River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-11-04
HIS VERY LAST DEAL.
a Pacific Coast Gamblers story of His
Final Game.
From the Leadyille Chronicle.

+ rom the leadFlle IufOnlEle.
Il never dealt again. I've dealt the
game for twenty years, but I've quit
now. made nothing and lost nothing,
and but for a sight | once saw | should
probably be a gambler STILL Hereby
hangs a tale. Let me tell it:
Some three years ago | ran high
toned game at a certain place you
probably know, for it strikes me that |
saw you there 1t was square game,
as | will leave any one to say-a thriv-
ing game-for | dealt for half the
bloods in town, and often had as many
as five lay-outs ut a time, with too much
business on hand to even get time to
rest. One evening young chap strolled
in, with a sort of curious stare on his
face and | concluded right there that
he was green. He was fair-haired, and
had a pair of blue eyes and clean-cut
features-an innocent looking young
fellow, if ever | saw one. 1t Only re-
quired a glance to convince you that
he was a stranger in the gambling
room. He soon was at home, though,
for | saw in his blue eyes the love of
the play, and after that evening he was
| a constant visitor. He played his pile
right up and never growled if his luck
was hard-sometimes the hardest |
think ever saw. I've known him to
lose at a 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.
We both quit gambling the same
night-he, poor lad, for sufficient rea-
sons, and | because | loathed the game.
1t was in this wise:
His coin gave out in Il deal or two,
and he put up Il diamond ring, just to
see his ill-luck out, you know. The
chips soon went He had a pin a
| flaming stone in massive metal. He
passed that in without a word and drew
$50 in gold. So help me God! | wish
ed him luck as heartily as any player
there but no, his last stake went my
way on Il losing ace. He drew $500
more, think, on his watch and chain
and tried his line bets again, but his
luck was gone. Ny 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 mo-
ment he seemed dazed at his reverses,
but suddenly his eye caught the thin
worn circlet of dull gold on his little
finger He looked ut it little while
and dark wave of hot crimson blood
passed over his face for the cirle seem
ed to cling even faster than the flashing
gem he had passed III before He at
last stripped it off his finger and handed
it to me. 1t came reluctantly, this
worn old ring. What can | have on
this? he asked. i don't know what its
value is, hut I'll redeem it first of all.
1t might have cost So new, but it was
worthless then.
"Still | passed out fifty stack in re-
turn, just to let him try again He
planked ii down in the pot. and then
low upon the table he laid his face on
his folded arms Well, for wonder,
his luck changed, and he won three
times. He took no notice of me as |
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 hid in his
arms. The deal was ont and | shook
him up, but not muscle moved, and,
raising his face, started back in horror
at the CLASSY expression of his eyes, FOL
the boy was dead"