a time. Those whom he had succored came around to Sucker
him.

[Illustration: _The Promoter._]

A Promoter whose Schemes he had guaranteed, because the Man's Children
needed Shoes, now had a Chance to show his Gratitude. He let Jasper
in on the Ground Floor of a Company organized to manufacture an
Automobile that could be turned out of the Shop for $35 and would run
90 Miles on a pint of Gasoline.

Gentlemen who were getting along without Overcoats came in to see him
about Mining Stock that was sure to touch Par by January 1st. The only
Reason they came to him first, instead of tackling John W. Gates, was
that he had always been a True Friend and they wanted to put him next
to a Good Thing.

After one or two of these Gift Enterprises had been slipped to him, he
began to back water and be a trifle Sore. Yet he found it very Hard to
be discourteous to one who came in and did the Brother Act. Besides,
the Bunk who has the Joint Note already made out and ready to be
signed, usually has a Talk calculated to make a Heart of Stone mellow
to the Consistency of a Baked Apple.

What really did more than any other one Thing to cure him of his
Innate Goodness was an Experience with a Sweet Girl who was being
courted by a Hound quite unworthy of her.

The unselfish Benefactor who tries to sidetrack Weddings that are sure
to turn out unhappily is always a Candidate for the Hospital, with a
Long Shot at the Morgue.

The Sweet Girl in Question was the daughter of an Old Friend, for
whose Funeral Expenses he had been landed. She was a Confiding Thing,
and did not know that the Bachelor who had started in to Rush her
seven nights a Week was a Rounder and a Poker-Player and somewhat of a
Lush.

Every one who knew the Sweet Girl said it was too Bad and that some
one ought to go to her and warn her. After the Old Ladies and the
Elders had talked the Matter over on the side, it was decided that
Jasper was It. He was known to be kind and disinterested and was
accustomed to dealing out Good Advice. Anything that he said would go
a long Way to head off the Deal.

Accordingly he did a Fatherly Talk to the Daughter of his Old Friend,
giving her a Straight Line on the Conduct of the High-Roller who was
trying to warm up to her.

She thanked him right from the Bottom of her heart. Then she sent a
Messenger Boy to hunt up the High-Roller, because she wanted to know
if it was all True or merely a Cruel Slander.

When she sprung his Re