The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-06-24
WHY HE SWORE OFF.
A Game That Meant Ruin for One stopped
by Death.


by Death.
"No," said the old drummer, fiercely,
81 play no games of chance any more,
not even the simplest kind, for money"
Wont you pitch pennies?" persisted
his companion.
That least of ALL" he said, visibly
affected.
why not?' asked the othar.
do you see this dollar?" he said, TAX
ing a cart-wheel from his pocket.
''Well, thereby hangs a tale. Listen.
Ten years ago | was and had been for
five years, travelling for big diamond
importing house in New York, and as
usual carried with me large number
of gems, often having as much as fifty
thousand dollars worth. One day four
of US, all in the same line, met il Den
yer, and that evening we were drink
ing and matching dollars in my room.
1t was a hobby Of mine, as it was of
one of the other men, Frank H,
who was as inveterate a hatcher as
ever the late John T. Raymond was.
Well, we drank and matched, and kept
at it until we began to toss up at five
dollars toss, and the other two soon
backed out and watched us. l guess
we were both pretty drunk, for before
l knew it we had made pot of one
hundred dollars and were tossing best
two in three for it. | lost, and lost
again, and then, having no more money,
put up a diamond against his pile.
lost that, too, and then put up two
against his money and what had been
my diamond. and that time | won.
think we were both half crazy now, for
Frank pulled out one of the pocket
books from the inside of his vest and
laid it open on the able and asked me
angrily if l dared to match it. Of
course | dared, and l dared more. l
put down beside it all mine,
valued at wholesale rates at
fifty thousand dollars, and he
emptied his other vest pocket to an
equal amount. Our two friends tried
to stop US, but we were wild and would
listen to nothing, Frank threw first,
and l called tails 1t came heads.
1t made me SILVER. Then l threw
heads and he called tails and we
were even. don't know how felt as
he picked up the dollar, and looked at
those glittering gems, for don't know
anything clearly, though had a vague
idea that somebody would be ruined
forever on the next throw. Frank
tossed the dollar to the ceiling, and
called heads 1t struck the floor and
rolled over towards the register All
four of us made rush for it, and Frank
fell headlong. The dollar had dropped
through the grating and was lying on
the closed shutters of the register, just
below.
Get a match | almost shrieied.
Il stepped back and my foot struck
Frank. He did not move. bent down
and shook him He was still. | tried
to cry out, but could not. The other
two men caught hold of him then and
turned him over. His face was blue and
blood was gushing from his mouth. He
had died in an instant. The three were
sober men in second and at once
alarmed the landlord and sent for a
physician. but he might as well not
have come. He told us death had been
instantaneous. put my diamonds back
into my pockets and took care of
Franks. and the balance of the stakes
l divided, taking what had put up and
setting his aside, and the next morning
we started home with poor Frank S
body"
How about the dollar in the regis
ter" asked the listener. who won?"
oh. said the old drummer, with a
start, 81 almost forgot that part of it.
/ never thought Of that dollar till just
before we left, and going back | tished
it out and p At it in my pocket and this
is 1t. 1t was heads
NO wonder you don't gamble any
more" exclaimed the listener with a
sigh of relief Let's go and take a
drink as a forgotten"
And l don't drink any more, either"
said the old drummer, quietly.-Detroit
Free Press.