The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-11
ON THE NEARBY SEA SHORE
ILL USTONS THAT DECETTE ONLY
MEN VINO VIII GAMBLE.
Dealings with some Of the Peculiar Persons
to be found on Coney Island Beach where
the Police may Distinguish Themselves.

Dealings with Some Of the Peculiar Persons
to be found on Coney Island Beach-Where
the Police may Distinguish Themselves.
He was an exceedingly pale and weakly
young man with two weak eyes hidden behind
blue spectacles. As he stood one day last week
on the Coney Island sands manipulating three
cards on "A rckcty stand, the half dozen persons
who were watching him saw that his was not a
deceptive nature, for he threw the cards down
80 clumsily that any one could have named
them.
An excurslonist with facial indications Of
pugllistic propensltios, and blossom on his
nose put two dollars on the board to back his
opinion that tho middle card Of the three was
the queen OF spades, and when eagerly good
naturcd gentleman from Staten Island tried 10
save his money for him by audibly whispering
that the card to the right was the one to bet on,
the dupe unceremoniously pushed him aside
while the Young man with the blue spectaCles
raised the centre card, showed IL to he the three
Of clubs. aud with a melancholy smile put the
two dollars IN his pocket. The gentleman from
staten island said told you So, and raised
the card to the right, which was, IA he had pre-
dlcted, the queen Of spades. There was no ex-
ultatinn In bis tones, but the IN IA with the blos
som hs nose was self onniouated, and
growing something that was not wholly com
ELEMENTARY To the Staten Islander, he sacri-
feed two more dollars the wrong card.
fhe staten Islander showed him the right
one, but with strange persistency he refused to
front 10y the advice rendered hin. The third
time however, he permitted himself to he
guided 10y one whose Judgment even he was
Obliged To confess, was better than his own. lie
recovered 81, and ON the next venture be and
the young man were as when they began. Then
he bet s., and allowing the staten Isl nder to
select his card, he won again. HIS newly found
friend could no longer suppress pardonablo
pride
lie had never seen thrce-card monte played
before, te said, but his eye was naturally
quick, and he thought he could bet
until darkness stopped the game with
out once making mistake. So confident
was he OF this, indeed, that when the
man who had prohted by advice put down ten
dollars he bet ten dollars too, and acting for
both players, he selected the middle card IA the
queen OF spades. and couldn't at all understand
how u turned out to he the Ave Of diamonds.
lie was greatly confused when he met the stare
Of ndi gnatiOn and amazement with which his
fellow loser regarded HIM, and It didn't require
anv persuasion to induce him to bet hts last ten
dollar note that he could point out the queen Of
spades on the next trial In whispered conf
dence he told the man with the blossom on his
nose that he was sure Of winning this time, and
the latter. treasured, put ive dollars on the
table and told the young man with the blue
spcctacles TO " blazeaway" The Staten Islander
the queen of spades, and the Young man raised
u. IL was the three ~ clubs The Staten
Islander dreaded to meet his friends rcproach-
full eyes. when at last he looked at him the man
with the blossom on his nose was gazing on the
sea, despair IN his face and moisture IN bis eye
The Staten Islander was deeply affected. lie
had no money left. he said. but he had still a
double ease gold watch. with more jewels than
he could rec 'llect. IL remained only to ascer-
tain precisely how much the young man
with the blue spectacles would value II
at The young man said he did not do busi-
ness in the way proposed. 1t was repugnant to
MS better nature ; but To accommodate gen
tleman who had lost so much he would break
his rule for once. lie examined the works II
the watch. lie WAS doubtful about It, and
hoped the gentleman would take no unfair ad van
tage Of a man Of guileless nature and imperfect
eyesignt. The watch might be oroide, aud, in
deed, from the frequency with which he had
been cheated by city people, who wero up to
all kinds oftricks and knew the game Of three
card monte much better than he did, he WAS in
chned TO think II was made OF some base metal (;
but he would take all risks and allow the staten
Islander To stake IL against - The man with
the blossom on his nose begged them to wait
while he ran to hotel near bY aud procured
some money from his wife with which TO Join
In the game, but the staten Isl lander was I'M
patient to recover his losses and would brook
no delay.
lie was talking to the young man. who.
| having taken OF mis- spectacles to wipe them,
the man with the blossom ON his nose took the
queen Of spades from the table and marked a
cross on the back Of the card with "a lead pencil.
| The Staten Islander saw him do u, and after
! the cards had been thrown down he chose that
card, and found IL to be the Ave of diamonds.
! The young man promised to return the watch
| for twentv-nve dollars II the staten Islander
would coll at his uiice IN Broadway. But the
York unless he walked. lie asked his friend
with the blossom on his nose to lend him n dol
/ lar, but that prudent person said he had lost
] every cent, an he didn't approve OF borrowing
any money from his wife. II would be better
thnt 10th he and his fellow loser should re 40 the
full fruits OF their folly. and so never learn TO
PLAY three. card monte again.
| The staten Islander wandered sadly away In
! &c rCh Of some one TO pay his fare to New York,
and half an hour afterwurl ne pissed the Young
man with blue spectacles ana was surprised to
! ten dollars On the board, whilc he touched tho
! middle card and said confidently That's her."