Joe said that he did.  Indeed Skaggsy struck one as being aggressively unprejudiced.

He went on:  “You see, a lot o’ fellows say to me, ’What do you want to go down to that nigger club for?’ That ’s what they call it,—­’nigger club.’  But I say to ’em, ’Gentlemen, at that nigger club, as you choose to call it, I get more inspiration than I could get at any of the greater clubs in New York.’  I ’ve often been invited to join some of the swell clubs here, but I never do it.  By Jove!  I ’d rather come down here and fellowship right in with you fellows.  I like coloured people, anyway.  It ’s natural.  You see, my father had a big plantation and owned lots of slaves,—­no offence, of course, but it was the custom of that time,—­and I ’ve played with little darkies ever since I could remember.”

It was the same old story that the white who associates with negroes from volition usually tells to explain his taste.

The truth about the young reporter was that he was born and reared on a Vermont farm, where his early life was passed in fighting for his very subsistence.  But this never troubled Skaggsy.  He was a monumental liar, and the saving quality about him was that he calmly believed his own lies while he was telling them, so no one was hurt, for the deceiver was as much a victim as the deceived.  The boys who knew him best used to say that when Skaggs got started on one of his debauches of lying, the Recording Angel always put on an extra clerical force.

“Now look at Maudie,” he went on; “would you believe it that she was of a fine, rich family, and that the coloured girl she ’s dancing with now used to be her servant?  She ’s just like me about that.  Absolutely no prejudice.”

Joe was wide-eyed with wonder and admiration, and he could n’t understand the amused expression on Thomas’s face, nor why he surreptitiously kicked him under the table.

Finally the reporter went his way, and Joe’s sponsor explained to him that he was not to take in what Skaggsy said, and that there had n’t been a word of truth in it.  He ended with, “Everybody knows Maudie, and that coloured girl is Mamie Lacey, and never worked for anybody in her life.  Skaggsy ’s a good fellah, all right, but he ’s the biggest liar in N’ Yawk.”

The boy was distinctly shocked.  He was n’t sure but Thomas was jealous of the attention the white man had shown him and wished to belittle it.  Anyway, he did not thank him for destroying his romance.

About eleven o’clock, when the people began to drop in from the plays, the master of ceremonies opened proceedings by saying that “The free concert would now begin, and he hoped that all present, ladies included, would act like gentlemen, and not forget the waiter.  Mr. Meriweather will now favour us with the latest coon song, entitled ‘Come back to yo’ Baby, Honey.’”