r. Farrel, the
fact is I've always made it a rule not to gamble."

"Listen to the hypocrite!" his wife almost shouted. "Gambled every day
of his life for twenty-five years on the New York Stock Exchange, and
now he has the effrontery to make a statement like that! John Parker,
roll them bones!"

"Not to-day," he protested. "This isn't my lucky day."

"Well, it's mine," the good soul retorted. "Miguel--you'll pardon my
calling you by your first name: Miguel, but since I was bound to do so
sooner or later, we'll start now--Miguel, I'm in charge of the domestic
affairs of the Parker family, and I've never known a time when this
poor tired old business man didn't honor my debts. Roll 'em, Mike, and
test your luck."

"Mother!" Kay murmured reproachfully.

"Nonsense, dear! Miguel is the most natural gentleman, the first
_regular_ young man I've met in years. I'm for him, and I want him to
know it. Are you for me, Miguel?"

"All the way!" Don Mike cried happily,

"There!" the curious woman declared triumphantly. "I knew we were
going to be good friends. What do I see before me? As I live, a pair
of box cars."

"Mother, where _did_ you learn such slang?" her daughter pleaded.

"From the men your non-gambling father used to bring home to play poker
and shoot craps," she almost shouted. "Well, let us see if I can roll
two sixes and tie the score. I can! What's more, I do! Miguel, are
these dice college-bred? Ah! Old Lady Parker rolls a wretched little
pair of bull's-eyes!"

Don Miguel took the dice and rolled--a pair of deuces.

"I'm going to make big money operating a boarding-house," he informed
the lady.

"'Landlord, fill the flowing bowl until it doth flow over,'" she sang
gaily. "John, you owe Miguel twelve thousand dollars, payable at the
rate of one thousand dollars a month for twelve months. Have your
lawyer in El Toro draw the lease this afternoon."

Parker glanced at her with a broad hint of belligerence in his keen
gray eyes.

"My dear," he rasped, "I wish you would take me seriously once in a
while. For twenty-five years I've tried to keep step with you, and
I've failed. One of these bright days I'm going to strike."

"I recall three occasions when you went on strike, John, and refused to
accept my orders," the mischievous woman retorted sweetly. "At the
conclusion of the strike, you couldn't go back to work. Miguel, three
separate times that man has declined to cease money-m