The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-08-28

: A PREAKY THING Is LUCK J
The Case OF Hennessy Whose ,
Z Luck Was stolen n
gAsA 4

AhI that pump YOU
wv murmured the faro dealer,
refectively, as a thin pock-marked
man passed the corner of Broadway
and Thirty-eighth street.
whats that7" asked the race fol-
lower.
"Seein' you throw the trapped coun-
tenance up against Hennessy. Say,
wasn't you feedin' him couple years
ago, when I seen you down i New Or
leans?"
@Surei" said the rae man.
"And now you throw HIM DOWN."
That's right"
"Woman?"
mot on your life"
"What them"
"Say," said the race man, "d'y' ever
hear how me and Hennessy come to-
gether, an what happened to both of
us?"
Nope"
SWELL, it's a queer story, and it goes
to show what a freaky thing luck is
We couldn't ever trot double. If Hem
messy is flying high, I'm cold broke,
an if I'm a winner, Hennessy's on the
pork. Besides, he could never stay
square with a friend nohow."
well, how about it?" asked the
faro man.
at was after the season closed at
Brighton Beach in 'o7. Hennessy had
been up against it for four long.
warm, weary months. He'd been
playin' everythin' in the business
from favorites to 100 to 1 shots, an
he couldn't win breakfast money.
I'D been folrin' the western circuit
all summer an had nursed up quite
a wad, an when / come back 10 New
York the first man I run against is
Hennessy. He was comm out of q
Sixth avenue beanery, where they sell
coffee for two cents a cup, an say, if
ever any man looked like a bad nickel,
it was Hennessy. I'd seen him when he
was rollin' high out in California,
IN I had a few drinks with him then,
an some guy had told me that Hem
messy was a man at never stood by
his friends. But say, I was sorry to
see a man down on his luck, an I says
to myself, III help him to take a
brace. So l fits him out from feet to
finish, an then 1 promises him IS a
day for two weeks to play the ponies
me layin' of awhile to rest.
"Well, after a few days Hennessy
begins to do business again, and in
side of a month had nursed together
a little wad Of about three hundred
dollars.
Now says L we're of TO New Or
leans
AN we went an started into the
game the next day. But Hennessy's
luck had changed again, and there
wasn't anything he could win. Meth
er of us could make it out. Hennessy
said he's gone into the theater with
his umbrella up, an L guess p'rhaps
that's what it was, but anyway, he
was a dead one from hat on, and in
two days he didn't have but $50 in the
world. Then I told him to stick to
me and follow my plays, and he did,
and in two days I had lost ST ,700 and
all of Hennessy's $50 was gone. So ]
gave Hennessy $40 to start fresh on
and told him to lay his own money
an keep away from me. So he did
and lost every nickel of it before
night.
well, it was up to me to take care
of him. So he goes of and gets q
little more somewhere, and every
mornin' he's round to my room for
breakfast money and I'm givin' him
50 to feed himself and play with
That kept up the whole winter
through, me givin' him So every day
besides drinks an cigars, an laundry
bills, and every now and then a ten.
ner to get his stuff out hat he'd
hooked. But I guess it was luck to
me, because I lived high every min.
ute of the time and quit the game
$4,000 better han when Hennessy and
me started south.
81 guess Hennessy thought the
same thing, cause he comes round
n morning and says if I'll stake hin
to a little roll he'll quit me and try
his luck on the western circuit. So
gave him $500 and he started for Chi
cago. 1t wasn't long before we heard
of his luck, and my five hundred be
gins to come back.
Good? Why things Just swan hi,
way. I was glad of 1t. although
wasn't doing so well myself. AS Hen
nessy's stock went up mine starteC
to slump, and pretty 500 l was il
the hole up to my neck. When tn,
meeting closed it left me stone broke
with only one suit of clothes left ant
Twin in a hall room near the cornel
of Ninth avenue and Thirty-seconC
street. Then I began playin' thu
poolrooms with what money I coulC
borrow here and there, but / couldn'
! get enough ahead to make any kind o
. a play, and I began to think if thing
, didn't come my way I'd have to quir
5 the game and go to work"
SAY, wouldn't that bump your
! said the faro man.
/: well, about this time one day" re
! snmed the race follower. 81 was com
ing down Broadway. feeling prett,
sore and mean and raggy. I'd ha,
| nothing for breakfast but bate
cakes and coffee, and 1 didn't JUS
know uvho rios r~Ns1r - e&olra w. e.,