Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-02-20
CUB M'LEAN.

CUB M'LEAN.
OF course no one will believe me when
say that Mellish was in every respect except
one an exemplary citizen and good heart
ed man. He was generous to fault, and
he gave many a young fellow start in life
where a little money or few encourag
ing words were needed. Hedrank of course
but he was connoisseur in liquors, and a
connoisseur never goes in for excess. Few
could tell humorous story as well as
Mellish, and he seldom dealt in chestnuts
No man can be wholly bad who never in
Aicts an old story on his friends, locating it
on some acquaintance OF his and alleging
that it occurred the day before.
If I wished to write heart rending arti
Gle on the evils of gam bling, Mellish would
be the man would go to for my facts and
for the moral of the tale. He spent his life
persuading people not to gamble. He never
gambled himself, he said. But IL no atten-
ton was paid to his advice, why, then he
| furnished gamblers with the most secluded
and luxurious gambling rooms in the city
1t was supposed that Mellish stood in with
the police, which was of course libel. The
idea of the guardians of the city standing in
with gambler or gambling housed
The statement was absurd on the face Of
It. If you asked any policeman in the city
where Mellish's gambling rooms were you
would speedily learn that not one of them
had ever even heard of the place. All this
goes to show how scandalously people will
talk, and if Mellish's rooms were free from
raids, it was merely Mellish's good luck,
that was all. Anyhow, in Mellish's rooms
you could have quiet, gentlemanly game
for stakes about as high as you cared to go,
and you were reasonably sure there would
be no fuss, and that your name would not
appear in the papers next morning.
One night as Mellish cast his eye around
his we'll filed main room he noticed a
stranger sitting at the roulette table. Mel
lish had keen eye for strangers, and in an
unobtrusive way generally managed to find
out something about them. A stranger in a
gambling room brings in with him a certain
sense of danger to the habitues.
"Who is that boyi" whispered Mellish to
his bartender, generally known as Softly,
an ex-prizefghter and dangerous man to
handle If it came to trouble Things rarely
came to trouble there, but Softly was, in a
measure, the silent symbol of physical force,
backing the we'll known mild morality Of
Mellish.
II don't know him." answered Softly.
Whom did he come in WITH"
Il didn't see him come in. Hadn't no.
ticed him till now"
Mellish looked at the boy for q few min
utes He had the fresh, healthy, smooth
face of lad from the country, and he
seemed strangely out of place in the heated
atmosphere of that room under the glare Of
the gas Mellish sighed as he looked at
him, then he turned to Softly and said;
Just get him away quietly and bring
him to the small poker room. want to
have few words with him."
Sctty, who had the utmost contempt for
the humanitarian feelings of his boss, said
nothing. but look of disdain swept over
his horid features as he went on his mis-
sion. If he had his way, he would not
throw even sprat out of the net. Many a
time he had known Mellish to persuade q
youngster with more money than brains to
go home, giving orders at the double doors
that he was not to be admitted again.
The young man rose with look of some
thing like CONSERVATION on his face and fob
lowed Softly. The thing was done quietly,
and all those around the tables were 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 placef"
II guess" said the lad, with an express
sion of resentment, Pm old enough to go
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 some
one known at the door. Who vouched for
your"
See here Mr.. Mellish," said the youth
sngrily, what are you driving atf If your
doorkeepers don't know their own bust
ness why don't you speak to them about
it, Are you going to have me turned out?"
Nothing of the sort" said Mellish sooth.
ingly, putting his hand in fatherly man
ner on the young fellows shoulder. Don't
mistake my meaning The fact that you
are here shows that you have right to be
here. Well say no more about that But
you take my advice and quit the business
here and now. was a gambler before you
were born, although | don't gamble any
more. Take the advice of man who knows,
1t doesn't pay"
ut seems to have paid you reasonably
we'll"
"Oh, don't complain. 1t has its ups
and downs like all businesses Still, it
doesn't pay me nearly as well as perhaps
you think, and you can take my word that
in the long run it won't pay you at all
How much money have you got?"
Enough to pay if lose," said the boy
impudently. Then seeing the look of pain
that passed over Mellish's face he added
more civilly:
II have three or four hundred dollars"
well, take my advice and 90 home.
You'll be just that much better off in the
morning"