Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-08-04
The FitteSt Survives
BY j. Il. CONNOLLY.
CHAPTER XIV.

1N>~ IA v "a 6ohipbhB 9uioohs "a
yet he did not even know which of the
games was faro and which roulette.
The colored servant who had admit
ted and guided him to the parlor went
to a large, red faced man, sitting in a
high chair behind one end OF the
faro table, and whispered a few words
which caused him to look over the
heads of the players at Mr.. Sewall
with a noe and smile of welcome.
The darby, returning TO his place at
the door, reported in a low tone to
the visitor:
Hell be wifi you in a few moments,
sah."
To kill time the young man timidly
approached the table and looked on
at the game. 1t seemed very simple.
When the "deal' was through the
red faced man put a temporary sub
stitute in the high chair, and merely
CHANGING at Chester's note of intro
duction welcomed him with ELUSIVE
cordially.
Come this way, where we can chat
without Interruption" said Mr.. Cof-
ferty, who was the red faced man,
leading the way into n small poker
Dom at one side of the parlor suit.
ihN HoliShNu SdlllblCl - tANNtNihS
affability quite won the young fellow,
who was at heart little more thar a
sensitive boy and really suffering for
lack of a few kind words from some
n who would take even a pretended
interest in him. In a very little while,
with hardly an effort at inquisition
and certainly none hat his subject
was conscious of, Mr.. Cofferty had
possessed himself OF all the salient
points in the young mans short but
vicissitudinous career in the metrop-
oils, except that Chester's pride would
not admit Of his humbling himself to
the extent of telling how really des-
perate was his extremity.
In return Mr.. Cofferty talked a good
deal about local politics in n general
way and was profuse in his promises
to do all in his power for his young
friend, not so much on account of the
boss Introduction as for his own sake.
In n few days, when the commission
er got back TO town,".he would "go TO
the front" and, he hattered himself,
not without accomplishing something
for Mr.. Sewall.
A party OF poker players coming in
to take possession of the room, social
converse necessarily gave way TO bust
ness. Mr. Coffcrty and his visitor re-
turned to the parlor and stood near
the roulette table. The game seemed
to Chester even simpler than the 9TH
or at which he had been looking, and
he said, with a little nervous laugh:
ut almost tempts me to try my
luck or would if | did not feel that it
would be an ungracious thing for me
TO come in as / have and win your
money"
"Oh," responded the old gambler,
with a genial smile, that is what
they all come here for. Have you ever
played?"
Never"
well, I would as a friend advise
you not to begin, only you might
think I was afraid Of your having
beginners luck which is said TO al
ways insure winning. l cannot say
though that | have found the saying
hold good in every instance"
Il believe l will try the expert
ment."
AS you please. If you do, I wish
you luck. But | must ask you to eX-
cuse me now, as | see my partner is
making signs Tor me to return and
take my place. He wants to go out"
Mr.. Cofferty went back to his high
seat, and Chester, placing himself in
front of the roulette wheel, threw
upon the table a So bill, all he had ex-
cept some small change. 1t fell in
the center of one of the numbered
squares, and he let it lie where chance
had placed it. The dealer whirled the
wheel and spun upon it the little ball,
which went rolling, jumping and clat-
tering until finally it found Judgment
in II of the small marginal com
partments, and the dealer, lifting up
his voice, announced in a singsong
tone: ~"Seventeen; read" simultane-
ously pushing over a great heap of
ivory 'chips" to Chester who could
hardly believe in his good fortune.
A love of the excitement of gaming
was innate in Chester Sewall and now,
awakened into full activity, fairly
took possession Of him. Hour after
hour went by, and still he continued
playing, dead to all else than the fas-
cination of the game. For a time he
Won almost constantly, until he had a
series of stacks of chips of various col
ors ranked upon before him, enough,
had he converted them into cash, to
have kept him for many weeks and
made him independent Of the boss.
But by this time he was playing for a
fortune.
Mr.. Cofferty came over once, looked
at him without attracting his notice
and walked away, smiling.
After awhile his luck seemed to have
'run itself out" as gamblers say, and
q season of intermitted i'll fortune set
in. All his winnings were speedily
swept away, until at length all, even
the original So note, had gone into
the box" and he had left barely
enough small coins to get his break
fast. When he went out to the street,
he thought he had been gaming but
a little time-for the sun was still up
and wondered that he felt SO weary
and feverish. But soon he noticed how
the shadows fell and realized that the
III now shining was that of another
day. He had stuck to the roulette /
table all night.
Hungry and tired he went to a
cheap restaurant for his breakfast,
and while it was being prepared
glanced over a morning paper. Like
every one who has ever dabbled, even
a little, in Wall street speculation. he
turned to the financial" column. The
"bulls," he read, were rallying from
their long period of depression and
the market was again active. 1.-The
very stock in which he had lost every
thing was leading the van in the up
ward movement. Could he have held
onto the amount of it he controlled at
one time, he would be already a COM
paratively rich man, and in a good
way for oon becoming one really. A
savage longing to be revenged upon
fate by retrieval of his losses in the
very stock that had caused them
seized upon him. If he could only have
a few dollars with which to operate