The Transition from Virtue to Vice imperceptible.

closing the day by a visit to the theatre, where Mr. C. was highly entertained. On their return, Mr. T. asked the young gentleman how he had enjoyed himself at the races and the theatre. His reply was about as follows: “I am very much delighted, indeed, with both the races and the theatre; so much so, that I am determined to buy me some young horses, and join the club, and will visit the city with you every spring." "Good," said Mr. T. ..; "there is no sport to equal it; and then, you know, Mr. C., that you will always have a chance to win your expenses." Mr. T. bade him good evening, and departed. Mr. C. retired, congratulating himself on the speculations that he would realize upon maturing the plans he then formed. Throughout the night, the cardtable, the theatre, and the horse-race, were uppermost in his dreams.

In the morning, while he was meditating upon the pleasures he had enjoyed at the races, and in other amusements, he recollected that his father had sent some five hundred dollars with him, to purchase a fine carriage in the city, and some other articles for the family and himself. He thought he would go out and make the purchases before the time appointed for the races to begin. He went and made the purchases, and when he was about to take his pocket-book out to pay for them, what was his surprise to find that it was gone! He knew not, for the moment, what to do or to say; he finally told the merchant to lay the articles aside for him, and that he would call in shortly and take them. He started out very much enraged at finding that he had been robbed; he met Mr. T. near the door of the hotel, and related his misfortune to him. "Poh!" said Mr. T., "that is a mere nothing, sir; it is only a trifling turn

Sporting Chicanery.

his colt could win the race at the first three heats, but that it was his intention to lose the first two heats, and to win the third, fourth, and fifth.

The time for commencing the race had nearly arrived, very few offering to bet; but those who did, offered to bet on Mr. T.'s gray. The drum was tapped, and the gray lost the first heat. Bets were now offered to large amounts that it would not win a single heat; these bets were all eagerly taken up by Miss Amelia. The horses started, and the gray lost the second heat. Then every body believed that the horse that won the first two heats would win the third also. Mr. C. saw Miss Amelia betting very largely that the gray would win one heat out of the five. They started again for the third heat, and when they had run about three quarters of a mile, Mr. T. waved his handkerchief, the gray shot forward like an arrow, and won the heat. Mr. C. was now vexed with himself that he had not bet on the race. Bets were still offered and taken that the gray would not win the next heat; Miss Amelia accepted a large number of such bets. The horses got off, and as before, the gray kept behind for about three fourths of the round; again Mr. T. raised his handkerchief, and scarce had the signal been given, when the gray horse passed the others, and won the fourth heat with great ease. The betting now seemed silenced in a great measure, the young lady had been successful in every one that she had made. There appeared to be but one man on the track that wished to bet, and he said that he would stake one thousand dollars that the gray horse would not win the next heat. Miss Amelia replied that she would bet with him; this he politely declined, saying that he never bet with ladies, but that he would bet with the gentleman sitting

Best Three in Five. - Miss Amelia a Good Diplomatist.

he asked Mr. T. which was his favorite horse. "O, the black, of course," said he;" and, sir, you must know that we scarcely ever fail to win when it comes to test the bottom of the horses. The black is my entrance; and don't you see how much Miss Amelia thinks he will win? she is betting largely on the black." The horses being ready, at the tap of the drum away they go, the black winning the two first heats. The result of this race induced Mr. C. to conclude that if the race was repeated, he would venture to bet himself, and this he mentioned to Mr. T. Well," said Mr. T., 66 on tomorrow there is to be a very interesting race, and my fine colt is to run again. The race will not be of the same kind we had to-day; it will be the best three in five; the horse that beats three heats first, takes the purse; this they call the best three in five. And now, Mr. C., if I were to bet high, on any kind of race, it would be on that; but (said he) I scarcely ever bet much; I sometimes go as far as two or three hundred dollars, to make it interesting."

66

In the evening they visited the theatre as usual, and Miss Amelia was constantly talking of the great success she had met with, and how she intended to bet on her uncle's gray colt the next day. Mr. C. found himself so much interested in the anticipated race, that he thought he would take some money with him, and venture to bet also. His inclination to do so was strengthened by Miss Amelia's insisting that he would; but, by the next morning, he had come to the determination not to bet, fearing that he would be unlucky, and believing that, in such an event, he would not be able to pay it without his parents' knowing that he had lost the money in that way. Mr. T., in conversation with him, remarked that

The fast Horse not always Winner.

in the carriage by her, meaning Mr. T., who observed, "I do not bet, sir; but if I did, I would bet you any amount that my colt would win; but, sir, I do not bet on my own horses." Upon which the banterer inquired, "Is that young man afraid, too?" "No, sir," said Mr. C., "I would bet you one thousand dollars as soon as one dollar, had I the money with me." "I will loan it to you," said Mr. T.; and Mr. C. seeming to hesitate about accepting the loan, the man, as if about to turn away, rather sneeringly observed, "I find, gentlemen, that you have not got much nerve." Mr. C. finally borrowed the thousand dollars, and staked it upon the gray; the one that took the first and second heats being the only horse that was to contest the heat with him. The drum tapped as usual, and the other horse was in the lead, as before, for about three fourths of the way, when Mr. T. again gave his customary signal, upon which his horse speedily overtook the other, and in passing, passed on the inside, and came out several yards ahead. The gray's passing on the inside created a great excitement; and the judges gave it as their decision that the gray horse lost the race by foul riding. This news was like an electric shock to Mr. C., who thought that he had certainly won. He tried to restrain his feelings as much as possible before Miss Amelia; but when they arrived in the city, he took Mr. T. aside to consult with him as to what he should do. Mr. T. told him to give himself no uneasiness about the money he owed him, and to let no person know there was any transaction of the kind between them, and that he would wait his (Mr. C.'s) pleasure for the sums he had loaned him, amounting in all to near two thousand dollars. This appeared to satisfy Mr. C., as he knew that in the course of a few