The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-05-11
the mob speedily performed tho functions OF
judge and jury, and gave its verdict.

the mob speedily performed tho functions OF
judge and jury, and gave its verdict.
A man in black tail coat and dark trous-
ers, very clean and respectable, had come
for seven evenings in succession to tho same
table, had watched the saine for awhile un-
til at last he produced q small canvas bag
from his breast pocket, and laid il on a card.
The card won on the FIRST evening, and he
emptied tho bag on tho table to count the
money. II contained twenty-eight Spanish
dollars, which the banker quietly paid him,
and tho gentlemen quilted the table with
his earnings without deisning to tempt
dame Fortune again. On the second evening
no returned, stakcd, and the card lost
With the greatest coolness he opened the
bag, seized tho corners, shook out the money
and II contained precisely tho same sum
as on the previous evening-and Quilted the
room. On the third, fourth, fifth md sixth
Evenings the same story; the bankers began
to know tho man, and amused themselves
about his strange behavior; rs usual hc lost
took up the bag and walked away.
The seventh ev,ning arrived, 1t was just
a minute after eight, and one banker said /,
laughingly, to the other, We have treated
him too hardly, and frightened him away"
when his comrade laughed, and the man in
the black coat, without altering q feature,
or paying any attention to the whispering
and laughing took his usual place, quietly
watched tho progress of tho gamo till a quar-
ter past eight, AID then laid tho bag all
knew so we'll upon deuce that had just
been turned up.
A couple Of cards were turned without the
two making its appearance, ar last the three
fell TO tho left, and to the right-a scarcely
perceptible smile played on the bankers lips
tho two. Tho stranger turned deadly
palo, but without uttcrins syllable about
the change in his luck, he stretched out his
hand to the sack, AMI was on tho point Of
opening it, in order to count the dollars,
when the banker said laughingly:
"Let II be, know how many aro in it
cishtand.twonty. Am not rightp'
"Not exactly" said the man calmly, and
shook the silver out on the table. He then
shook the bag still more, and roll Of bank
notes, slightly wrapped together, fell out.
"Whats that :" the bankers cried in
alarm, and the audience pressed curiously
around.
"My stake p tho man said, with appar-
ent indifference, Us ho uniastcned tho thread
that bound the notes.
"Stop, that will not do!" tho banker
cried, as he threw down his card "that's
false play, you only paid cisht-and.twcnty
dollars on the prcviou, evening"
False play ~ the man shouted, and hi,
eyebrows were menacingly contracted ,
"provo it, you shutters, did I not lay tho
bag just as il is on the card and have you
ever refused to pay II unopened! !"
"No! that's all correct-quito right"
said those around, who are always glad to
oppose the banker, because thcy arc firmly
convinced that he does not play fairly, al-
though they continually throw away their
money. I" IIe stakcd and won, and must be
paid" Others shouted.
"Count your money-how much Is it,"
said the banker, who had hurricdly c.chang.
ed few words with the coniedcratcs seated
opposite" how much is it p'
ain the first place, twcnty-eight dollars
in silver, ho said calmly, while the by,tand.
crs laughed heartily, "thcn here in bank
notes, two, three, four, yes, cish, hundred
dollars, and then"
"What, more !"
"a small bill on Dollsmith Brothers, as
good as silver, accepted and all-,he money
need only to DO fetchcd-lor-.hrco thous.
and.n
"Three thousand 7" the banker yelled,
starting in dismay from his chair. Why,
that would mako nearly four thousand dol.
lar, altogether! Arc you mad ! Do you
expect me to pay that"
"Don't II" tho strangcd asked in sur
prise; would you no. have taken it If
had lost 7"
OF course no would-oi course. Do you
ask whether they would take it' Every.
thing they can get, and little moro too"
shouted the voices round tho table. +" lie
must pay ~
Gentlemen !" the banker protested, in
tho poor prospect Of turning their hearts
"scntlemcn, this person ssaked every even.
ing for tho entire week."
"And lost every time" another inter
rupted him "I have been present several
times, and have heard so from others, and
no never made the slightest Objection
Bot that was only cisht-and.twcnty
dollars"
"And It had bosn SO many thousand
all the same."
But do let mo fini,h," the banker shrek.
ed with aspen lips and furious glanccs
tho only shook out twcnty-cisht dolirs on
the table, and KEEP. the paper back"
"Provo that ever had q cent moro than
twcnty.eisht dollars in tho bag" the s.ran.
ger exclaimed contcmptuously; "you won't
get OF by such excuses"
"why did not you keep tho bag as well,
compancrop laushcda Spaniard, who stood
near. " We always stick 10 everything that
Is stakcd.n
"If hc had lost again, no more than the
confounded dollars would have como out Of
the bag" the banker srowlcd.
Possible, but i. can't DO proved, the
Il u Al A