The Worthington advance., 1878-12-26

maybe you want little coaxing. Som
OF you must play with me. can't stant
such treatment. Come, let's see who j
will be-"
He glanced around the crowd as if :,
select bis victim.,, For the first time
noticed the gaze Of one of the group 1ixei
steadily upon him. He was q strange
to me, and was dressed in plain suit o1
homespup, and his face was PARTIAL,
concealed y wide brimmed sombrert
which were drawn over it. He was ;
small but powerfully made man, and in
the decided expression OF his we'll shaped
hand Tread an unsual firmness and in.
fensity of purpose.
"Arc you Daniel Sturdivant, tile gam.
blers' he asked in calm tone, withou,
rising.
sturdivant flushed darkly and gave
the stranger a fierce glance.
"some persons cali me so, behind nv
back, he said, insolentiy, "but no one
wouls dare 70 apply that term to me be.
fore my face"
Nevertheless" said the stranger, II
want an answer-yes or no."
swell, ,hen," said the gambler, angrilv.
II am. What OF it3"
"Slmply this" replied the stran ger, 81
! have heard it. said that you claim to be
the best cad player in the southwest. I
have come two hundred miles to prove
you liar.
s;urdivant strobe forward step or two
and thrust his hand into his breast as if
| to grasp weapon.
Stop said the stranger, ''if you shoot
me- you will simply prove yourself afraid
OF me-. Take your seat at the table, and
l Will make my word good"
There was something in the calm, stern
manner Of the stranger that seemed to
render tine gambler powerless. He. hest.
tated for moment aud then said, bully
i0g1y:
Il never play with man whose face
cannet see.'
"Never mind my face" said the strang-
er. "'if You are not afraid Of losing, YOU
shall see it when am done with you.''
but how do know you have money
enough for such sport?" persisted Sturdi-
vanf. .'You look seedy enough, my fine
fellow"
'There," said the stranger, producing
large pocket-book IL have $4,000
there: ii you can win it, you shall do
So"
With an oath sturdivant placed him.
sef at the table and bade his challenger
do likewise. Those of US who had lis
tened to this singular dialogue now gath
erd around the. table expecting to see
scene OF more than usual interest. The
stranger had not yet raised his hat brim,
and none OF US had seen his face, but we
all telr from his general air and manner
that Daniel Sturdivant had at last met his
match. 1t did not take long to show
that the stranger was an unusually good
player. For an hour or more the play
ing went on in silence. The stakes were
high and the contest marked with rare
skill. Sturdivant excrted himself as be
had never done before, but in spite of his
efforts he lost steadily. By the expira.
ton OF the time indicated above he had
lost $4,000. l noticed the flush upon his
face deepen, and strange light came in
to his eyes, at last with an exclamation of
triumph, he drew toward him the heap
OF notes.
THAT was we'll done,' said the stranger.
You are an expert at cheating. But 90
on, can beat YOU whether YOU play
openly or dishonesty"
Sturdlvant said nothing but dealt the
cards again. The hand was played and
Sturdlvant WAS about to seize the stakes
when the stranger laid down card and
checked him. The gambler uttered a
sharp cry aud sat motionless with his
eyes fixed on the card, worn and faded
ace OF hearts with dark red stain across
the face. Sturo.vant's face worked con-
Vulsively as he gazed at it and the spec
tators gathered more closely around the
two, wondering at the strange scene.
I'm Gods name who are youa" gasped
stuIdivant, bis eyes still fixed on the
card.
Look at me-" said the stranger qui-
city.
as If powerless to resist, sturdivant
raised his eyes to the speaker. The
stranger had raised his hat and sat look
ing at the trembling man with eyes thar
fairly blazed with fury. Sturdivant ut
tered grOan and sank back in bis chair,
with his face white and ,igid. The
stranger with one sweep gathered up the
money from the table and thrust it into
his breast.
"That ace of hearts is an unlucky car /
for you, Daniel Sturdivant," he said,
boldly. "You played it, once when you
th?!ght 1t to your advantage. Now God
help you, tor that play is returned"
As he spoke he raised pistol which
we had not seen, and before we could
stop him, aimed it deliberately at the
trembling man and fred. The gambler
fell heavily upon the table q corpse, and
the bright blood streamed over it, hiding
the fatal card from sight.
"Gentlemen," said the stranger, rising
to his feet, as we stood paraIyzed with
horror at the dreadful scene, ''that man
ruined my wife and tried to murder me.
1 have been hunting for him ten years. "
He walked slowly by US down the stair
| way to the lower deck. Just then the
steamer touched at a landing and he
sprang ashore and vanished in the dark
woods.
never learned the history of the ;nys-
terious affair, for the dead gambler was
beyond human questioning, and never
SAW the stranger again; hut shall not
soon forget the inprcssion<it it maic Upon
me at the time.
1t iss little queer that some people
have the faculty of stirring: the whole
world without feeling an emotion them.
selves. There was Christi:e Nilsson, 70,
instance; ecstatic French critics went ir
the widest raptures over the ''cold-eyed
m siden If the North" yet at the sam.
time bcmoaned her lack of feeling. Moth
ing moved her to the hear, ,unlesa It was th,
near approach Of rival singer. Some O.
the New York critics are now raving owe
Modjeska. And yet it seems to be from
= long range. It ID oil dress and action
they cry out. Well. iperhaps It 10, snf