The National tribune., 1900-10-11
cards, hiding cards in their laps, and so

cards, hiding cards in their laps, and so
on.
THE BROKEN BANK.
At this period the boys had a secret
meeting, but I'll" was not invited, be-
cause, as the boys said, he was too scru-
pulous to be entrusted with their plans.
At this private meeting they planned to
bet, all OF them, the same way, and, if
they were fortunate, would break the
bank, and. if not fortunate, would only
lose n moderate amount each. This ar
rangemeDt has often been tried, and this
time it was successful, and the bank went
broke just before day. Lowry paid out
his last dollar, and calmly announced
that he would be open the next night, and
would have a still larger bank, though
he did not know at the moment where he
could get the cash. He had plenty of
money in Carolina, at his home in Ra-
leigh, but he must have cash at once, or
his trip would be a failure. Taking a
drink with IL he whispered to him to
come back in half an hour. All departed,
having won some 5000 or S100. and H"
returned to Lowrie's soon after, when the
gambler, who really liked III" for his
quaint, easy ways, said: H, want to
speak with you privately"
''All right" said III"
Lowrie then said, Il want you to lend
favor l am going to serve you and cause
you to win back, and more, too, what you
have been plundered out Of at poker by
Your supposed friends" "Plundered,"
said H.: why, they have not robbed me,
surely; they are among the best young
men in the County"
Lowrie explained the matter fully and
clearly, and I'll" saw it all at last.
why, couple of hundred dollars will
answer my purpose" explained Lowrie.
"f only want it to make a show before
the boys. Tomorrow night l will slaugh-
ter them. They put up job on me, but
| let them go on; tomorrow night l shall
put up lovely job on them; you shall
see. You come and play small, as usual,
and note your losses, if any, and l will
attend to the rest"
This was great mystery to old "H.",
but somehow he admired Lowrie and
placing 5000 in his hands departed
He was there with the boys promptly
the next night. The play began, after
Lowrie had partly shown his money, re-
marking that they could win 5000 IL in
luck. They played the same game, run
ming their bets on the same card or next
to it. Faro-bank players will understand
all this. Their first bet won, and, of
course, all won. They let the bets stay
where they had won, but in couple of
turns Lowrie raked them all in. They
came down still larger and lost. They
.hen became reckless, betting S25 and $50
each. They could not win anywhere, lost
what they had won the night before, all
their other cash, and gave notes for near
iy thousand dollars, which they promptly
took up the next day. They We're honest
in taking up their notes, as that was
law among them.
-" was more mystifed that ever at
this tremendous turn of luck, but promptly
came 20 Lowrie's room the following
morning, when he received his $500 and
$50 more, rs Lowrie said, "for interest
H" took it, saying it was wonderful.
WINNING BACK HIS FORTUNE.
"Now," said Lowrie, Il shall leave here
in day or two, and here are half a dozen
packs of starback cards, the kind you use;
they are what is known as stamped"
cards, and, after being studied and learned
you will know them as well by their
backs as by their faces; and Lowrie
carefully explained how each card was
easily known from the particular loca-
ton of the star in the right-hand corner
Of each card. IL" caught on at once,
became a different man, and fairly gloat-
ed over the revenge he was going to have
out of his perfidious friends.
Take them one at time, when you
can," said Lowrie, lust like you shoot
partridges before your dog, you know"
Precisely" replied III" Il under
sand, and l shall remember you, on the
word of old H"
They grasped hands on it. A mild, hon
est, trusting man had been turned into a
cold ''card-sharp' from the force of sur
rounding circumstances.
LOwrie left, and III" began his re-
vcnge. He first exchanged q couple Of
decks of star-back cards in the poker
room for two of the packs which Lowrie
gave him. In day or two the boys were
crying out against the fools luck that
these stamps with far more assiduity
than he ever studied at school, and dealt
hands to imaginary players until he was
perfect. Old H" raised the mortgage on
his little farm, and continued, remorse-
lessly, to fleece the boys, particularly those
who had plundered him.
AN OLD VIRGINIA ROMANCE.
Just previous to the war a gentleman
by the name of Hamilton arrived at Suf-
folk, Va, and purchased a small farm
within a mile or two of Mai. Henderson,
whose story is told above. Soon thereaf-
ter his wife and son came on to Suffolk
from the upper part of New York State
| and were received by Mr.. Hamilton and
taken out to the farm, which had been
fitted up for their reception. Mr.. Ham
| ilton had purchased the farm in this warm
southern CLINIC nOplnS 10 dement, MS wIfe,
whom he greatly loved and who was sUf-
| fcring with some form of lung affection
| Ii may have been that her removal South
| to Virginia came too late; mt any rate,
| she fingered but a few months, thea
passed away. Mr.. Hamilton's family and
| that of Maj. Henderson had become ex-
| ceedingly intimate, and the son of Mr.
| Hamilton, Jimmy Hamilton, soon noted
the charming, budding beauty of May
| Henderson, her sunny ways, her brown
hair and blue eyes, where love fingers
When war came all persons born in
| Northern States were required by the
| Confederate authorities to take the oath
| of allegiance to the Confederacy, or de-
part within 60 days. A very large ma
| jority of such persons in Richmond, | re-
member. accepted the latter alternative,
sold their property and went North. 1t
was stated at the time that nearly 5000
people left Richmond within two months
after the proclamation was issued
Mr.. Hamilton sold his little farm and
left, with his son, James. There was n
most affectionate leave-taking between the
families of "OId H." and Mr.. Hamilton.
while Jimmy and his father declared they
would return after the war, which it was
hoped would be of short duration Photo
graphs were exchanged, letters were prom
| ised, and there was tender parting l,e-
| tween the fair May Henderson and Jimmy
| Hamilton.
An occasion letter Aid noes bo.a