The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-03-07
NO. 80.
WHY He Swore on.

Hng AAO 0WoAC OAs
"No," said the old drummer,
fiercely, to Free Pres reporter,
I"I play no games Of chance any
more, not even the simplest kind,
for money"
"won't you pitch pennies2" per-
sisted his companion.
aThat least of al" }" he said. visibly
affected.
"Why not2' asked the other.
"Do you see this dollar2" he said,
taking cart wheel from his pocket.
"well. thereby hangs a tale. Lis
ten: Ten years ago was, and had
been for five years, travelling for a
big diamond importing house in
New York, and as usual l carried
with me large number of gems,
often having as much as fifty thous-
and dollars worth. One day four
of US all in the same line met in
Denver and that evening we were
drinking and matching dollars in
my room. 1t was hobby of mine,
as it was one of the other men,
Frank p, who was as inveterate
hatcher as ever the late John T.
Raymond was. Well, we drank
and matched, and kept at it until
we began to toss up Eve dollars a
toss, aud the other two soon backed
out and watched us. l guess we
were both pretty drunk, for before
1 knew it we had made a pot of a
hundred dollars, and were tossing
best two in three for it. lost and
lost again, and then, having no
more money, 1 put up a diamond
against his pile. 1 lost that, too,
and then put up two against his
money and what had been my dia-
mond, and that time l won.
think we were booth half crazy
now, for Frank pulled out one of
the pocket books from the inside of
his vest and laid it open on the ta-
BILE, and asked me angrily if dared
TO match it. OF course 1 dared, and
dared more. 1 put down beside
it all mine, valued at wholesale
rates at $50, 900, and he emptied his
other vest pocket to an equal sum.
Our two friends tried to stop us, but
we were wild, and would listen to
nothing. Frank threw first, and 1
called "tails." 1t came 'sheads." 1t
made me shiver. Then I threw
"heads" and he called "tails," and
we were even. 1 don't know how
felt as he picked up the dollar,
and l looked at those glittering
gems, for / don't know anything
clearly, though had a vague idea
that some one would be ruined for
ever on the next throw. Frank
tossed the dollar to the ceiling, and
called "heads." 1t struck tho
floor and rolled over toward the
register. All four of us made a
rush for it, and Frank fell headIong.
The dollar had dropped through
the grating, and was lying on the
closed shutters of the register, just
below.
"Get match" almost shrieked.
L stepped back, and my foot
struck Frank. He did not move.
1 bent down and shook him. He
was still. 1 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
the blood was gushing from his
mouth. He had died in an instant.
The three were sober men in a Sec
ond, and at once alarmed the land-
lord and sent for a physician, but
he might as well not have come.
He told us death had been instan-
taneous. 1 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 Franks body"
@How about the dollar in the reg
ister2" asked the listener. "Who
wonP"
@oh," said the old drummer, with
a start, 81 almost forgot that part of
it. I never thought of that dollar
till just before we left, and going
back fshed it out and put it in my
pocket, and this is it. 1t was
heads"
mo wonder you don't gamble
any more" exclaimed the listener,
with sigh of relief "Let's go and
take drink as a forgotten"
"And 1 dont't drink any more,
either" said the old drummer, very
quietly.