Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-12-28

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down buttons and listening to the num-
bers as they we're called. Thirty"
and down went another of Browns but
tons, and soon after he had covered s,
80, 60, G8, and Bob who was getting
excited, whispered, "All you want is
IA; if he calls IA, you must call Keno
on the top row." Old Brown never
took his eyes off the card, and set like
statue, holding his button up in the
air. Fourteen" said the dealer and
" Kenol on the top row, thundered out
old Brown.
"Don't make such fuss about it, +"
said surly fellow at the next table.
But I've got keno!' said old
Brown-"a keno on the top row."
"Well, you needn't rub it in, daddy
I've been waiting here with two cases. "
"What did he want with two cases ?"
said the old gentleman.
"Why, to take the pot with. Say!
you ought to be in bed. An old man
like you has no business running around
and stealing pots this time of night"
Old Brown shook with Indignation at
this accusation, but Bob called his at
tention to pile Of ivory" chips" which
piggy" put before him, and told him
that when he wanted to 60, the cashier
would redeem them at dollar each.
He bought some more cards and con-
tinued playing, but every time he had
four figures covered in a row, or q
"case," somebody else would thump
the table and the pot was gone. The
old gentleman insisted on buying a doz-
en- cards at time, and as he could not
keep the run of SO many numbers, he
lost all he had won and more, and be-
came disgusted. He stopped playing
and so did Bob, who was completely
" broke" as he said.
Old Brown now surveyed the scene
with interest and more enlightened
eyes.
cit seems to me, he said, that the
business of selling keno is very much
like gambling"
$50 it is" said Bob; "petty gam
bling reduced to perpetual motion"
"Do you tell me that Sarah keeps a
gambling house ?"
Bother SARAH" said the youth; "I
made mistake"
"Then you are not my nephew" said
old Brown; "give me your hand-I am
very glad of it."
The young man, who was good ma
tured enough, then began to explain to
the old gentleman the beauties of the
game. He told him it was fair enough,
and that it was a matter of mere luck
who won. He said the house had no
interest in the winner, as its profits
were made by taking ten per cent out
of every pot. But he showed how the
chances were against any single player.
"I have seen," he said, "one inan
win pools of twenty, thirty-fve and
forty dollars in an hour, and the same
man buy sixty dollars worth of cards
in night and win nothing. Nobody
can make anything by playing keno,
though all delude themselves by the
idea that they may. The longer and
more steadily you play, the more cer-
tain it is you may lose. The bank alb
sorbs the capital of the players by con-
stantly draining the ten per cent from
the pool.
"Why do you play, thenY" Said
old Brown. -..
"Because I love the excitement, +"
said Bob; and besides, I am pretty
lucky. The other night I went in
with dollar and oame out fifteen dol.
lars ahead"
"It seems to me-" said old brown,
" that your practice, young man, is
very different from your theories"
The game was all this while going on,
and kenos being called, and the play
ers were absorbed in the cards. Old
Brown saw the scientific players, who
always buy six cards, and study out
combinations of numbers. Bob laughed
at these players, and said it was all
luck. The moral effect of the game
engaged the old gentleman's attention.
you think" said he, " it is q
pity TO see so many young men vast
ing their .;ms aid money? There lis
that young with the red necktie, and
the red eyes, and red look altogether
don't you think keno is an injury to
him p