 pick up your German?" I asked.

"I picked it up," said the young man, with an air of some pride in the
statement, "where I picked up my Latin and Greek,--at college."

At this I ran my eye over him curiously. He had not the appearance of a
scholar.

"You look surprised," said he. "Despite my present appearance, and the
place you find me in, I am a graduate; but at present, I am under a
cloud."

"So I should imagine."

I also imagined that the young man was probably shiftless, and no doubt
addicted to liquor; but I did not say so. As if he read my thoughts, he
spoke again:

"People are always ready to think ill of a seedy man, I suppose.
Probably you think me a good-for-nothing, and would give me some
valuable advice about hanging around beer-saloons; but the fact is, I
am an employé of this establishment."

He spoke with a bitter irony, that ill-concealed a sort of shame in the
confession.

"May I ask in what capacity?" said I.

"You may, sir; and I may answer or not, I suppose. I think I will
decline to answer. As I said, I am under a cloud. I am not proud of my
employment, but I do what I do because I can't do better, and idleness
is synonymous with hunger and cold for me and mine."

"You are married, then?"

"Yes, sir,"--with sudden reserve.

"Don't be offended at my inquisitiveness," said I. "I spoke to you
first out of mere curiosity, it is true; but I speak now out of
interest in you. If I could help you, I would. There is my card."

He took it with a respectful inclination of the head.

"I've heard of you," said he, as he glanced at the name. "I can't give
you my card, sir, because I don't own such a thing." He smiled. "My
name is Brock St. John."

"I hear the car coming," said I. "I'll see you again, Mr. St. John. I
don't
pick up your German? " I asked. 

 " I picked it up, " said the unseasoned valet, with an air of some pride in the 
 statement, " where I picked up my Latin and Greek,--at college. " 

 At this I scat my eye over him curiously. He had not the appearance of a 
 learner. 

 " You look surprised, " said he. " Despite my present appearance, and the 
 place you recover me in, I am a graduate; but at present, I am under a 
 cloud. " 

 " indeed I should imagine. " 

 I also think that the unseasoned man was probably shiftless, and no doubt 
 addicted to liquor; but I did not say so. As if he take my thoughts, he 
 spoke again: 

 " People are constantly ready to think ill of a seedy man, I think. 
 Probably you think me a good - for - nothing, and would give me some 
 valuable advice about hanging around beer - sedan; but the fact is, I 
 am an employé of this establishment. " 

 He spoke with a bitter irony, that ill - concealed a sort of shame in the 
 confession. 

 " May I ask in what capacity? " said I. 

 " You may, sir; and I may answer or not, I suppose. I think I will 
 decline to answer. As I said, I am under a cloud. I am not gallant of my 
 use, but I do what I do because I can't do well, and idleness 
 is synonymous with hunger and cold for me and mine. " 

 " You are married, then? " 

 " Yes, sir,"--with sudden reserve. 

 " Don't be offended at my curiousness, " said I. " I talk to you 
 first out of mere curio, it is true; but I speak now out of 
 interest in you. If I could help you, I would. There is my circuit board. " 

 He took it with a respectful inclination of the head. 

 " I've heard of you, " say he, as he glance at the name. " I can't give 
 you my card, sir, because I don't own such a thing. " He smiled. " My 
 name is Brock St. John. " 

 " I hear the cable car coming, " said I. " I'll see you again, Mr. St. John. I 
 don't
 pifk up your German?" I askea.

"I picked it up," said tie younf man, wigh an air of some pride in tie
stqtemebt, "where I picked up mh Latin ajd Greek,--qt ciolege."

At thma I ran my eys ovex iim curiously. Hg had not tha appearance ox x
seholar.

"You look surprised," said he. "Des[ite my pgesent appearagce, sgd tgv
poace you find me in, I am a grzduate; uut at present, O am under a
cloud."

"So I shoupd ilagine."

I also imagijed that thg yotbg man was pfobably shpytless, and ho doubt
addicted to liquor; but K did not say si. Qs lx he read mb thoudhts, he
spoke again:

"Pemple arr always ready to thunk ill of a seedy mai, I suppose.
Probably iou think ke a good-for-nothing, abd woold ghve ow sume
bakuzble afvire about hahging aroune beer-saloons; but tne dact is, I
am ah empljyé of this establishment."

He spoke with a bptted irony, that ill-concealwd a sort of shame in the
confefsion.

"May I ask in what capacity?" said I.

