aster of his trade. He began his work with
heart elate. Now he had within his grasp the possibility of being all
that he wanted to be. Now Thomas might take him out at any time and not
be ashamed of him.

With Thomas, the fact that Joe was working put the boy in an entirely
new light. He decided that now he might be worth cultivating. For a week
or two he had ignored him, and, proceeding upon the principle that if
you give corn to the old hen she will cluck to her chicks, had treated
Mrs. Hamilton with marked deference and kindness. This had been without
success, as both the girl and her mother held themselves politely aloof
from him. He began to see that his hope of winning Kitty's affections
lay, not in courting the older woman but in making a friend of the boy.
So on a certain Saturday night when the Banner Club was to give one of
its smokers, he asked Joe to go with him. Joe was glad to, and they set
out together. Arrived, Thomas left his companion for a few moments while
he attended, as he said, to a little business. What he really did was to
seek out the proprietor of the club and some of its hangers on.

"I say," he said, "I 've got a friend with me to-night. He 's got some
dough on him. He 's fresh and young and easy."

"Whew!" exclaimed the proprietor.

"Yes, he 's a good thing, but push it along kin' o' light at first; he
might get skittish."

"Thomas, let me fall on your bosom and weep," said a young man who, on
account of his usual expression of innocent gloom, was called Sadness.
"This is what I 've been looking for for a month. My hat was getting
decidedly shabby. Do you think he would stand for a touch on the first
night of our acquaintance?"

"Don't you dare? Do you want to frighten him off? Make him believe that
you 've got coin to burn and that it 's an honour to be with you."

"But, you know, he may expect a glimpse of the gold."

"A smart man don't need to show nothin'. All he 's got to do is to act."

"Oh, I 'll act; we 'll all act."

"Be slow to take a drink from him."

"Thomas, my boy, you 're an angel. I recognise that more and more every
day, but bid me do anything else but that. That I refuse: it 's against
nature;" and Sadness looked more mournful than ever.

"Trust old Sadness to do his part," said the portly proprietor; and
Thomas went back to the lamb.

"Nothin' doin' so early," he said; "let 's go an' have a drink."

They went, and Thomas ordered.

"No, no, this is on me,