Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-07

"Ah, but that's out of the question. iust
when we've got into society and all that.
BY the by, we're invited to the Due de
Pincenez"
zone OF the very people, my love, who
would never invite us again if 1 were to
give up play suddenly and without good
excuse"
"Oh, we'll, then, 1 suppose it can't be
helped" said the baroness, resigning her
self, as she had often done before, to what
seemed to be the Inevitable.
| 1t was Two days after this conversation
that Rao1l Fleischer became a member of
the club. He vas a rude, overbearing.
vulgar creature, egotistical and pushing to
degree; boastful about his superiority at
games o. skill and exasperatingly conf
dent of his luck at games of chance.
No one appeared to know precisely where
he came from, although he bore letters
from eminently respectable gentlemen,
dated at different parts of the Continent.
| Fleischer had not been member of the
| club a week when it was suggested to Won
Rachnitz that he should challenge this
very Objectionable person to great bout
at ecarte, in which, if his luck-which was
by this time proverbial in the club-held
good, NJ. RaoIl Fleischer might be taught
a lesson.
We'll, baron" said the latter one night.
addressing Won Rachnitz with vulgar as
| sumption of familiarity, lucky, as usual,
l SUPPOSE
Il don't know so much about luck, NJ.
Fleischer; I'm prepared to back my skill
even against you. I'll play you few
games OF ecarte, if you wish, though per-
| haps that's hardly your game, Judging
from the way you lost the big pool last
night"
"Ecarte not my gamer replied Fleischer
Indignantly. II lost the pool last night, it
is true, but the cards were against me;
| that was why-I made no mistake l will,
meinherr, play you, when you will, for
what you will, hundred games of ecarte
and we will see who is the better man. or
you"
Very Sell,' replied Won Rachnitz, "as
you will. Tomorrow l viii play you 100
games of ecarte for 1000 francs apiece"
The following night the club was crowd
ed. News of the match had spread abroad
among the members, and men who had
not been seen in the rooms for months
were present. 1t was evident that the
sympaties of the onlookers were with the
baron, VINO, although displaying admira-
bic GOODNESS and all his accustomed skill,
lost steadily. Hand after hand was played,
and Won Rachnitz invariably lost.
What was most extraordinary about the
contest was that Fleischer,s success came
to him in spite of the fact that his play
was contrary to all canons of the game
He played ION authority" when he seemed
to have hardly decent card in his hand,
and yet be won, and he gave cards" when
he held A good playing hand, and invaria-
bly, succeeded in lettering it.
He lifted his eyebrows from time to time
in surprised way, and clearly indicated
in his features that he was puzzled. Alb
solutely irrational as was his opponents
play, the cards were invariably against the
baron.
To many of the most expert players of
the club who had crowded about the table
1t soon became evident that Fleischer must
have some peculiar knowledge of the cards
still left in the pack. Apparently, how
ever, until nine games had been played, all
of which had been won by his opponent,
the baron remained unconscious of any
cheating
The tenth game was now in progress.
FleischeI was -four up'' and markell the
king for the third time in succession At
that moment Won RachnitZ arose from the
chair, and in voice of assumed calmness
said: "These cards are marked. demand
an investigation" The next instant he
lifted pack which lay at his side on the
table an6 flung them into his opponents
face, exolaiming, You are II scoundrel
and a sw indler."
So palr able to many members of the club
had been the cheating of NJ. Fleischer,
that a disposition was at once manifested
by a number of those present to throw him
into the street without further ceremony.
To this course the baron objected, and
apologizing for the scene he had created,
begged that full and rigid investigation
OF the charge of cheating be made at once,
and before any further violence was offered
his opponent. The investigation was made
on the spot. and the baron's charge was
found to be abundansly substantiated.
The cards were found to be of a most in
geniously marked variety, and. as was es-
tablished, had been smuggled into the club
by Fleisc her with the counivance of one of
the under servants.
1t was ut this point that the generosity
of the baron asserted itself in refusing to
accede to the wishes of several of his
friends, who desired that the impostor
should be turned over to the police. In
fact, the baron accorded his late adversary
protection from personal violence at the
the club. who Were anxious to chastise
him on the spot, and permitted the swim
dler to depart unframed, upon his assur-
ance that he would leave Paris at once.
When the door had closed upon the dis
comfitted Fleischer, aid those who had
witnessed the episode had returned to the
card room, the baron begged to be allowed
to say word publicly.
"Gentlemen," said he, II am about to
act out al impulse. Whether l am wise
in doing 20 will perhaps be IA source of dis
pute in the minds of my friends; but so ir-
resistibly am impelled to the course am
about to take / cannot, l do not dare
delay announcing my decision. need not
tell you, gentlemen, that this episode has
been to me a terrible shock. Never before
in my / fe have l seen cheating at cards,
and never again, God willing, will l sub
NIT to such an experience. From this mo
ment. and in your presence, | swear sol
EMMY that neither in this club nor else