Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-05-12
CUB M'LEAN.

I'd He was generous to a fault, and
ne gave many IA young fellow a start in life
where a little money or a few encourag.
ng words were needed. Hedrank of course,
out he was a connoisseur in liquors, and a
,onnoisseur never goes in for excess. Few
could tell a humorous story as well as
Mellish, and he seldom dealt in chestnuts.
No man can be wholly bad who never in
1icts an old story on his friends, locating it
N some acquaintance of his and alleging
hat it occurred the day before.
If | wished to write a heart rending arti-
lie on the evils of gambling, Mellish would
We the man | would go to for my facts and
or the moral of the tale. He spent his life
oersuading people not to gamble. He never
yambled himself, he said. But if no atten-
ion was paid to his advice, why, then he
furnished gamblers with the most secluded
IND luxurious gambling roomsi in the city.
It was supposed that Mellish stood in with
The police, which was of course a libel. The
dea of the guardians of the city standing in
with a gambler or a gambling housed
The statement was absurd on the face of
t. If you asked any policeman in the city
where Mellish's gambling rooms were you
would speedily learn hat not one of them
lad ever even heard of the place. All this
goes to show how scandalously people will
,alk, and if Mellish's rooms were free from
aids, it was merely Mellish's good luck,
hat was all. Anyhow, in Mellish's rooms
you could have a quiet, gentlemanly game
'or stakes about as high as you cared to go,
and you were reasonably sure there would
De no fuss, and that your name o not
appear in the papers next morning.
One night as Mellish cast his eye around
MS well filled main room he noticed a
stranger sitting at the roulette table. Mel
fish had a keen eye for strangers, m in an
lnobtrusive way generally managed to find
)ut something about them. A stranger in IA
gambling room brings in with him a certain
sense of danger to the habitues
who is that boy?" whispered Mellish to
his bartender, generally known as Sotty,
IN ex-prizeighter and a dangerous man to
handle if it came to trouble. Things rarely
anne to trouble there, but Softly was, in a
measure, the silent symbol of physical force,
packing the well known mild morality Of
Mellish.
Il don't know him." answered Softly.
Whom did he come in WITH"
II didn't see him come in. Hadn't no
iced him till now"
Mellish looked ut the boy for n few min
ties. He had the fresh, healthy, smooth
lace of a lad from the country, and he
seemed strangely out of place in the heated
atmosphere of that room under the glare of
he gas. Mellish sighed as he looked at
aim, then he turned to Softly and said:
Just get him away quietly and bring
him to the small poker room. | want to
nave n few words with him."
Softly, who had the utmost contempt for
he humanitarian feelings of his boss, said
nothing, but a look of disdain swept over
his ford features as he went on his mis-
sion. If he had his way, he would not
throw even a sprat out of the net. Many IA
lime he had known Mellish to persuade a
youngster with more money than brains to
go home, giving orders at the double doors
hat he was not to be admitted again.
The young man rose with IL look of some
thing like CONSERVATION on his face and fol
owed Sotty. The thing was done quietly,
and all those around the tables We're too
much absorbed in the game to pay much
attention. Look here, my boy" said Mel
fish when they were alone, who brought
you to this placer"
II guess" said the lad, with an expires
sion of resentment, Pm old enough to &c
where | like without being brought"
"Oh, certainly, certainly" said Mellish
automatically, knowing how much very
young men dislike being accused of youth,
but ! like to know all visitors here. You
couldn't get in unless you came with SOM
one known at the door. Who vouched fol-
your"
See here, Mr.. Mellish,' said the youth
mgrily, what are you driving at5 If youl
loorkeepers don't know their w bust
,ess, why don't you speak to them about
u Are you going to have me turned out?'
Nothing Of the sort" said Mellish sooth
ngly. putting his hand in II fatherly man
ner on the young fellows shoulder. Don't
mistake my meaning. The fact that yot
are here shows that you have a right to b,
here. Well say no more about that. But
you take my advice and quit the business
here and now | was Il gambler before yoI
were born, although | don't gamble any
more. Takethe advice of IA man who knows
1t doesn't pay"
1T seems to have paid you reasonably
we'll"
"Oh, ] don't complain 1t has its up
and downs like all businesses. Still, i
doesn't pay me nearly as well as pCrhapi
you think, and you can take my word thai
in the long run it won't pay you at all
How much money have you got?"
Enough to pay if | lose said the DO,
impudently. Then seeing the look of pain
that passed over Mellish's face he adde,
more civilly;
81 have three or four hundred dollars
well, take my advice and go home
You'll be just that much better off in til,
horning."
What Don't you play IA square gam,
herey"
"Of course we play "A square game here,
answered Meilish, with Indignation. ID.
you think I'm a card sharper"
You seem so cocksure I'll lose my none,
Nat | was just wondering. Now, | can al
ford to lose all the money I've got and no
feel it. Are you going to allow me to pla,
= or are you going to chuck me outi"
!. "Oh, you can play if you want to. Blu
do not come whining to me when you lose
I've warned you"
Ppm not a wilmer" said the young fel
low. "Pl take my medicine like a man."
Right you ara" said Mellish, with
sigh. He realized hat this fellow, younI
as he looked, waA Aobs'dy deeper in vic