St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-05
he proprietor got back his 5000 sew.

eral times over"
The company seemed to think this an
even better story than the other. Then
Abe Smith cleared his throat, as he
always does when he has some very i'm
pIeSslve announcement to make.
No Playing on Wind.
"I'll tell you a story where the boot
was on the other Leg" said he. ga
friend and myself went into the famous
S1S in the days of its glory. We soon
lost every cent that we had. My friend
went to the sideboard and took big
drink of whiskey. 1t appeared to make
him reckless. He sauptered back to the
table with'a desperate air.
f".Five dollars on the red,' he cried.
Il looked on aghast. knowing that he
was broke. Round sprung the wheel.
AS luck would have it red turned up.
1.-The IS soon increased to $50. At
last my friend had 500 in front of
him..
"'Cash the pile,' he said, handing it
over
1.-The croupier was about to obey. But
up stepped one of the bosses.
a"1 beg your pardon, he said,
suavely; but would you mind telling
n.e whether you have So in your pocket?
My friend turned white with anger
and modification. WHATS that to you?
he said at last.
"A good deal. If you haven't s. you
can't claim these chips. because you had
no right to bet. If you had lost you
couldn't have paid. You can't play on
wind here
but would have sent it around
next day
Excuse me again. said the boss
politely, but firmly. Il don't doubt you
would. But you are a stranger here,
and it's the rule of the establishment
never to trust man unless we know
him very well. If you had acknowl-
edged that you were broke we wouldn't
have let you bet the five. You can't
claim the money unless you can show q
five.'
But l had my watch
We don't do a pawnbroking bust
ness here. We wouldn't have accepted
your watch for the five. Pm sorry, but
we will keep the money
There was big sensation in the
crowd. Everybody began talking at
once. Some sided with the proprietor,
others with my friend. But the upshot
of the matter was that we left the money
behind US.
IL wouldn't have done it," said the
colonel, banging his fist fiercely on the
Inquiries was when the bet was made.
After they had once paid over the origi-
nal five they had no right to any further
protest"
And all the others sided with the
colonel. When every one had expressed
his opinion a fourth man had all eX-
perience to narrate.
And Twenty Never Came.
"Some months ago." he said, 81 went
into Days. My usual play is to bet on
single number straight along until it
turns up, or | am broke. chose No. 20
and followed it up. 1t lost. lost, lost.
For an hour and aquarter that pesky
number wouldn't turn up. All the num-
beers around it'll. 10. 81, 23-came up
with astonishing persistence. But 20
was Obstinately recalcitrant. AT the end
of the time | was withot dollar. As
| left the table and turned to 20 friend
sitting at the faro table hailed.
Do you want any money? he said.
Ten dollars, twenty dollarS?'
NO replied firmly, I've lost all |
intend TO LOSE and thanking him l
walked out.
II got out in the cold air and walked
up Broadway. At Thirty-third street l
stopped. Some influence that | couldn't
resist seemed to possess Inc. An inner
voice kept repeating to me, Twenty
must turn up soon. Borrow from your
friend and play it, | shook off the in
fiuence. But twice more L was arrested
iii the same way. Finally l said to my
self:
"'WelI, the Lord called Samuel three
times, and then he obeyed. SO will |. [
will 90 back and l turned around. As
L walked [ grew holder. Twenty will
turn up said. My friend had offered
me so. Another lucky augury. 'rll
borrow the twenty and I'll Dlay So on
each turn of the wheel for four turns.
If win Pll be all right. If l lose, no.
matter
"By this time l had reached Days
again. AS l rang the bell and stood in
the vestibule my determination in
creased. But the moment the door
opened l began to weaken.
- won't bet s. at time | said;
I'll bet dollar. The twenty will last
longer
My friend smiled as 1 entered the
room. and without saving word
handed me out four s. chips from his
pile. Again the strange impulse came
over me. Bet the Iive,' said the voice.
| marched up to the table feeling
nerved aud resolved. But when |
reached it L once more faltered. | fin
gered one of the chips neTvously. Then
L handed it to the croupier.
"'Glve Inc CHANGE | said in husky
voice.
He gave me ten fifty-cent chips.
took out two. My fingers trembled. |
laid on the number not two chips, but
only one.
Twenty Black!
A moment later the croupier sang
ont sHWpntV black I could hoya
kicked myself all over the block Now
the spells broken thought. Twenty
will never come up again. l played
one chip on thirty-six. Up comes
twenty again. set my teeth and
cursed. Again | played thirty six.
Again twenty was the lucky number. l
was absolutely wild. Three runs of
twenty said TO myself, writhing in
secret agony. But it won't turn again
now Down went another chip on
thirty-six. And would you believe it,
for the fourth time twenty turned up?
Here said | to the croupiler, cash
my chips; Pm going homer"
And did twenty turn up again?''
asked the colonel.
No, it stopped at the fourth time.
But suppose had done as l had first
intended. Suppose | had taken the
four fveS and played them one after
another on twenty?"
The colonel made rapid calculation.
you'd have been just $3.50 ahead,'
he said gravely.
Yes, instead of that [ won only a
beggarly $3.50, not oue-fourth of what
| had previously lost. paid back my
friend and, with the $3.50 in my pocket
and heavy heart in my breast, L went
home"