Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-04-09

surprising things with the cards, things
which, he clearly perceived, might in the
hands of one who could do them dexter
ously, lead to surprising results
''There was time, said the count when
could do these things before I lost my
finger Do you think lived in place like
this, the companion of such men as come
here every nights Now can show you how
we do them. Anybody may learn how they
are done. But there are few, indeed. who
, can do them so as never to be suspected OR
caught. I have watched you, friend Rlch-
! rd, and I know that you can learn. will
make you, if you please, and little by little,
/ master of the great art Et
The great art. of course, was the practical
! application of scientific leger demain to card
PLAYING and gambling. In its simpler forms
| i means turning the king, forcing suit,
| making the bridge. palming card, giving
| your adversary, the worst hands and your
self the best. l. When young man has
learned these things, and can do them with
| turn of the wrist and without movement
| of the eye, he has indeed advanced far, and
may be trusted to earn a very decent and
conf ortable maintenance But there are
| higher flights. ard although there are many
Greeks about the gaming tables there never
was one who brought to the profession a
keener intel ect, a more copious resource, a
greater wealth of trickery in its highest and
most occu branches than the Signor Gu
,seppe Piranesi.
'tAnd when have learned all this, what
am 10 dog 81
Long before that time comes, you will be
glad of the protection which 1 can give you.
Ask me when the trouble comes"
What do you mean by the troubled You
are always talking about The trouble" Dick
threw the cards upon the table, 81 tell you
there is no trouble coming"
'sAnd tell you young gentleman, there
is a very great trouble coming upon you, and
that very soon l have seen it coming day
after day and at last it has come. | be-
lieve, Richard, that it has come upon you
this very day; believe you will not go
home to your fathers this evening""
Dick tried not to tremble, but he succeeded
ILL., He tried to laugh, and there came dis
NAL cackle He picked up the cards, but his
hand shook Was The man prophets
81 have had dream. my SON. said the
count, softly 81 dreamed that age and
YOUTH experience and inexperience might
helm each other"
What has that got to do with me and
and the trouble?'
''Wait-wait, and listen. My dream was
of an cd man and young man. They
travelled together and were partners,
though no one knew it. They worked to
gether T old man knew where to go. and
the young man how to work. He had been
taught by the old man. They went where
ever the money is-there is only dozen
places in the world worth going to-where,
that is, there are rich young fellows who are
fools enough 10 think they can win at the
game ia lie. Do you begin to understand
this dreams'
But what has it got to do with the
troublea'
The trouble may be the means of making
this dream a reality. 1t is Leautiful
dream There is in it the life of luxury. and
Of ease, and of love- Dick heard of the
love and luxury without much emotion.
The former moved him but little. the latter
not at all And a life of getting money in
it-money, my young friend"
Dicks cold eyes Lit up.
sit will only be necessary for you to fox
low my instructions and to lie M rupiL
You must obey me, and you shall be my
partner I will introduce you, and I will
play square, like the fools at the table, be-
cause the cursed loss of my finger prevents
me from playing any other way. But you
-you-you shall play with every advantage
Of science, skill and courage"
"Ohr Dick, it is fair to say, had no OBJ
jections on the score of honesty, but he dis
trusted his own powers "Oh, it is impossi-
blel"
"a beautiful dream Everywhere the
most delightful life, and the easiest; every
where the fools who sit about the tables, and
expect to win. Perhaps time may come
when it will be no dream but necessity"
Tbo 81 vi Job, Lip6lad
"A divine life, with every thing that can be
bought. and always money at your fingers
ends You might be my pupil In six
months 1 would each you enough. Then
we would.begin. You should be the young
| Engli ,hman of fortune on his travels No
one suspects the young Englishman of for
tune; he is always a fool; he is always the
prev OF the profession. Would you like 10
be that young Englishmans He loses when
the stakes are low and he wins when the
stakes are high. Would that suit youa'
The spider has many Establishments. To
the fly he talks the language OF innocence,
of fattery, of dis Interested friendship and
of love. But to brother spider he uses a
different kind Of talk.
eff could only get awayr' he said Gas
for the city, hate it! If I could only get
awayr
You may-you shall. My dear young
friend will help you because you can help
| me. That is the founda ion of every friend
ship. My Sc ~rets are yours, and yours are
mine for the future. We must trust each
| other, because we can be of service to each
other. Hands upon it."
| Dick gave him his hand
| 49," said the count "Now, my friend
| have business. / will leave you here.
cloi ,.ot,,r,, II, fxvo hours Won will StaV
here for the first time he assumed tone of
| command. "You will not leave this hous'
until my return He put on his hat and lit
cigarette. by the way, have you got me
another checkYr .elr Ee
mo" said Dick shortly -
''Those first three checks-they were all
right-on the square~
''Of course they were all right. Why
should they not be all rightT
"Good-very good. Your secrets are
mine, and mine are yours Partners such
as we shall be have no secrets from each
other, have they?'
He laughed pleasantly and went away.
Dick. left alone, began to imagine that
life. His own had been so dull that he had
not the least idea what it would be like.
But there would be no city work, no office,
no drudgery of copying and of making up
BOOKS. Ihere would be change and excite
ment in it; there would be money in it, and
gambling ION the safe side) in it. Was the
count serious? Yet he had spent great
deal of trouble over him. He was not likely
to spend that time and trouble for nothing
The chances of leading such life depended
upon himself a
He seized the pack of cards and began to
practice some of the passes and tricks which
The count had taught him But he was ex-
cited and nervous. The most that he dared
10 hope that morning was safety for time;
what was opened up for him now was more
than safety for time-it was rescue.
I he count said that the trouble was COM
ing that very day. Well, he knew that the
checks were burned wi tn the check book
there can be no forgery unless the docu-
ments are produced, and they were gone
Oh, what fortunate chance was this that
/ placed in his hands the very proofs of his
own guilt! The checks were burned. If his
father discovered the truth, he would do
nothing at all. There would be a
row; there would certainly be row.
Well, the greatest row breaks no bones.
And he would, perhaps, be turned into the
Streets Very we'll Then, perhaps the
count would really do what he had prom
ised-become his friend and partner. Be-
cause, you see, Dick had as yet none of that
sem of honor which exists between broth
ers in iniquity. That had to be created in