The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-08-12

and then a cog slips and a financial
cyclone strikes you before you know
where you are. As young Forrne left
the table he felt hand on his shoulder,
and looking around met the impassive
gaze of Pony Rowell.
You're young at the business, /
see." said the professional, quietly.
"Why do you think that?" asked the
youngstcr, coloring, for one likes to be
taken for a veteran, especially when
one is an amateur
because you fool away your time
at roulette. That is game for boys
and women. Have you nerve enough
to play Il real game?"
''What do you call real gamc?"
"A game with cards in private
room for something bigger than half
dollar points,"
"How big?"
How much capital can you commando"
The cashier hesitated for a moment
and his eyes foil from the steady light
of Rowelrs, which seemed to have an
uncomfortable habit of looking into
ones Utmost soul.
81 can bring one thousand dollars
here on Saturday night"
"All right. That will do as starter.
Is it an appointment then?"
Eyes, if You ike. What time?"
II generally get here pretty late, but
l can make an exception in your case.
What do you say to ten o'clock?"
THAT will suit me-"
Every well, then. Don't fool away
| any of your money or nerve until l
come. You will need all you have of
| both"
Tho professional gambler and the
amateur began their series of games a
few minutes after ten in little pri-
vate room. The younger man became
more and more excited as the play
went on. AS for Pony. he was cool
under any circumstances. Before an
hour had passed the one thousand dol
lars was transferred from the posses
sion of Forme into the pockets of the
professional and by midnight the
younger man was another one thou
1T isn't my practice" said Rowell,
slowly, ito play with man unless he
has the money in sight I've made an
exception in your case, as luck was
against You, but think this has gone
far enough. You may bring me the
| one thousand dollars you owe any day
next week. No particular hurry, you
know"
The young fellow appeared to be
dazed. He drew his hand across his
brow and then said mechanically, as
if he had just heard his opponents re-
mark:
mo hurry? All right Next week.
Certainly. guess I'll go home now"
Forme went out, leaving Rowell idly
shutting the cards at the small table.
The moment the young man had dis
appeared all Rowells Incidence van
ished. lie sprapg up and put on his
ovcrcoat, then slipped out by the rear
exit into the alley. He had made mp
his mind what Forme would do Men.
tally he tracked him from the gam
bling rooms to the river and he even
went so far as to believe he would take
certain streets on his way thither A
| gambler is nothing if not superstitious
and so Rowell was not in the least
surprised when he saw the young man
emerge from the dark stairway, hest
| tate for moment between the two d.
| rections open TO him, and finally choose
the one that the gambler expected him
to take. The cold streets were de-
serted and so Rowell had moro diff
ficulty in following his late victim un-
perceived than he would have had
earlier in the evening. Several times
the older man thought the pursued had
become aware of the pursuit, for Forme
stopped and looked around him; once
coming back and taking another street
as if trying to double on whoever was
following him.
Rowell began to realize the difficulty
of the task he had set for himself, and
as he had never had any faith in it any
how, he began to feel uncomfortable
and to curse the tender heart of Mel.
lish. If the youngster got the idea
into his head that he was followed he
might succeed in giving his pursuer
the slip, and then Rowell would find
himself with the FOOLS death on his
conscience, and what was to him in.
finltely worse, with thousand dollars
in his pocket that had been unfairly
won. This thought made him curse
Mellish airesh. 1t had been entirely
against his own will that he had played
with marked cards, but Mellish had In
sisted that they should take no chances,
and the veteran knew too well the un-
certainties of playing fair game
where a great object lesson was to be
taught. 1t would make them look like
two fools, Mellish had said, if Forme won
the money. In answer to this Rowell
had remarked that they were two fools,
anyhow, but he had finally succumbed
to Mellish as the whole scheme was
Mellish's AS Rowell thought bitterly
of these things his attention was di.