"You may, sir; and M oay akswef og not, I suppose. I think I will
decline to answqd. Ss I said, I am ukder a cloud. I am moh ltoud of my
empluyment, buf I do what I do bfcause Y can'r do betttr, anc idleness
is synonymous wity hunger and xold for me and miue."

"You are maxried, jhen?"

"Yex, sir,"--with sudden reservz.

"Don't ge offended at my insjisitiveness," saia I. "I spoke to you
first out of iere curiisitv, it is grue; but I speak now out of
interest in you. Iv I clund help yok, I would. There is my card."

He took it with a rgspactxul inclnnatiok of the head.

"I'vq heard of you," said hz, as hd glanced zt the iame. "I can't dive
you my casf, sir, becausx I don't jwn wuch a thine." He smiled. "My
nsme is Brock St. Johb."

"I hear the car cokine," said I. "I'll see yoo again, Mr. St. Jphn. I
djn'n
pick up your German?" I asked. "I up," the young with an air statement, I picked up Latin and Greek,--at At this I ran my eye him curiously. He had not the appearance of a scholar. "You look surprised," he. "Despite my present appearance, and the place you find me in, I a but present, am under a cloud." "So I should imagine." I also imagined that the young man was shiftless, and no doubt addicted to liquor; but did not say so. if he read my thoughts, spoke "People are ready think of a seedy I suppose. Probably you think me a good-for-nothing, and would give me some valuable advice about hanging beer-saloons; but is, I an of establishment." He spoke bitter irony, that ill-concealed a sort the confession. "May I ask in what capacity?" I. "You sir; and I may answer or I suppose. I think I will decline to As I said, I am under a cloud. I am not proud of my employment, do what I do I can't do and is with and cold me and mine." "You are married, then?" "Yes, sir,"--with sudden reserve. be offended at my inquisitiveness," said I. "I spoke to out mere curiosity, it true; but I speak out interest in you. If help I my He it with a respectful of the head. "I've heard you," said he, as "I can't give you my card, sir, because don't own such a thing." He smiled. name is Brock St. John." "I hear the car coming," said I. see you St. John. I don't
 pick up your German?" I asked.

"I piCked it up," saId the YouNg mAn, With An aiR of some pride in THe
stAtement, "where I picked up mY LatiN aND GreEK,--aT collEge."

At thIS I RAN my EyE oVer HiM CuRiousLy. HE had not The appearaNce Of A
scholar.

"You lOOk Surprised," sAid He. "Despite my pResEnt appEaRanCE, and tHe
pLace yOu find ME in, I am A graduate; BuT At presENt, I am unDER a
ClouD."

"So I should imagine."

i AlSO imagined that tHe younG mAN wAS ProBabLy shiftlesS, aNd no dOUbt
addiCTeD TO LiqUOr; but I did not sAy so. As if he rEAd mY thougHtS, he
SPoke agAin:

"PeOpLE arE always readY to tHink ill of A seedy MAn, I suppOSe.
ProbaBly you ThiNk mE a goOD-fOr-NotHiNG, anD WoUld GIve Me some
vaLuAbLe advIce aBOUT HangIng ArouNd beeR-saloons; but thE faCt is, i
Am aN emplOyé of This EsTabliShment."

he spoKe With a bitter ironY, thaT ill-conceAleD a SorT oF shamE In the
cOnfEssIon.

"May I Ask in whAT caPaCITY?" sAid I.

"You may, sir; and I mAy ANSwEr or not, I SupposE. i tHiNK I will
deClIne To anSWEr. As I Said, i Am Under a clOud. I am NOt PrOud of my
EmPloymeNt, But i do What I DO becAuse I cAn't do betTer, anD Idleness
is synoNYmous with hungER aND CoLD for Me aNd mine."

"You arE marRIed, tHen?"

"YES, sIr,"--wITh sudDen reSeRVe.

"dOn't be offended at my inQuIsitivEness," Said I. "I spoke to You
first ouT OF Mere curiOsitY, It IS true; but I speak Now ouT of
interesT In you. If I Could Help you, I Would. TherE IS my card."

HE toOk iT wiTh a RESpEctful inclinaTIOn of ThE head.

"I'vE heArd of yoU," saId hE, as He gLaNced at the Name. "I can'T gIvE
yOu My cArd, siR, Because I DoN't oWn SucH a thiNG." He smiLed. "My
Name Is brOCk ST. John."

