The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

of his luck, and my fve hundred be-,
gins to come back
Good? Why things Just swan his
way. I was glad Of it, although I
wasn't doing so well myself. AS Hem
nessy's stock went up mine started
to slump, and pretty soon 1 was in
the hole up to my neck. When the
meeting closed it left me stone broke,
with only one suit of clothes left and
livin' in hall room near the corner
of Ninth avenue and Thirty second
street. Then I began playin' the
poolrOoms with what money I could
borrow here and there, but / couldn't
get enough ahead to make any kind of
play, and began to think if things
didn't come my way I'd have to quit
the game and go to work"
"say, wouldn't that bump youP"
said the faro 'man.
"Well, about this time one day," re-
sumed the race follower, "I was com
ing down Broadway, feeling pretty
sore and mean and raggy. I'd had
nothing for breakfast but batter
cakes and coffee, and I didn't lust
know who was going to stake me for
dinner, let alone dollar or so lust
to try if my luck had begun to
change. Well, while was feelin' this
way, not exactly sure if 1 wouldn't
chuck the whole business and chase
job, who do 1 run. against but Hen
messy. He was just coming out of
Martins with toothpick sticking
out of his jaw and look on his face
like he was full up to the chin with
green turtle soup and baked trout
and roasted canvasbaclS and. .nesselrode
pudding, with a pint of champagne,
and a pousee cafe at the end of all.
Say, it made me hungry just to look
at his mug, and he was wearin' hot
sil1er an long coat and diamond
lamp fit to knock an eye out of, the
prince of Wales, and, say, when saw
Hennessy that way thought it was
like findin' a mine. There was ready
money all over him"
"An', of course, he stalIed you good
and plenty?" said the faro man.
did I say that Hennessy had a
pint?" mused the race follower. 'Well,
maybe it was two of them and maybe
it was three. Anyway, Hennessy had
a little skate on. 1t wasn't enough to
excuse him and it was just enough
to make a mean man nasty
+" Hello, Hennessy,' says I.
Hello says Hennessy.
"And I saw then and there that my
gold mine was O. frost. Hennessy was
giyin' me the go-by. But 1 was too
hard upto be naughty, SO stops him.
-" Say, Hennessy, says I, ARE yolG
goin' to walk past man like that?
Don't you know ms?'
EYES, says Hennessy, with a kind
Of an ugly grin, I know you well
enough
4" I've been in hard luck since saw
you, Hennessy,' says 1. I'm on the
hog for fair-stone broke, old mani
" That don't surprise me, says Hen
messy, not little bit
" 1T don't!' says I, and you can bet
I was surprised, if he wasn't.
" Not a particle, says Hennessy,
you went broke when I quit you, be-
cause was your mascot. You stole
my luck, and figure that you owe
me about $4,000 The minute 1 left
you things came my way
"Well, I tried to laugh. why, Hen
messy, old man. says I, you're string
in me. Dye take me for a hoodoo?'
That's what I do he says, the
worst hoQdoo this side of the Rocky
mountains
" Well, say, Hennessy, says I,
stake me for a hundred and, let it
go at that?'
Not nickel, says Hennessy.
You got my luck once, but you don't
get it again, see!'
'Then he turned back into the cafe,
and could see him through the win
dow ordering new quart"
"Wouldn't that bump you!" said the
faro man.
"Say, isn't luck about the uueerest
thing on earth?" continued the race
man philosophically. "Here was Hen
messy tramp only year before, when
/ was a high rider. Now, I'm on my
and Hennessy's on the wave, |
and yet at that very minute my luck |
was on the turn. walked around the !
corner where could curse Hennessy
on the quiet and there in little heap
of wet dirt by the curbstone I saw
something shining. I picked it up. 1t |
was five-dOllar gold piece, and there
was hole in it. Say, do you remember
me coming into your bank with it?''
"Sure," said the faro man.
Say, it needed lot of nerve to Law |
the whole five on one card, and me
hungry, too, but I was afraid if I'd
break the five I'd break my luck, seer"
The faro man saw.
$50 laid it in one bet, and won ten
times running. Then I called the
turn, and finally quit $4,000 winner.
Say, that was about the dizziest game |
ever played, and when 1 cashed ip. i |
went and eat the best dinner that the
TenderlOin afforded.
Well, didn't see anything more of
Hennessy until January, when went
to New Orleans again with a small in
terest in a string of good ones
and another interest in a com
book that a guy named
Shorty Allen was running. was
sosl