•But you did struggle?' said Mabel. Bagerly, when" the boy stopped to command Bhe quiver of anguish \a his voice. • And you were but a child, and he a strong and cruel man ! Who dare judge you 2 Nob I V ' And not I,' exclaimed Eric, ear nestly. •G6 on, Cliff, poor fellow, tell us the rest.' • Tell about your struggle to keep on the right side,' interposed the wistful:voice of the girl—' when you had no friends to help you, not one, and were in the hands of a wicked, heartless man. Miss -nothing:; tell Mall.' ■ , " ' ./ And so the faint, patient voice wenti on again where they sat in the rayless night of the water-cavern; for these three spirits might be fated to cross the river of death together, and it seemed so natural, so right that this jbhe smirched and troubled one should reveal itself to these whiter souls, and receive their sympathy and pardon on earth before they appeared to gether before the Judge of all living. ' Tony's inn was very popular, his bar and his gaming tables were always crowded, and he must have made a great deal of money. ' He immediately began to teach me all the mysteries of cards and dice. I was not hard to teach, and when he was satis fied he one day broughb me among his patrons, and by a few careless hints about my proficiency, piqued them into playing ■with me. I suppose I have a special faculty in that line, for I won almost every game, and without having to pub any of the sleight-of-hand tricks taught me into practice. The astonishment was, of course, general, for I was small for my age, and evidently fresh and innocent; they called me the Boy Prodigy, and Tony's custom increased tenfold. Every night new gamblers flocked to the inn to try their skill with me, and as long as I could beab them by legitimate means, though I did not like the work, I did nob rebel. 