Connecticut western news., 1880-07-28
THE LAST DEAL.
The Confession of Reformed Gam. bler-A Sight that Made Him
 Swear Off Forever, .t

T'I never dealt again p
 The words fell from the lips of @ gentleman we'll known in Leadville, yet few recognize in the elegant, easy going man who now commands the deep re- spect of his fellow-citizens, the once cool-headed, imperturbable gambler, who, in his day, figured prominently along the Pacific coast, and was almost universally recognized as the shrewdest faro dealer in the'West.
 "Some three years ago ran high toned game at certain place you prob ably know. It was square game, as will leave anyone to say-a thriving game, for dealt for half the bloods in town, and often I had as many as five lay-outs at time, with too much busi- ness on hand to even get time to rest. One evening young chap strolled in, with @ sort of curious stare on his face, and I concluded right there that he was green. He was fair-haired, and had pair of blue eyes and clear-cut features an innocent-looking young fellow, if ever I saw one. It only required glance to convince you that he was stranger in the gambling room. He soon was at home, though, for I saw in his blue eyes the love of play, and after that evening he was constant visitor. He played his pile right up and never growled if his luck was hard, and on every second card he'd stack the limits up in blue. Take it altogether, his luck was hard-sometimes the hardest, I think, I ever saw. I've known him to lose at single deal seven double shots.
 "Business for me, of course, but somehow it almost seemed too bad. I couldn't say word, though, and yet I liked the boy. He had lots of the filthy. I think from the day he began he must have dropped cool $1OO,0O0 on the game, and he never growled.
 "We both quit gambling the same night-he, poor lad, for rsufficientreasons, and l, because loathed the game. It was in this wise His coin gave out m deal or two, and he put up 8 dia- mond ring, just to see his ill luck out, you know. The chips soon went. He had pin, @ flaming stone in massive metal. He passed that in without 8 word and drew fifty doll ars, cold So help me God I wished him luck as heartily as any player there but no, his last stack went my way on 8 losing ace. He drew three hundred dollars more, I think, on his watch and chain, and tried | his line of bets again, but his luck was gone. My God I'll never forget the pale, haggard look that crossed his face, but he was game. He never uttered a word, and kept his chair like pillar of stone. For moment he seemed dazed at his reverses, but suddenly his eye | caught the thin, worn circlet of dull gold on his little finger. He looked at it 8 little while, and dark wave of hot crim- son blood passed over his face, for thls circlet seemed to cling even faster than the flashing gem he had passed in before. He at last stripped it off his finger and handed it to me. It came reluctantly, this worn old ring. What can have on this?' he asked. T don't know what it's value is, but I'll redeem it first of all. Itmight have cost five dollars new, but it was worthless then.
 "Still passed out fifty stack in re- turn, just to let him try again. He planked it down in the pot and then low upon the table he laid his face on his folded arms. We'll, for wonder, his luck changed and he won three times. He took no notice of me as I told him when the limit barred, and so we played two fifty on each card. Would you be- ieve it? In the deal the pot won out and never lost! And still he lay with his head hid in his arms. The deal was out and shook him up, but not a mus cle moved, and raising his face I started back in horror at the glassy expression of his eyes, for the boy was dead! 4
 "Pve often wondered to myself since that night what thoughts went fitting through his brain as he bowed his head and hid his face from our sight, what pledges for 8 better life, regrets for 8 fortune he had thrown away with lav- ish hand, and loathing of his irrevocable course. Who can tell? We can but guess at them, but may never feel. His face showed years of hell endured in that brief game, but it was not until the cor oner's jury sat that I learned all. Be- fore them was developed the fact that the ring which had changed his luck as his existence, was one given hlm by his dear dead mother years before. Poor boy! Inever dealt again."