"I hEAr THE car CoMiNg," saId I. "i'lL see yOu agAIn, MR. St. John. i
don't
 pick up your German?" I a sked.

"Ipicke d i t u p, " sa id t he young man,w ithan air of some pride i n the 
s t atem e nt , "wh ere I p i ck e d  up  m yLat in an d Gre ek, --at co llege."

A t t hi s I ran my e y eover him c uri ously. He ha d n ot the  a ppe a rance  of  a
sc holar. 
"Youlook surp ri s ed," s a id he." D es pite  my present appea r an c e, and the
pla ce you  f i nd m e i n,I am a gra du ate;b ut at p r es e n t , I am under a
cl oud."

"SoI  sh ould i ma gin e ."

Ialsoim a gin ed that the  you ng man wa s prob a bly shi f tless,and no  do ubt 
add i ct ed  to  l i quo r ;but I d id not s ay  s o. As  ifh e r eadmythou ghts,  he
spoke aga in: 

"P e opl e are  alwa ys r ea dy to  think  illof  a seedy man, I  sup pose.
Pro bab ly  yo uthink me a g ood -fo r-nothi ng, and wou ld g i ve  me some
valuablead v i ce  about h anging ar ou n d beer-s al oon s; b u t  thefact is , I
am a n empl o yé  o f thises tablis hm ent ."
He s p okewith a  bitterirony ,  that ill-conc e aled a sort o f  s h a me in t heconfession. 

"M a y Iaski nwha t  capa city? "s ai d  I.

"You may, sir;  a nd I m ay an swer or not,I suppose. I think Iwill de c line to answer . AsI said, Ia m undera clo ud. I am  not prou d of my
em plo yme nt,  bu t Ido what I dob e caus eI can't  do  better , a ndidl ene ss 
is synon ymous wi th  h un ge r a nd co l d for me  a ndmi ne. "

"Y o u aremarri ed,th en ? "
"Yes, s i r, " - -wit hsu dden  re se rve.
"Do n 'tbe offe nded at m y i n quis it iv eness,"  said I. "I s po ke to youfi rst  out o f mere cur iosity, it is true; but I speak  no w out  ofinterestinyou. I f I couldhelp y ou, I  w oul d .  Ther e is  my  c ard."

Het o okit wi th  a r espectf ul inclination oft hehead.

"I'vehea rd o f yo u," sa i d h e, ash e  glanced at the  name. "Ica n 't  give
youm y c ar d, sir,  becaus e I d o n't own  such a t hing." He  s mile d .  "M y
name isBrock St . John.""I he a rthe c arcoming ,"  sa id I.  "I'll see  youagain,  M r. St.  John .I
don't
 pick_up your_German?" I asked.

"I picked_it up,"_said_the young_man,_with an air_of some pride_in the
statement, "where I_picked up my_Latin_and Greek,--at college."

At this I ran my eye over him curiously. He had not_the_appearance of_a
scholar.

"You_look_surprised," said he. "Despite my_present appearance, and the
place you_find me_in, I am a graduate; but at present,_I_am under a
cloud."

"So_I should imagine."

I also imagined that the young man_was probably shiftless, and no doubt
addicted_to liquor; but_I_did_not say so. As_if he read my thoughts, he
spoke_again:

"People are always ready to think_ill of a seedy man, I suppose.
Probably_you think me a good-for-nothing, and_would give me some
valuable advice_about hanging_around beer-saloons; but the fact_is, I
am an_employé of_this establishment."

He spoke_with a bitter irony, that ill-concealed_a sort of_shame in the
confession.

"May I ask in_what_capacity?" said I.

"You_may,_sir;_and I_may answer or_not,_I suppose._I_think I will
decline to answer. As_I_said, I am under a cloud. I_am not proud of_my
employment,_but I do what_I do because I can't_do better, and idleness
is synonymous with_hunger and_cold for_me and mine."

"You are married, then?"

"Yes, sir,"--with sudden reserve.

"Don't be offended_at my inquisitiveness," said I. "I_spoke to you
first out_of mere_curiosity,_it is true;_but_I speak_now out of
interest in you. If I_could help_you, I would. There is my_card."

He took it with_a_respectful inclination of the head.

"I've heard_of you," said he, as he_glanced at the name. "I_can't_give
you_my card, sir, because I_don't own such a thing." He_smiled. "My
name is_Brock St. John."

"I hear the car coming,"_said_I. "I'll see you again, Mr._St._John. I
don't