was much better than yours."

The baron was certainly a very handsome young man. His manners were
those of a gentleman, and his language and general demeanor indicative
of one who had been well born, and we repeat, in view of all statements
concerning the young man, our hero was mystified.

"Come," he said in an offhand way, "let's go and have some supper."

"Why do you ask me?"

"I need a companion; you are a good fellow and a loser. I am a good
fellow and a winner. You will go with me?"

"As you insist I will; you appear to be a very charming gentleman."

Jack led his new friend to a fine restaurant and they were soon seated
at a table, and our hero undertook to order a very sumptuous meal, also
some very choice wine; but later, to his surprise, he observed that the
baron did not touch the wine, and Jack said:

"You do not drink the wine?"

"No, I never drink wine."

"That is strange, seeing you are a German. Probably you prefer beer?"

"No, thank you. Yes, I am a German, but I never drink beer."

"You amaze me."

"Possibly so, but I have the best of reasons for not using any sort of
liquors."

The baron spoke good English, but there was just enough of the German
dialect to indicate that he was not an American.

"Your countrymen, as a rule, are free drinkers."

"Yes, unfortunately, yes; but I am not; I repeat, I never do drink
liquor of any sort."

"To tell the truth," said Jack, "I am not a drinking man myself. I
rarely use liquors; I really ordered the wine thinking it would be
agreeable to you."

"You were very kind."

"You made a remark," said our hero, "that I did not understand."

"Indeed?"

"Yes."

"What did I say, please?"

"You said you always had hard luck."

"It is true."

"Then why do you gamble?"

"I do not desire to air my misfortunes."

The baron spoke as a reserved gentleman would speak under the
circumstances.

"Excuse me," said Jack, "I did not put the question in a specific
manner, but only in a general way."

"You appear to be a good fellow. I will answer you frankly. I gamble
because I want the money."

"It's a poor way to get money."

"Yes, I know it, but I am very poor. I have a small remittance, not
sufficient to support me. I was not reared to labor--indeed, I do not
know what to do. I am half-inclined to put a pistol to my head and end
it all."

Jack was more and more amazed. The young man talked less like a rogue
than any individual he had met in a