Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1884-12-05
SAVED BY A acoxr NAN.
lChicago News. /

partner the WOESt Vi IL. atlu ~ IL iiou ~
be the last, but If had it to do over
again wouldn't finch"
Having delivered myself OF this very
emphatic speech, the faro-dealer
knocked the ashes from the end of his
cigar with his ebony cane, looked eau.
tiously aboutto see that no unfriendly
ear overheard the remarks, and then
settled himself comfortably against a
staircase.
=-"You see." he pursued, smiling pat
ronizingly upon the scribe. 81 don't
mind telling the circumstances to you,
but i, would put me in the hole here to
give the snap away to the gang. Twas
hardly the square thing, that's the long
and short of it, though 1t did my con-
science heap of good. 1t happened
like this:
Understand, was at Louisville. /
goes down there from St. Louis-yes,
just about nine years ago-and meets
some old partners used to work with
at New Orleans. No, l won't give their
names; that would be dead pointer
to everybody. Well, / have about
$4,000. and they flash about 1900
cases between 'em. 1t don't take us
long to open up. Didn't propose to
take no chances on the town, neither.
After we gets our heads together we
makes up our minds to give 'em the
brace-big limit, you know-and
shake down the village for all she's
worth in a few weeks. Before they
could size US up you see, we hires a
SCOT OF fine rooms, understand, and
opens up the layout. We lets a cou-
pie of steerers win out big at first, sets
up the drinks and cigars in fine shape,
and makes a big hit right On the start.
Soon the bloods comes a-hockin' in
and drops their piles like little men.
Now, you're talkin' straight; when
these Louisville fellers makes a losin'
there amt no howlin' and kickin'
Things was workin' beautlfuller than
ever saw them work before. We JUS
catches everybody, an not SOU
drops on the brace. In two week.
after we starts, understand, we stacl
up $I4, 900 among US. Mother weel
and we rakes up 10000 more smooth
ones.
But I'm telling my story too fast
The first week there comes in a tall
poor lookin' devil, and cashes in S.
was in the seat dealin', and when
passes him out the checks l notice
that his hand trembles, Co'rse tina
wasn't nothing unusual, understand
but the Teller kinder catches my eye
Now, If there IS anything that will hard
en- eamb, so that he forgets there
such words as charity and humanity
is dealin' brace game. 1t is wors
than runnin' pawnshop or holdIn'
man up on daik night. Understan
a foot-pad has the decency 10 say he
robbin' you, but brace dealer don
say nothin' about it. Well, this felle
looks at me suspicious like with hi
piercin' black eyes, and | concludes t
do him up If l have to overlook ever
thing else. l pities him, too, unde
stand. He had a sorter invalid az
pearance, as thin as a wafer, and wild
eyed like mad-dog He was ger
tleman though, bet yer life. He VIZ
just as tidy and dignified as you pleas
in about as bad dress of scare-cro
clothes as / ever see. Well, his fv,
goes, and soon another. Then b
groans and calls the turn for So. b
fore make the turn l sees that he
holdin' the rung of his chair, the san
as il he was desperate, ard the beae
of perspiration is standing out on h
forehead. For about second l fee
like thief, and comes near givln' hi
the best oft; but no, l thinks, he
some old sleeper picker. and I'll ju
shut him out. All the deal from soc
10 hook he amt sayin' a word, mir
yer. When the turn comes, and /
just mutters Poor Alicer and totte
away from the table as if his hea
was broke. Understand, | never fee
SO mean in my life. So gets up ar
as he's going out hands him S:
gold piece. Do yer think he'd tai
it2 No sir; he just says he deserv
to be punished, and quits me. He
was me tryin' to do the good Sinai
tan and gets left. First l think he's
fool, and then when l cools off
strikes me that never sees such &
odd thing before. All week I thir
about the tall man with the big blat
eyes, and poor Alicep keeps ringi
in my ears. Next Saturday night
he comes again and makes the sam
bluff One OF my partners is dealt
and winds HIM up without a splltte
/ asks him to take drink, but he pu
litely says he don't drink, and wall
out with the looks of a corpse stampe
on his face. That sets me to thinki
more'n ever, and resolves to find o.
who he is. So / sends one of OIL
men after HIM. and tells him to new,
let up. The next afternoon l stroll
down to the place where my ma
tracks him-down near the river:
hard lookin' joint as ever fell init
knocks at the door-tour stories L