The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-26

Jack although that was not his name.
A few weeks before he had run across
the town mentioned and had been in
troduced into it's best society by local
surgeon, whom he had met on the
train.
Now Mcdonald had an excellent
education and was a very smooth cit-
zen. The consequence was that he
made a hit in local society, and was 50
well liked by the men that they made
him an honorary member OF the local
poker club. This poker club was the
most important organization in town,
and every man of consequence in the
place belonged to NJ. Mcdonald sized
IL up for a good thing right away, and.
being alone and almost dead broke at
the time. resolved to do nothing with
IL until he was little better prepared.
With the instinct of true gambler, he
hated to spoil a good thing. So, pos
ing as a man of quiet tastes, he lin
gered as a guest of the surgeon for
week, and then went on to Chicago,
lost what little he had left and met his
equally unfortunate acquaintance.
1T wasn't many minutes before the
acquaintance was in possession of all
the facts about the good thing. and the
two had their heads together planning
way OF getting enough money to take
them to the town, which We will call
w. Mcdonald reckoned that If he
could get his trunk away from the
boarding house. and could raise enough
money to get both to w. all would be
well. He was satisfied that the good
impression he had made on his first
visit would be good for a few dollars.
anyhow, to say nothing of a vast
amount of confidence in himself and in
anybody he cared to introduce into W
society.
We'll. to skip details. Mcdonald got
III
landlady was obdurate , packed some
clothes in a grip and the two started
for Won a singel s. bill that McDon-
aid had raised by pawning his spring
overcoat. On reaching the town they
went right to the hotel and engaged
suite of rooms.
THE surgeon who had been notified
by Mcdonald of their arrival. called
around before long, and other conspic-
uous citizens who had met Mcdonald
on his former visit dropped in, too, un-
til the hotel proprietor made up his
mind that his guests must be people of
some consequence. And you can bet
that Mcdonald didn't lose n chance to
impress him, either. That was a part
of his scheme, and IL was necessary to
inspire such confidence. too. for but one
single dollar remained of that five spot.
Mcdonald having taken the precaution
to purchase return tickets. Well. sir,
for two days those fellows sported il
on that dollar.
They kept away from the poker club.
but all the time they had their eyes
open. Mcdonald had a scheme for
fleeing the members. but IL would
take patience to carry il out, and he
didn't mean to spoil 1T by too much
haste. He knew from the start that
any funny tricks with the cards or a
cooperative game with his companion
xHynrI ha Aar h. ,R
were not fools, and Mcdonald was wise
enough to see it, His scheme was a
deeper one. 1t was nothing more or
less than to work marked cards on the
poker club, but the point was how to
do this without exciting suspicion. He
made up his mind that the Gibbs own
cards must be marked. and he knew
that If he could get at them he could
mark them so the job would never be
detected. AS everybody knows, cards
are marked by systems, and McDouald
was the most perfect marker / ever
knew. The point with him, then, was
to find out where the club purchased
their cards, and by the second day he
knew. They were supplied at a near
by drug store, and a little cautious in
quiry revealed to Mcdonald the inter-
esting fact that the club purchased
them half dozen packs at a time.
The next move was the hardest one
OF all. 1t was to raise money enough
to go into the poker game which was
heavy one, and there was only one
way TO get II, and that was from the
affable surgeon. Well, he was worked
for hundred, mere loan, of course
to tide Mcdonald over an embarrass-
ment caused by the nonarrival of ex-
pected remittances. Six dollars went
in purchasing from the druggist a box
containing a dozen packs of cards. and
oil hnf tnrlN III
Ing them. After each pack was mark
ed IL was carefully wrapped up and
sealed in its paper covering again, and
when the dozen were completed, they
were put back in the box again. and in
the morning Jack carried them back to
the druggist and sold them all back to
him for 50, explaining his act by say
ing that he had intended giving pro-
gressive euchre party, but that a death
in the family had necessitated its in
definite postponement The druggist
chuckled to himself over the SO clear
profit, and took back the cards.
THAT night Mcdonald and Jack
yielder TO the persuasions of the officers
and members of the poker club and sat
in the game. For two nights IL was a
fair and square game, and Mcdonald
and Jack, play as careful as they
would, lost most all of their capital
On the third night IL got to be a case
of do or die. and Mcdonald just prayed
for his marked cards to turn up. Two
decks were used and then a third was
opened, and imagine the delight of the
two crooks when they saw IL was one
of the packs that Mcdonald had work
ed over so carefully. They just came
in time. too, for between them the two
only had about $40 left
wei, IL isn't necessary to tell what
followed. Suffice II to say that the two
won all the money in the town. That
dozen decks of cards lasted FIVE nights
and you can bet the two didn't lose a
second at the table When an unmark-
ed deck came in sight Mcdonald con-
cluded that the game was over FOR
him. He had a telegram from New
York calling him away and. with a
hasty farewell, he paid the surgeon his
hundred, settled his hotel bill. and