The Desire of the Moth; and the Come On

ent, hath brought three hundred marks

akfast, he bathed and shaved and arrayed himself carefully in glad habiliments of quiet t

e with the world. His paper was propped before him; he chuckled as he read. Breakfast finished, he pulled his coffee over, l

t on him, but he'll get his hooks on a whole bunch of money when he gets down town, so I turn him over to you. 'Fifty thou. to be paid h

with partial list of his friends, details about his mine, his ten years of unsuccessful prospecting, etc. Am not so explicit as usual, because he is such a big-mouthed damfool he'll tell you all he knows before you get to Hoboken. Also I am in some haste. I am to take him to Niagara with me to give you time to get this and join him at Bingha

U

is bill paid. He then hied him in haste to the Carnegie Library, where, till train

ath which flowed his reverend white hair; rimless eye-glasses imparted to his unimpeachable respectability an eminently aristocratic air. These glasses

rsed in a magazine. The handkerchief slipped from hi

puzzled look came over his brow. Polishing the glasses

ry do its work unaided, when possible. I have a famous memory generally, and yours is not a face to be easily forgotten. Let me see-not in New York, I think-Philadelphia-Washington? No-yo

esterner, well pleased. "I

pointed out to me as the unluckiest prospector in Montana. Said you could locate a claim bo

ighty glad to see some one from my town. You did

es Finlen-you know him, I reckon?-on the Bird's-eye proposition, and I took a flyer with them," he explained. "I lost out. Dropped several dollars," Hi

Steve, smiling.

Glad to meet you, Mr. Thompson. That is my name

.F. M

for headquarters. Wife's away to Bar Harbor for the summer, and I'm camping out in a hotel. Tell you what, though-you put up at my caravanserai-the Cornucopia-g

y first trip. Haven't b

sure glad to meet

is a devil. I've met him up here." With this he launched into a discussion of Butte, with inquiries as to various figures of local prominence, from which Steve was fain to escape by turning the talk on his final good l

e. "The city is full of traps for the unwary. You can't be too careful, young man. Don't be drawn into gambling, or drinking, or fast company, or you'll be robbed before you know it. Watch out for pickpockets

. "But I have a letter here to the people who are

good, reliable firm. I don't know them, but I

t I come for. For instance, I want to see the races. And natu

takes. But I can't afford to do anything to hurt my business reputation. Let a man of small means, like myself, play the ponies, or affect sha

ine?" said Ste

s agricultural implements, barbed wire, machinery and iron stuff generally, for the export trade. There's things about it would surprise you. Why, such things, f

o it?" asked St

l hands the dry subject became really interesting, embellished with a wealth of illustration and anecdote. He was still deep in his exposition, wh

with an affectionate pat.

y! Let me make you acquainted with my friend. Mr. Thompson

h, "is trying to get up a whist game, to pass away the time. Will

Mr. Thompson plays.--That's a ba

ng," said the artist.

mps

y game is bumble-puppy. You can hard

, buying a deck from the train boy. The little dark man and Steve played against the other two, a suitcase o

in," said Loring, as they

car. We've had a pleasant game," sa

saying that the hand is quicker than the eye." Sticking a cigar in the corner of his mouth, he ran over the cards swif

u please, let me give them just one riffle, and you'll find them both together." He put his han

s under Loring's seat, where it lay, face up, substitut

wo jacks, gentlemen: the two inseparable jacks.

wo equal parts, using only the extreme tip ends of his fingers, and shoved them together in the same fashion. Balancing the deck on th

other close by. 'Birds of a feather flock together,' you know. Ah! here we are!" He turned over the knave of diamonds, and laid the deck down.

xt card, winking at Steve. It was the five of clubs. Evidently

ubilantly. He drew out a billbook and shook a handfu

. "Put up your money. I don't need it. I'll do the

waved the bills before Loring's eyes. "Money talks! Yah! You haven't the

said. "I've warned you now, remember! No rebate on this. How much?" He pul

shouted Mitchell, in high g

his head. "I'll be stakeholde

tly palmed, to turn up if Steve "bit." This quickly disappeared, however, or rather did not appear at all. With an expectant smile the a

u're easy!" Retook the cash from the grinning stakeholder, counted out Loring's half and pushed it over to that much discomfited gentleman. "I don't

Loring in blushing chagrin-not wholly dissembled, either. "I ought to make you ea

ll shaking with Homeric laughter. "Say, I should have kept his

, so what's the use-among friends? If it had been a stranger, now, I'd 'a' hopped on the band-wa

the Barclay Street boat. If I don't get time to see you before noon to-morrow you run up to the office and see me. It's only a block from the Cornucopia. I've

particularly good. In the waiting-room they pa

's wise?" said Lor

ou had presence of mind enough to go on through with the five-spot. It's fine business to be able to think on your feet, especially for us moon-minions. Good thing it turned out the way

man that isn't on the hog himself. When they're eager to annex something dishonestly you get 'em eve

ld joint as my office, and wait there till he hunts me up. Let him make all the advances, d'ye see? Teach him bridge, on the square, at night. Let him win a little-just enough to keep him satisfied with himself-you'll see. Wait till he draws his w

*

ping before him, mist-bordered, dream-vast, dim-seen beneath the lowerin

r against the black water. Mysterious, couchant, straining, the bulwarked city rode the waves; a mighty ship, her funnels the great buildings beyond, where sullen streamers of smoke trailed motionless and darkling

vas; the crowding of crashing lights and interwoven shadows, massed, innumerable, bewildering; the

ll "correct" and well-informed folk that New York is hopelessly ugly. It gives one such