The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-03

that exhilarating liquid stood at each
mans elbow when we took up the cards
again. True, hardly pat my lips to
mine, for my fall had shaken me a
good deal, and L didn't feel much in
the frame for immoderate cups. The
stranger, too, as j observed, used his
glass but sparingly.; but Russell and
the freshman drank like fishes, and
devilish thirsty ones to boot. Before
long, as you may guess, the play began
to grow unpleasantly high, and our
host, from being generously convivial,
began to become a little short in his
temper, as well as little thick in his
speech. The freshman contented him
self with smiling fatuously and spilling
about as much wine as he drank. But
he had lost nearly ESQ, and l had
shrewd doubts whether his exchequer
contained at that particular time an
equal number of shillings. You will
hardly want to be told that our specu-
lations were being carried on through
the medium of paper" Russell, too,
who had hitherto been the largest win
ner, began to experience reverses, and
to objurgate them freely. My luck
had been fluctuating all the evening,
but with q strong tendency to sink.
Altogether, the aspect of affairs was
far from pleasing, but our host would
not hear of making an end, and kept
losing more money, and opening more
champagne, with n persistency worthy
OF better cause. Finally, to crown
the folly of the whole business, he pro-
posed that the stranger deal for the
whole party; pleading his duties as
host--an impudent plea enough, con-
sidering that he was by this time the
only drinker, and the incompetency of
the freshman, which was certainly OBJ
vious to the meanest capacity. L vent
ured on slight remonstrance; but
really it was difficult to object with a
good grace, and the stranger had pair
of confoundedly broad shoulders.
you must have been very fresh,
Tommy" observed one of the audience.
"Not at all. tell you the man was
as big and as broad as a church, and
carried one of my arms in q sling; and
even had been fully armed, he could
have polished me off as easily as you
have been disposing of our friends
claret here. However, to go on with
my story, such as it is"
Sitting idly then at the table my ex-
ercise being confined to frequently put
ting pieces of paper in the pool and less
frequently taking pieces out, my eyes
became irresistably attracted to the
dealer. He certainly, despite his I'M
furnished hand, contrived to deal with
wonderful precision and rapidity. /
| 30 4ho4
freshman continued TO nurse their
insatiate thirst, and, as the hands
of the clock drew nearer and
nearer to midnight, by which
hour all strangers were bound,
under pain of heavy penalties to their
too liberal hosts, to be outside the col
lege gates, that fortune, in the matter
of aces, seemed determined to mark
him for her own. At first this fact
aroused no particular feeling in my
breast beyond vague one of envy;
but, as | still watched him, there
flashed across me in an instant of
thought the doubt whether fortune
had, perhaps, so much to do with the
business as l supposed. In a moment
q preternatural GOODNESS and sa-
gacity took hold of me; the fumes
of Russells champagne and of
RusselPs tobacco passed away from my
brain, and my eyes assumed an alb
normal eagleness of vision. A couple
more deals satisfied me. The man was
not playing fair.
And what the deuce to do now was the
question. Though i was as morally
certain we were being cheated as l ever
was of anything in my life, could no
more have specified the manner of the
trick than l could give you, if you
wanted it, a list of the Archbishops of
Canturbery in chronological order.
The table we were seated at was pretty
large one, and the dealer played his
little game on the opposite side to me.
/ couldn't stretch across it to arrest his
fraudulent hand, even could L have
nicked the precise moment to do so;
and, beside, as have already told you,
he could have turned me over on TO the
floor as easily as he turned the aces
over on to the table. The others were
far too much bemused with champagne
and their losses to comprehend the ma
ture of the case, or to be of any assist
ance if they could. 1t certainly was as
awkward a predicament as an innocent
and well-conditioned young gentleman
need wish to be placed in.
Fortunately, at that moment the
three-quarters struck, and the time for
a safe deal came round. Here was
chance.
II mustn't get you into trouble,
Russell; perhaps we'd better stop now
the game has gone. There's good
deal of paper about" So said the
dealer, but lingering the cards visit
fully, and obviously hoping a refusal.
Certainly" said rising from my
chair with alacrity, 1--WE had better stop
now"
"Stop," said Russell; "stop be id,
I've lost G100. Sit down, Tommy, and
have some more champagne. And you.
Jack, go on with the deal"
The stranger paused.
no" was my answer. mo, thank
you, Russell no more champagne for
me, and no cards. L am going to bed,
and, if you'll take my advice (this to
the freshman, you'll come too. You,
Russell, and your friend can do as you