could call that white man Skaggsy
and the girl Maudie. The new-comer soon set all of that at ease.

"I want you to know my friend, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Skaggs."

"Why, how d' ye do, Hamilton? I 'm glad to meet you. Now, look a here;
don't you let old Thomas here string you about me bein' any old 'Mr!'
Skaggs. I 'm Skaggsy to all of my friends. I hope to count you among
'em."

It was such a supreme moment that Joe could not find words to answer, so
he called for another drink.

"Not a bit of it," said Skaggsy, "not a bit of it. When I meet my
friends I always reserve to myself the right of ordering the first
drink. Waiter, this is on me. What 'll you have, gentlemen?"

They got their drinks, and then Skaggsy leaned over confidentially and
began talking.

"I tell you, Hamilton, there ain't an ounce of prejudice in my body. Do
you believe it?"

Joe said that he did. Indeed