Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-10-30
Why He Quit.
From the Louisville Chronicle.

l never dealt again. 1--WE dealt
the game for twenty years, but I've
quit now. | made nothing nor lost
anything, and but for sight | once
saw, | should probably be gambler
still. Hereby hangs a tale: let me
tell it:
Some three years ago / ran a
heightened game at certain place
you probably know, for it strikes me
/ saw you there. 1t was a square
game as / will leave gny one to say
thriving game-for / dealt for half
the bloods in town, and often had as
many aa five lay-outs at a time, with
too much business on hand to even
get time to rest. One evening a
young chap strolled in, with sort
of curious stare on his face, and |
concluded right there that he was
green. He was fair-headed and had
pair of blue eyes and clean cut fea-
tures-an innocent-looking young
fellow ii ever l saw one. 1t only
required a glance to convince me
that he was a stranger in the gam
bling room. He soon was at home,
though, for / saw in his blue eyes
the love of the game, and after that
evening he was a 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 |
think the hardest | ever saw. I've
known him to lose ut single deal
seven double shots.
Business for me, of course, but
somehow it almost seemed too bad.
/ couldn't say word, though, and
yet / liked the boy. He had lots of
the filthy. / think from the day he
began he must have dropped a cool
100000 on the game and he never
growled.
owe both quit gambling the same
nlght-he, poor lad, for sufficient
reasons, and because / loathed the
game. 1t was in this wise:
Ellis coin gave out in q deal or
two, and he put up a diamond ring,
Just to see his luck out, you know.
The chips soon went. He had pin,
flaming stone in massive metal.
He passed that in without word,
and drew $50 in gold. So help me
God wished him luck as heartily
as any player there; but no, his last
stake went by on a losing ace. He
drew $500 more, | think, on his
watch and chain, and tried his line
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
pillow of stone. For a moment he
was dazed at his reverses, but sud-
denly his eye caught the thin worn
circlet of gold on his little finger.
He looked at it a little while, and
dark wave of hot crimson blood
passed over his face, for the 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. 1t came re-
luctantly, this worn old ring. "What
can | have on this p he asked. Il
don't know what it's value is, but
I'll redeem it first of ALL" 1t might
have cost SIS new, but it was worth
less now.
"Still l passed out a fifty stack in
return, 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 arm. Well, for won
der, his luck changed, and he won
three times. He took no notice of
me as l told him when the limit
barred, and so we played two fifty on
each card. Would you believe it
In the deal the pot won out and
never lost ! And still he lay with
his face in his arms. The deal was
out, and l shook him up, but not a
muscle moved, and raising his face,
started back in horror at the CLASSY
expression of his eyes, for the boy
was dead"