The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-22

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other three have been withdraWn-has
an exactly even chance with the estab-
lishment. AbstraCtly, that is true. and
as gam biers are men Of abs fractions they
cannot be charged with faisehood But
above and beyond all this percentage are
uncalculated factors that initiate against
the PLAYER He has TO do the guessing
He has 10 decide whether the card that
he is backing will be drawn trst or Sec
ond from the box. But far beyond all
that is the temperament OF the PLAYER.
II makes little difference whether he be
intoxicated or sober if the mas passion 10
win develop during bis play-and it often
comes like an attack of epilepsy or his
teria-he will not stop with a rea-
sonable winning, or be satisfied to
| accept reasonable loss. II behind the
game he will plunge and play recklessly
to regain his losses; il fortunate enOuch
to win moderately he is uusatisfed and
determined to crush the Camlling bust
ness by desroiling the proprietor of every
dollar he possesses. This is especially
true of roulette, faro and treute-et-quar-
ante In poker the player has time to
reason and to mentally discuss the proba-
biiities regarding the strength of the
hands out against him. 1t is unquSstion-
ably the safest game that can be PLAYED
for money, if the limit be small and un-
altera Die.
Somebody made the suggestion that the
limit be abolished. | was glad that the
suggestion was acceded to by the two
other players. l had discarded two kings.
so there could not be four kings against
me, and the probabilities of Jour aces or
four queens being ''out" We're very slight.
When, therefore, the player on my left
raised nay last raise 500, instead of IS, l
was mentally delighted. l was even more
| glad when the original ''opener" made it
Ill 4 49,
I me, and pushed them into the center of
| the table. Then, taking all the money
had in my pocket, l counted it out to the
extent of $3.50, and raised the pot that
amount. The next moment | asked Whit
! ney to ring the bell, telling him when the
waiter appeared to ask the clerk in the
hotel to come to the room at once.
wanted more money, and, as it seemed
TO me that l was taking very little risk,
had decided to borrow the firms cash in
my possession.
That was embezzlement! I know YOU
will say SO, and see it all clearly now
but at that moment my dying mother
| could not have convinced me: In my ex-
element l forgot that / had marked the
amount of money upon the outside of the
| envelope, as required by the illinois law,
in order that the liability Of the hotel pro-
prietor may be fixed, and that knowl-
edge of the exact extent of my finances
might enable my opponents, if they had
money enough between them, to freeze"
me out by continually "rasing" me until
could not put up" The hotel clerk
responded with surprising alacrity, and
returned with the precious envelope in a
few moments. After placing it carefully
in my hands the clerk left the room
without apparently recognizing any of
my companions.
My two opponents had exercised I'M
usual elaboration during the incident
with the hotel clerk and it was not until
his departure that the man on my left
saw my two hundred and fifty ''raise"
and the hundred of the other player,
making three hundred and fifty in all
after which he added five crisp one
hundred dollar bills to he stake. felt
cold perspiratien on my temple, and
realized that l was in a desperate pre-
dicament.
Mine are just as good as they were"
remarked number four, as he counted out
twelve hundred and fifty dollars in salts
faction of the two "raises" and his FIVE
hundred dollar addition to the stake.
looked into my hand carefully. None
Of the jacks had got away from me 1
thought the situation all over again. The
possibility of straight flush in the hand
of the man to my right froze the marrow
in my bones.
What could dol
1t is well enough for you to say that 1
still could have retired with a compare
lively small loss and remained an honest
man; but you do not comprehend the
power of the passion that controlled me-
a passion that sways the mind of any
amateur at such crisis of his life OF
course, my companions knew that | would
not stop with the roll Of bills in my pocket
they had seen me take from the bullying
envelope
1t cost me 81 900 to "call" but did so.
To my surprise the man on my left
"saw" the $50U-raise of his opponent, and
added another thousand to it.
Number Four, without an instant's hes
itation, raised back the pot 81 200.
| then knew that | had lover bet" my
hand, but was ''inn too far to withdraw.
L had already embezzled 81 200 of the
company's company, and ruin stared me
in the face.
saw the s., 900 as promptly as pos
sible, fortunately counting the money in
my lap. That made So, 900 of the money
committed to my care by men who i'm
plicitly trusted me.
On the back of the envelope had been
written in figures 1890 But to my
amazement | fonnd that after l had again
called" with the $1,000, quite quantity
of bills remained on my knee | had
AhuuO a hilobdhC wien up bu0
money. certainly had. Fully So, 900 in
good bills yet remained.
had utterly forgotten large payment
made me at Milwaukee on that very
merging.
While this discovery was engaging my
attention, the man on my right. who
seemed very nearly out of money, saw
the thousand dollar raise, and added ex-
actly $3.50 thereto.
This was an eye-opener to me. II
showed that this player was in possession
of the supposed amount of my stake. |
knew exactly what to expect next, and it
came like volley from a mitraileuse.
With CLEAN of triumph in his eye,
Number -Four saw" the $3.50 "raise," and
added:
II lift it a thousand"
Here is where the catastrophe was to
have occurred The player on my left
was obviously broken, - and showed every
indica ton of an intention to ''lay down.
his cards My friend Whitney was
ACCESSIBILITY realizing that I had been
saw bucked" by the two men. acting in
collusion He was frantically going
through his clothes in the hope of being
able TO lend me enough money to "call"
for the third time. But could see by his
face that he was hopeless ! detected a
CLEAN of sarcastic mirth on the face of
the dealer. IL was only By an effort that
/ swallowed the lump in my throat, looked