e City. At the expiration of thirty-six blameless hours he
perceived that he was looking through a glass darkly, in the Business
Man's Club, intently regarding a neatly-lettered placard which
ambiguously advised all concerned in this wise:

IF DRINKING INTERFERES
WITH YOUR BUSINESS,
STOP IT.

A back-room door was opened. A burst of merriment smote across the
loneliness. A head appeared. The tip of its nose quivered.

"Hey, old-timer! Will you walk into my parlor?" it jeered.

Steve walked over with dignity and firmly closed the door, closing
it, through sheer inadvertence, from the inside. A shout of welcome
greeted him.

With one exception--the Transient--they were all old friends; the
Stockman, the Judge, alike darkly attractive; the supple-handed
Merchant, with curly hair and nose; and the strong quiet figure of the
Eminent Person. A wight of high renown and national, this last, who
had attained to his present bad Eminence through superior longevity.
As he was still in the prime of life, it should perhaps be explained
that his longevity was purely comparative, as contrasted with that of
a number of gentlemen, eminent in the same line, who had been a trifle
dilatory at critical moments, to them final.

The Merchant, sometime Banker-by-night, as now, began evening up
chip-stacks. "How much?" he queried. The Judge and the Eminent Person
hitched along to make room between them.

"I'm not playing to-night," Steve began. He was cut short by a torrent
of scoffing advice and information.

"Only one hundred to come in--all you got to get out."

"Another victim!"

"Bet 'em high and sleep in the streets!"

"Table stakes. Cuter goes for aces and flushes."

"Just give us what you can spare handy and go to bed. You'll save
money and sleep."

"Straight flush the best hand."

"All ties go to the sweaters."

"A man and his money are soon parted!"

"You play the first hand for fun, and all the rest of the night to get
even!" Thus, and more also, the Five in hilarious chorus.

"Any man caught bluffing loses the pot," added the Eminent Person,
gravely admonitory. "And a Lalla-Cooler can only be played once a
night."

"Nary a play play I," said Steve aggrievedly. "I stole just one measly
horse and every one's called me a horse-thief ever since. But I've
played poker, lo! these many years, and no one ever called me a
gambler once. The best I get is, 'Clear out, you blamed sucker. Come
back wh