The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07

else so closely as it did him none of us
felt called on to say anything.
Somewhat to our surprise however,
Bradley stayed on for more than week.
1t wasn't his regular business that kept
him, for though we played poker every
night, as a matter of course, in the back
room of the hotel, and though he got into
the game, equally as matter of course,
he didn't make enough out of Ii to make IL
an object to stay. There were some of US
who understood the game and the ordinary
tricks of crooked players as well as he
did, and he was not long in finding out
that he had to play square If he played
at all. So as we never played for big
money. the prospect was a poor one for
him. Still he stayed. After few days we
all. excepting Stein, began to see that he
was staying entirely on Lena's account.
He was bit cautious at first; more so
than she was, but seeing that Stein made
no objection to anything she did, but gave
her a perfectly free foot, the gambler grew
holder and holder, until there was no long
er any possibility of remaining blind to
the fact that a scandal impended. Some of
us talked it over very quietly and care
fully, but it was agreed that no one ought
10 interfere, since Stein did not see fit to
do so.
I'VE had begun to think that Stein was
absolutely Indifferent and to regard him
with considerable contempt, when one
great surprise by his manner of doing it.
1t was early in the evening, and though
we had gathered perhaps a dozen of us
in the card room, we had not yet begun
playing when Stein came in, and, after
fdgetting around for a minute or two in
manner quite unlike his usual phlegmat-
&c way, spoke suddenly to Bradley.
Z" Look here. Bradley, he said in his
broken English, I must settle things
with you. l have talked things with
my wife, Lena, already, and she says
she will go away with you. If she goes
this world is no good to me any more,
and you and l must settle If she goes or
If she stays. I would kill you, but it
would be foolishness to try that, for I
am not q fighting man, and you always
carry your gun. Now, what shall we
do? WIN you go away and leave me my
Lena, or will she go with you?
'The poor Dutchman seemed not to I'M
derstand in the least what an amazing
sort of a speech this was. His voice
trembled with his strong emotion, and
there were tears in his eyes. The rest
of US were struck dumb. l don't know
what the other fellows thought but
know that there came to me a sort of
hungry longing TO organize a tar-and-
feather party, with Dick Bradley as the
principal guest And, despite my con-
temptuous pity for the husband who
showed so little manhood, l made up my
mind that there was going to be fair play,
anyhow
Bradley was fairly staggered. He
flushed and stammered. and, think, was
for a moment about to say that he would
go; but he pulled himself together, and
seemed to remember that as a bad man
he had reputation to sustain, At length
he said:
Its pretty hard to tell what to do.
Stein. ia be willing to fight you for
the woman, If you wanted to do that.
but, as you don't. l suppose she'd better
settle II herself
"'No, said the landlord She Is fool
ish with you now, and she would have
no sense about it. You and will settle
Il now. And what viii you do? VIII
you go away, and leave us?"
Bradley looked around, as If to see
what the crowd thought about 1t, and
perceiving at a glance that our sympa-
thies were all with the other man, he
replied.
"'Wel II you won't fight. supposing
we settle 1t with the cards. I'll play you
a freeze-out, $1,000 against your wife. What
do you say?
~ say no. said Stein again, and we be-
gan almost to respect him. 4 win not
play my wife against your money, but 1
will play you a freeze-out for $1,000, my
money against yours and " you lose. you
will go away. And II | lose / VIII go
away. and she may do what she likes. only
you viii play a square game
"'You bet, by it'll be a squire game,
said Jack Peters, the biggest man, and
the best card player In the party I don't
like your proposition, but that's your bust
ness and not mine. But n you're going
to play. Stein, you may be perfectly sure
that Bradley won't try any crossroads
tricks In this freeze-out.'