The Wart King

On a certain 8treet in Baltimore one afternoon the throng of pedestrians upon the thoroughfare was immense. A reporter for the Herald wa9 thouphtiully wending hls way amid the sea of hurrying faces when his gaze rested upon the figure of a man standing motlonlesa before a bakery window, gazing with wistful look at the enticing display of viands within. His attitudejwas dejected, but a look of defiance leaped from his eyes as his nostrils ■were greeted with the savory odor of cheese-cakes and lady-fingers. The individual concluded his revery, and, turning round, confronted the reporter. The action was so sudden thst the scribe's progresa was impeded, and in the moment of hesitation he notiuecl that the figure before him was incased i i a most dilapidated wardrobe. A week"s growth of beard bristledupon his chin, and a dickey, once white, was suspended around his neok by a blue ribbon ; below his coat sleeves peeped the wristbands of a red flannel shirt, but his voice was low and musical as with averted eyes he asked the scribe for a loan of a dime. ' 'Don't think I am begging, " continued the man. "If you will give me your card I wlll send the money to your address to-morrow, or just as soon as business picks up. I am a professional man." The scribe slowly withdrew his hand from hls pocket. ''What profession?'1 he asked, as he brought to view a dime. The man bit tha coin be'ore replying. He balanced himself, snapped his fingers and while adjusting his dickey answered that he charmed away warts, that he had performed some marvelous cures upon bunions, and as for hard and soft corns they positively stood no show with him at all. "Now, you see that wart on your left hand," said the magician, pointing to a large seed wart on the index finger of the reporter' s left hand that had been there for years; "welL sir, I can charm that away," and he uttered an incoherent word and thanking the scribe for hLs assistance went his wav. A íew dayg after the ocourrence the same reporter was hurrying ctówn Madison street when he was accosted with: "Hi, therej How's your wart?" He looked up, and there, standing hefore him, was the wart king. He quickly glanced down at nis hand - the wart was gone!