The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-04-15

II thought so. Now, Forme, you're
not such q fool as you look-or act
You know where all that sort of thing
leads to. You haven't any chance All
the rules of the game are against you
You have no more show than you had
against me tonight Why not chuck
it before it Is too late?"
at is easy for you to talk like thGv
when you have my money in your
pocket"
"But that simply IL another rule of
the game. The money of n thief Is
bound to go into some one else's pocket
Who ever enjoys the cash ultimately?
He never does. Now II you had the
money in your pocket what would you
do?"
~ would go back to McliiIh's and
have another try"
81 believe YOU" said RowHll with,
for the first time, some cordiality in
his voice He recognized kindred
spirit in this young man. "Neverthe-
less it would be u fool thing TO do. You
have two chances before you. You
can become "a sport as | am, and spend
your life in mbling-rooms. Or you
can become what is called respecta-
BILE business man. But you can't be
both. In n very short time you will
not have the choice. You will be found
out and then you can only be what l
am probably not as successful as /
have been. If you supplement bank
robbery to your other accomplish
ments, then you will go to prison or,
what Is perhaps worse, to Canada.
Which career are you going to choose?"
Come down to plain facts. What do
you mean by all this talk? If 1 say I'll
quit gambling do you mean that you
will return to me the thousand dollars
and call the other thousand square?"
'If you give me your word of honor
that you will quit"
"And II don't, what them"
"Then on Monday / will hand over
this money to the bank and advise
them to look into your accounts"
And suppose my accounts prove to
be all right, what then?"
Rowell shrugged his shoulders. ''ln
that remote possibility l will give the
thousand dollars to you and play you
another game for it."
~ see. Which means thatyou cheat.
ed tonight"
"If you like to put it that way"
"And what il l denounced you as q
self-confessed cheat?"
ut wouldn't ID matter to me. wouldn't
take the trouble to deny it Nobody
would believe you"
you're cool hand, Pony. l ad-
mire your cheek. Still, you've got some
silly elements in you"
"Oh, you mean my trying to reform
you? Don't make any mistake about
that II is Mellish's idea, not mine.
don't believe in you for moment"
The young man laughed. He reflect
ed for few seconds, then said: "Pll
take your offer. You give me back the
money and 1 will promise never to
gamble again in any shape or form"
You will re turn the cash to the
bank, if you took il from there?"
Certainly. l will put it back the
first thing on Monday morning"
"Then here is your pile" said
Rowell, handing him the roll of bills.
Forme took it eagerly and, sta ndinG
where the light struck down upon him,
counted the bills, while Rowell looked
on silently with a cynical smile on his
lips.
Thank YOU" said the young man
you're good fellow, Rowell."
I'm obliged for your good opinion
1 hope you found the money correct?'
quite right" said Forme, flushing
a little. 81 hope you did not mind my
counting it. Merely business habit
you know"
"Well stick to business habits, Mr.
Forme. Good night"
Rowe II walked briskly back to Mel
lishs. Forme walked toward tn
depot and found that there was trail
for Chicago at four in the morning
He had one clear day and part o
another before he was missed, and q
it turned out all trace of him was los
in the big city The bank found abou
six thousand dollars missing. Tw
years after, news came that Form
had been shot dead in a gambling he
in southern Texas.
"We are two frst-class FOOLS" sal
Rowell to Mellish, "and for one don
feel proud of the episode, so we'll sa
nothing more about it."-Luke SHARP
in Detroit Free Press.