Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-08-11


flush over his four aces"
He got up and went out. In few
minutes he returned with a long leather
pocketbook fat with papers. Looking
through it, he selected one and held the
superscription up for me to read. It
was the generals peculiar bold hand.
DO you know that writing?"
Never saw anything like it before"
What a splendid liarl On Gen.
Heath's staff and don't know his hand.
writingl"
He opened the letter and held 1t be-
fore my eyes. If 1t was not what Mai.
Berante claimed-the acceptance of a
proposition to turn over command for
gain-I could not read Alright. Never
In my life have had occasion to use
SO much effort in masking my feelings.
Are you convinced?" asked Mai.
Berante.
NO"
He exposed his white pointed teeth
In derisive smile.
Take him away" he said to the
guard.
any OIueTS ABOUT MIN q
mo; he'll go south with the others
Tomorrow"
AS was leaving, asked: "Will you
kindly inform me, major, the cause of
your interest in this matter of Gen.
Heath's?"
Gen. Heath will tell you. Ask him
It he remembers the casemate at Fort
-"
Icoyeted the letter he had shown
me. Innocent OF guilty, was inter-
ested deeply in my general, and with
that letter in my possession at least
one point of evidence against him
would be cancelled. / caught at a
straw, or rather my intuitions served
me. Berante was plainly of Spanish
extraction, and there never was Span
lard who was not a gambler. He had
used smile that told me he was famil-
lar with the game of poker. Perhaps,
being natural gambler myself, knew
another by instinct.
Major" said, II have trinket that
I would like to play against that finger
ring of yours"
"You impudent boy, what do you
mean?"
II mean that want that ring, and
I am willing to risk an equal value
against it."
"You have nothing to risk. Did you
not get receipt for your effects when
capturedT"
~ did, but l Kept one article"
was accustomed to carry with me,
ingeniously concealed for use in case
l should be captured, fifty-dollar
greenbask. Ripping off a button from
my coat, asked the loan Of the majors
knife. Then, inserting the blade be-
tween the brass covering of the but
ton and its base, l drew forth crum-
pied little ball. Opening it, I showed
my bill.
The majors eye glistened. He could
easily have taken it under pretext of
turning 1t in,'' but l had judged him to
be one OF those men who would make
great pretensions to honor in order to
cover the blacklist dishonor, and for
appearance sake would scorn to rob
me. Besides, IL he could win my
money, he would not be accountable to
anyone for it. My Judgment was cor
rect. A dirty pack of cards was pro-
duced, and, with the guard looking on,
we sat down at a table, to play my
fifty dollars against the majors ring;
the game to be euchre, the best four
games in seven to win.
Berante won the first two games,
the second two. He scored the fifth,
the sixth, which left US the deciding
game to play. The major won two
points, forcing me to win three in sue
eession. The cards ran well for me,
and scored two. The next hand was
dealt by Berante. Happening to
glance at the staked ring on his finger
as he dealt the cards, saw him turn
jack" that is, having, in shutting,
placed knava on the bottom of the
pack, he dexterously turned 1t for the
trump card. 1t would have been a
case of wolf and lamb" to notice the
irregularity, and said nothing.
However, having peculiar hand that
had learned to play in peculiar
way, scored point and my oppon-
ent's ring at the same time. He took
it off his finger and handed it to me.
rose to go.
wait bit" he said, feeling in his
pockets and drawing out two ten dol
lar confederate bills. 1T must have
that ring back. It's keepsake"
"Not against two confederate tens"
said, except on compulsion. And /
am sure you would not use compul-
sion, major"
Don't insult me, sir, by intimating
| such course
"Ill tell you what I'll do; I'll stake
the ring and the bill against the letter
you showed me-"
| The major smiled, sardonic Mephis-
! tophelean smile, and assented. He
laid the letter on the table; beside it ]
placed the ring and the bill. AS be-
| fore, the games were seven, four win
ming. The major won three straight
games, and it was easy to see that
turning jack" was not the only tricl,
at cards he knew how to practice.
And now am obliged to own to a
misdemeanor which, Notwithstanding
the palliating circumstances, blush at
confessing. My interest in cards had
led me to become expert at certain de-
vices employed by professional gam.
blers, though, in Justice to myself,
must say that. except for innocent
amusement, l had no use for them. ]
must now confess to one exception
| My desire to get possession of the in.
eliminating letter overbore the re.