The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1894-12-01
USEFUL OPPONENT.

My husband was Il gambler, q mem.
Der of a prominent club. Night after
night 1 was left alone, while he pur.
! sued his calling at the club, presum-
eddy a gentleman, yet only intent upon
winning the money of his acquaint-
ances.
Time after time I had urged him to
| give up his despicable business but he
turned my entreaties aside by offering
excuses which were not at all satisfac-
tory.
"We live WE'LL he said, "and l need
money to pay expenses. You are
well aware that when I married you l
had no visible mean Of support, al
though your parents were laboring I'M
! der the most delightful delusion that
I was ain %illionaire md acntch In the
matrimonial market worth more than
passing attention. Therefore, when it
came to setting up a house | had to
| make some money. And money ]
made by playing cards, which is easy
enough when you know"
A peculiar expression fitted across
his face and settled there.
When you know how I suppose
you were going to say" I remarked,
wondering why a sentence should have
| been begun only to be left unfinished.
EYES," he answered, sin all games
| which combine chance with skill, the
skill is bound to tell in the long run.
With a cool hand and u level head the
odds r in your favor, especially when
you are playing against men with
v,fnpa tnnnop fhon hroinS Qn6 nn1n,s nf
whisky than soda.
my luck as you have good easOn
to know has been phenomenal. 1t ac-
counts for the horses you drive; 1t
accounts for this luxurious furniture;
1t accounts for my balance at the
bank. It has enabled me to keep you
In the best society, in the fashionable
circles which surrounded you when
you were born-destined to marry n
Standard Oil millionaire, or the son
Of a Sugar Trust Senator, at least,
If it had not been for the. penniless
%adventurer who made such capital out
Of his good looks and charming man.
nerS-"
Good looks and charming manners,
indeed" I said, humping him on the
shoulder. "Well, go on"
THAT'S ALL" he said.
"Well, and what is there to prevent
you from leaving off now without
tempting Providence any farther?"
coed gracious =, child" he said,
quite angrily, don't you see2 The
men In the club expect at least a
chance Of getting some Of their money
back. They"
II don't see the good Of winning at
all if you feel bound to go on playing
till you lose"
4 don't intend to lose," he said,
quietly. winning back lost money
Is the most expensive game a gambler
plays. 1t makes him demoralized and
reckless. Besides, people grow sus-
picious of q mar who gives UP play
before play gives him up. Society
would have nothing to do with US
were the ghost Of a suspicion cast on
my honesty by some evil minded tellcw
at the club. The loss of s~ociety's smile
would be nothing to me, but to YOU"
Nothing to him, indeed!
Horace"
A neat maid opened the door and
brought in a note on a tray. It is
unusual for notes to arrive at three
o'clock III the morning, but Horace
Linley did not seem In the least sur.
prised.
He took 1t, read it through quickly,
then tore it into fragments, and put
them carefully, very carefully, in the
fire.
He watched the flames leap upon
them, he watched the blackened scraps
of paper curl and break into q thou
sand pieces.
Thank Heaven" he said. Then he
drew a deep breath Of relief.
II shall have to go out for half an
hour" he ,emarked, getting up and
holding out his coat for me to put on.
He turned as he reached the door and
kissed his hand, an unusually serious
expression in his face. Perhaps I
shall manage to take your advice after
all" he said, with a forced attempt to
smile, "only you must give me time"
I sprang to my feet but he was gone.
Then my pent-up feelings found an
outlet, and I cried a little to myself,
wondering at the secret trouble which
was gnawing at my husbands heart,
That look on his face haunted me all
night and for many a long day after.
* y
Laurence Cushmore, my husbands
friend, told me afterward, the end of
the story, although he never guessed
the truth. About a week must have
passed since that nocturnal CONVERSE
ton with my husband, and Cushmore
was landing at the window of the
Nonpariel Club talking with my broth
err Lacy.
We'll, if you don't know who the
fellow is I'm sur nobody else does
he said. Lacy had a reputation for
knowing everybody in the city. II
imagine how he even came to be
elected, or, rather, why we never
blackballed him. There was q time
when We were select at the Nonpariel
Club, at all events"
He played "A confoundedly good
game of cards." said my brother. He
had an intense admiration for any one
who could make money.
80 much the worse,'' said Cush.
more. turning his pockets inside out
with a comic gesture of despair. HE
cleaned me u last night. One does
not mind losing ones money to a fell
like Horace Linley, that lucky
brother-in-law Of yours, but when it
comes to an interloper like this man
Balsam, or whatever the fellows name
is, it-well, you know what | mean.
He's so confoundedly confident about
luck, too. Brags about 1t all the
time. BY Jove,I would give anything
TO see him tieeced-not that ] have
lnuch left that is worth having evcn at