my promise."--"Ah, indeed!" said the lady indifferently. Mr. Decker
instantly stepped round to the front of the vehicle. "You look like an
A 1 first-class lady riding down Broadway in her own carriage, Elsie,"
said he. "I never seed you lookin' so peart and sassy before."

A few days later, the proprietor of the San Isabel Sulphur Springs
received the following note in Mr. Oakhurst's well-known, dainty hand:--


"DEAR STEVE,--I've been thinking over your proposition to buy Nichols's
quarter-interest, and have concluded to go in. But I don't see how the
thing will pay until you have more accommodation down there, and for the
best class,--I mean MY customers. What we want is an extension to the
main building, and two or three cottages put up. I send down a builder
to take hold of the job at once. He takes his sick wife with him; and
you are to look after them as you would for one of us.

"I may run down there myself after the races, just to look after things;
but I sha'n't set up any game this season.

"Yours always,

"JOHN OAKHURST."


It was only the last sentence of this letter that provoked criticism.
"I can understand," said Mr. Hamlin, a professional brother, to whom Mr.
Oakhurst's letter was shown,--"I can understand why Jack goes in heavy
and builds; for it's a sure spec, and is bound to be a mighty soft thing
in time, if he comes here regularly. But why in blank he don't set up a