The Phoenix herald., 1880-10-01
THE LAST DEAL.
From h Experience ef
 aPacifc Coast Gambler.
LeaiyiIIe ,ceI-J chronrele:


 { The words fell from the lips of
 a gentleman well known il Lead vile. Yet few recognize in the eie ! gant. e.;sy-@oing nan who nov com nlaHds The deep respect Of his fellow citiZeiis the once cDol-heaucd, inI : perturbG bic gambler who in his day figured prominently along ihe Pacific Coast, ana who WAS almost uHiver- sally recognized as tine sircwdest faro dealer in the west.
 'AS for the games morality, that's
 neither here nor there N hen dealt upon tine square it is much ike any other game. Ii is not 10 be thought that the lay NJ fl hinder men a bit if jnes want c. play, and often thcy are forever cured from playing when they find ii doesn't pay. I've dealt the game for twenty years, 5ut I've quit BOW. l made nothing nor lost anything, and but for sight once saw l shOeld probably be a gemblcr still. Thereby hangs q tale. Let me lcil it:
 @-Sonie three years ago ran high toned earle al d certain place you probably know, for il strikes me 1 SAW you there. .t was a square game, as 1 will leave any one to say-a ilIriyIH. eane-fUr 1 deiit for half the blood in town, and often had as many as five layouis at time, win lou much business OH hand to even get time 10 rest. OGe cveuIng. young chap strulled in, with ssri Uf curious stare in iils face, and l con cludcd right there that he was green
 He Was fair-hesdcd, and hid pair of blue eyes and cisaT-cui features an innocent -lOo&iHg fellow ii ever 1 saw one. II only required glance to convince you tfat he was d stranger in the gambling room He soon WAS at home lilc ugh, for 1 saw iu his blue eyes the love of play, and after that evening he was a constant visi- tor. He played his pile right up,aud never growled if hi- luck was hard. and on every second card he'd s.acsl the limits up in blue. Take if alto geiAer his luck was iIard-sometimc the hardest 1 eyer saw. I've known him to lose on single deal seven double shots.
 'BusIness for me, of course, but somehow il almost seemed too bad. 1 couldn't say word though and yet l liked the boy He had lots of the nl;hy. l think from the way he be- gan lie must have dropped q cool Sl00,U00 OH the game, ana he never growlcd
 We both quit gambling the same night-he, poor lad for sufficient req sons, and l because 1 loathcd the game. IL was in this wise:
 -'iIis coin gave out in deal or two and he put up diamond ring, just to see his luck out, you know iie chips soon went. He had a pin, d flaming stone in massive metal lie passed tiia; i'll without q word, and drew ,e5O il gold. So help me Godi ! wished him luck as heartily as any player these but no his last stake went my way on a losing ace. He drew $500 more, 1 think, Oo his watch and chain, and tried his line bets again, but his luck was gone. My God, I'll never for get Inc pale, haggard look that crossed his face, but he was game lie never uttered word, and kept bis chair like pillar of stone. For ;t moment he seemed daZed at his re- ! verses, but suddenly his eye cangilt 1 the iiin, worn circlet of dull gold on i his little finger He looked at il a 1 lite while. and dark wave of hot | crimson blood passed over his face, for Lhe circlet seemed ;O cling even ! faster than the flashing gem he had | pissed in before. He at last stripped | t of his finger and handed it to mC. l IL came reluctantly iliis worn old I, ing. What can 1 have on this:' he | asked ] don know what Us value |. is, but I'll redeem il first of all.' IL | migit have cost :55 new, but it was ! worthless then
 Still l passed out a fifty stack ill ! return, just to let him try again. He 1 plauke.l it all down in the pot, and ! then low upon the taUic he laid his | face ia his folded arms. Well. for [ a wonder his luck changed and he | won three times He took DO notice ! of me as l told him the limit bsrrcd ! and 30 we played twO fifty on each ! card Would you believe it: In the | deal the not won out and never lost l And still he lay with his face in his | arms. The deal was out. and l shook ! him up. but moi q muscle moved, and | raising his face l started back in | horrcr at Inc glasSy expression of his | eyes, for the boy was dead.
 I've often wondered to myself | since that night what thoughts went | fitting through his brain as he bowed | his he;td and hId his face from our l sight; what pledges of q better life, | regrets for fortune he had thrown | away with lavish hand and loatiing | for his IrT-vncaJle course. Who can teliz We can but guess at them, but ! may never feel his face showed 1 years of hell endured n ih-it brief ! game. biIt it was not until the cor eEcr's jury sat that I learned aii Be fore n IF was developed tiie fact that therring which lad charged his ! luck, as # did his existence, was ! given him by his I ar. dead mother years before Poor ipy 1 never [ 1ea.t ar ii- |