Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-01-13

regularly every evening at FIVE guinea
points; well, suppose if man s;;sdoyn
regularly all the year with players of his
own strength, it don't make much differ
ence whether he bets five guineas or shil-
lings. But Lawson has not done that.
He has given up whist with the old set,
and has got among the very worst lot in
the club-fellows no one knows how some
OF whom live, or how they got into the
club while others are right enough, but
bet tremendously on the turf He plays
whist with this lot, and it is not known
what points they play, for they don't pay
down-make note, you know; and
heard it whispered too, but very likely il
is a lie, that he has been going in at ecdrtc
with turf-man called Captain Johnson,
though where he got his rank from no one
knows; Turkish service or Danublan
Principalities, or something Of that sort,
fancy; anyhow, he's man | would not
play ecdrte with for sixpences. He's
cleaned two or three fellows out slready."
1t may be imagined how much alarmed
was by my friend Charley information;
and the more so that it was case in which
/ was of course, helpless to act. My only
satisfaction was, that | was getting on
pretty rapidly in my profession, and could
hope ere long to have u home--a humble
one certainly, but still a home-to offer
Margery and this infatuated old father of
hers, Nerved by this idea, | read harder
than ever, and had been fortnight with.
out going to the Lawsons', when one
day received note from Margery.
"MY DEAR HARRY; want very, very
much to see you and to ask your advice;
will you be at the end OF the Long Water
in Kensington Gardens at twelve O'clock?
| cannot think of any other place of meet
ing you, and you may be sure | want to
see you on very important matter, or !
should never have taken such step as
this. Your own MARGERY."
SO Margery had come to know of what
was going on and indeed the matter must
have come to very serious point, Tor ]
had no doubt that this was the cause of
her writing.
1t turned out as | had supposed. Mar.
gerry was looking pale and worn, and told
me that she did not know that she was
not foolshly frightening herself, but that
she was terribly anxious about her father;
that ne always mad been IN me habit OF
returning nome ~ WE'VE O'Clock, or malt
past al the latesi, put mat now ne was re
quently not Dack untii lhree; that nc
looked very pale and i'll, and was EVIDENT
ly anxious and nervous. But the worst
point of all was that he frequently came
home early with gentleman she had
never seen before, and whom she did not
IKE, ana had piayea az fcaaTe uhui TWO
O'Clock IN the morning; that upon tnese
occasions hel 'alher haa e'ldehtiV dlsiiReo
ner watching thems ana hao appeared re-
heveo When she onereu 70 80 10 her room
early that tney diu not seem 10 play lor
anything, put that they wrote down In
ther note'Dooks ngures alter each game
ana that she couio not put lhink thal IL
was something very serious.
could give out lltle comlort 10 poor
Margeryi indeed, put rather the Woist
lace upon matters VI oraer 70 persuade heT
10 consent 10 the plan hau formed as
had walked toward our rendezvous. lhls
plan at length unlolded
"My dear Margery, have been thin
ing over this matter as | came along tor
had heard something Of it before, and
guessed when received your letter what
you had to say to me. This man with
whom you. father is playing is, from what
| have heard, very doubtful character
Now, of course, if he plays fair, and yorr
father chooses to play with him, it is inn
possible to interfere, whatever the stakes
may be; it is no concern of any one but
himself The only question is, Does he
play fair? When was boy, | was con
stantly practicing tricks with cards, and |
am quite sure that could cheat any un-
suspecting person. In the same way,
from knowing how these things are done,
could detect man who did not play fair,
and my idea is that, if / can but watch
MIN, without his suspecting me, might
be able to find out if the man is playing
fair with Mr., Lawson If he is not, will
expose him; if he is, and your father, with
whose unfortunate infatuation for play /
cannot of course interfere, loses everything
he has, he must come and live with his
son law Ell, MargeryY"
Marpery looked I'D. smiling between