The Gates of Chance

ip-to

and be satisfied. But in Abingdon Square proper there is only the music-stand, that occupies the middle of the miniature plaza, a hideous wooden structure in which one of the city bands plays on alternate Sunday afternoons during the summer. However, open space counts in the city, and the air circulates a trifle more freely through the square than it does in the side streets-at least, that is the opinion of the neighborhood people, and they flock there on a hot night like seals at a blow-hole. Even the submerged tenth must come up to breathe now and then. During the dreadful passage of a hot wave from the West one may count them by the dozens, coatless and even shirtless wretches, lying prone on the flag-s

y-cars. He calls them his vaudeville in miniature, and sometimes the performance is amusing-I acknowledge it freely. But to-night the actors were few and t

g on over th

s though some one was haranguing the assemblage from the vantage-point of the music pavil

odded, and we alighted and

thes, assuredly an unusual sight in Abingdon Square, where they do not dress for dinner, and the expression upon his countenance was that of recklessness tempered with a certa

irectly opposite the stand. "On condition," he added, in a lower tone, "that the goods ar

reproachfully, "there's no use in going over that ground again. I made the

d," retorted the unsuccessful

elbow. "A fakir," he growled, disgust

tial particulars," said Indiman, "I sha

g to sell himself, out and out, to the highest bi

minating my material existence at any fixed period in the future. On the contrary, it is for the purpose of prolonging my life that I am driven to this extraordinary procedure. It is myself,

of medicine. "May I inquire into thei

lon," answered the young man in evening

mp

e, and have an unexceptionab

-r

earn to dig, for I have my full complement of limbs. Finally, a rare and pret

." And with that he marched off, evidently in high dudgeon. A little ripple of laughter swept over the upturned faces of the crowd. "One dollar," repeated the young man, his voice full of a polit

th little, black, beadlike eyes, held up his hand to identify his bi

Bardi?" inquired

sailors. There's big m

p-isn't that wha

one, too. It'll be a sharp ma

He had over-heard the colloquy between Indiman and the native Abingdonian, and it is difficult to regard with equanimity th

own to play a desperate game with Fortune, and h

echanically. "Five dollars. Wh

of the unmistakable tough type. "Whatjer soy? Five cas

critically. "In Chinese money, too-thirty yen-y

doll

drops of sweat on the broad, fair forehead. "Five dollars, f

ix

or an instant the face of the young man in evening clothes. Then he fell back upon his first manner, half-pet

tatively, as an angler who feels the mouth of t

bid promptly. "Seve

d. "Make it eigh

en

. There was a pretty profit in advance money to be made if he could get this young fool's signature on the ship's papers of the Southern Cross, outward bound for Shanghai, o

, and "fifteen,"

as not pleasant to be badgered in this unseemly manner while engag

ive," he

if

and be dam

hun

his entire disapproval of the proceedings. "It's against the Constitution," he said, loudly. "How about the Fourteenth Amendment? Well, the number doesn't matter anyway. Officer, I call upon you to

e. The proceedings were unusual, no doubt, and they might be against the Constituti

ntleman, and rushed away

ng man in evening clothes. "Two hundred

a little further and run up the price on his adversary, thus punishing him for interfering in a man's private business. Very good, but suppose the stranger suddenl

-going, going-" The crowd

ay in your cellar," exhorted another counsellor. "A nice, white slave-that's what you're needing

e young man in

em to the young man. The latter glanced at the notes and stuffed t

und seriousness, "I am now y

g into the air. This was something that came within the policeman's accustomed sphere, and he took immediate charge of Mr. Joe Bardi. It was

am Club," or

room of the club, we drank a formal

ave made a bad bargain," sa

en three per cent on the investment. That's no be

said Indiman, courteously. "That was cleverly done-

weapons," said the youth, blushing ingenuously. "Jiu-j

particulars regarding yourself and the circumstances leading up to our late meeti

e, "my narrative is of the most commonplace character imagin

tered last night by burglars and literally cleaned out. I must have been drugged, for when I awoke this morning, with a bad headache, I could remember nothing of what had happened; there were only results to speak for themselves. The loot had been complete; the scoundrels had even carried off my ordinary garments, leaving me-what exquisite irony!-only this suit of evening clothes wherewith to cover my nakedness. Being somewhat sensitive to the proprieties, I was obliged to remain within doors until darkness fell, and I spent the time meditating upon my futu

storia. It is August, you know, and the town is empty, but I was a bargain; I can say that without affectation. Merely to have bought me on speculation, with the idea of unloading on one of the Adirondack or White mountain hotel resorts-it would have been impossible to lose. But I could not get a bid, and so I shifted along down-town-Madison Square, Union Square, then westwa

lub. Will you put him up and I'll second him? The club," he added, by way of explanation to our guest,

r. Harding, with a smile. "In a society where misfortune confers

ormally unlucky person?" said Indiman,

s for getting on the wrong side of things. If I should wager you that I am alive at t

might be a banker or broker. The pair picked out a table on the opposite side of the room and immedi

t is Senator Morrison, chairman of the committee on foreign relations. He

le man," said I

fixed itself upon the two men at the distant table, as though by sheer will-powe

asked

depends upon the passage by the Senate of the canal treaty. The committee must have come to a decision,

dining-room are not set flush against the wall, as is usually the case, but at some little distance from it. Consequently, when there is a party of three at a table, one man sits on the i

repeated again and again. "The committee reports to-morrow; the

easured by the consumption, on the part of the Senator, of a couple of biscui

-night, Senator," said the young

ght. A ha

don't forget that." The

ence over our cheese and salad.

Har

an looked a

ted me. But I find it difficult to believe in the con

ed the young man, wi

d thousand dollars. You will be at their office to-morrow morning, and at precisely ten o'clock you will receive from me a sealed communication containing certain information upon which you

simply. "If such a thing were possi

ieve in yourself, man; it is the first requisite

ly that the canal treaty will be reported unfavorably to-morrow by the committee, and consequent

el

liar acoustic properties. In other words, it is a whispering-gallery, and it so chanced that Senator Morrison s

sure-there can

arket to-morrow. When the news of the treaty's failure to pass reaches Wall Street, by the regular channels, the stock will break sharp

Har

sending him the bare fact as to the canal bill's fate, and it is for him to seize the skirts of ch

echoed, and we pa

on Indiman and I stood watching the

"Now for the next quotation of Panama common; the last

breaking of the tempest. Then the wheels began to revolve again, and the white tape, our modern thread

, 67; two thousand, 65. I guess I've seen enough, gentlemen; it's my-my finish

s," whispered Ind

we gained the street. "One man up and another do

ng's day," s

here was a fortune to be made in selling even a few thousa

electric bell rang sharply, and Bolder ushered in our protege

d my note?"

es

did yo

e thousand Pa

d Indiman stared bl

the young man, apologeticall

hand before the market opened-the e

Indiman his own note. The latter glanced at

and tossed me the message. Th

l pass the Senate. Us

I beg your pardon. You are the unluckiest man alive," and he went on to tell him of the whispering-gallery and of the secret obtained in manner so extraordinary.

esh cigar. "Or, rather, your luck," he corrected himself,

ack yourself-consideration of one dollar. You're a

Harding, and for a month or two he seemed to be doing very well.

idow," read out Indiman. "They s

for him," I said, hear

Indiman. "

ortunately, an atrocious mistake had been made in the preparation of the music cylinder. In the original the final note of the first two bars is F natural, while in the third bar the tonality is raised and the

g for Bolder. "Send him away,"

ed me a small object. It was a brass baggage-check issued by the New York Central Railway, from Cleveland to New York