Are you a telegraph boy ?" "No," answered Ben, in surprise.
"I reckon it's all right," said the negro, rather to himself than to Ben.

"Come upstairs." Ben followed his guide, and at the first landing a door was thrown open.

Mechanically, Ben followed the servant into the room, but he had not made half a dozen steps when he looked around in surprise and bewilderment.

Novice as he was, a glance satisfied him that he was in a gambling house.

The double room was covered with a soft, thick carpet, chandeliers depended from the ceiling, frequent mirrors reflecting the brilliant lights enlarged the apparent size the apartment, and a showy bar at one end of the room held forth an alluring invitation which most failed to resist.