serable old creature, we will have collected enough to pay her a
pension from the interest of the fund of ten dollars monthly. Upon
receipt of your check for this amount we will send you, express
prepaid, a framed membership certificate, richly embossed in gold, and
signed by the President, Treasurer and Chaplain-Secretary of the Purity
League. Your name will be entered upon our roster as a patron of the
organization.

"Make all checks payable to William Trubus, President, and on
out-of-town checks kindly add clearing-house fee.

"'Charity shall cover the multitude of sins.'"--I Peter, iv. 8.

"Yours for the glory of the Cause,
"WILLIAM TRUBUS,
"President, The Purity League of N. Y."

As Officer Burke finished the letter he looked quizzically at Dr.
MacFarland.

"How large was your check, doctor?"

"My boy, I came from Scotland. I will give you three guesses."

"But, doctor, I see the top of the letter-head festooned with about
twenty-five names, all of them millionaires. Why don't these men
contribute the money direct? Then they could save the postage. This
letter is printed, not typewritten. They must have sent out thousands
about this poor old woman. Surely some millionaire could give up one
monkey dinner and endow the old lady?"

"Burke, you're young in the ways of charity. That old woman is an
endowment herself. She ought to bring enough royalties for the Purity
League to buy three new mahogany desks, hire five new investigators and
four extra stenographers."

The old doctor's kindly face lost its geniality as he pounded on the
table with rising ire.

"Burke, I have looked into this organized charity game. It is a
disgrace. Out of every hundred dollars given to a really worthy cause,
in answer to hundreds of thousands of letters, ninety dollars go to
office and executive expenses. When a poor man or a starving woman
finally yields to circumstances and applies to one of these
richly-endowed institutions, do you know what happens?"

Burke shook his head.

"The object of divine assistance enters a room, which has nice oak
benches down either side. She, and most of them are women (for men
have a chance to panhandle, and consider it more self-respecting to beg
on the streets than from a religious corporation), waits her turn,
until a dizzy blonde clerk beckons condescendingly. She advances to
the rail, and gives her name, race, color, previous condition of
servitude, her mother's