The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-05-24
OF his luck. and my five hundred be-
gins to come back.

Vi AiS luck. anu my nvc nunQred be- I
gins to come back.
"Good? Why things just swan his
way. j was glad of it, although l
wasn't doing SO we'll myself. As Hen
nessy's stock went up mine started
to slump, and pretty soon I 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 a hall room near the corner
of Ninth avenue and Thirty second
street. Then began playin' the
poolrooms with what money could
borrow here and there, but couldn't
get enough ahead to make any kind of
a 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 you?'
said the faro man.
'Well, about this time one day." re-
sumed the race follower, II 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 just
know who was going to stake me for
dinner, let alone a dollar or so just
to try if my luck had begun to
change. Well, while / was feelin' this
way, not exactly sure if / wouldn't
chuck the whole business and chase
job, who do run against but Hen
messy. He was just coming out of
Martins with a toothpick sticking
out of his jaw and a look on his face
like he was full up to the chin with
green turtle soup and baked trout
and roasted canvasback and nesselrode
pudding, with a pint of champagne,
and ponsee cafe at the end of all.
Say, it made me hungry just to look
at his mug, and he was wearin' a hot
silker an long coat and diamond
lamp fit to knock an eye out of the
prince of Wales, and, say, when I saw
Hennessy that way I thought it was
like fndin' a mine. There was ready
money all over him."
''An', of course, he staked you good
and plenty?' said the faro man.
ibid 1 say that Hennessy had a
pint ?" unused the race follower. "Well,
maybe it was two OF them and maybe
it was three. Anyway, Hennessy had
a little skate on. It wasn't enough to
excuse him and it was just enough
to make mean man nasty.
"'Hello, Hennessy,' says l.
Hello says Hcnnessy.
"And saw then and there that my
givin' me the go-by. But I was toe
hard up to be naughty, SO stops him
"'Say, Hennessy,' says |, are yot
goin' to walk past man like that
Don't you know me9'
AYES says Hennessy. with kim
of an ugly grin, I know you wei
enough
"'I've been in hard luck since saw
!. you, Hennessy,' says !. I'm on th'
hog for fair-stone broke, old man!
"sThat don't surprise me- says Hen
' messy, mot little bit
"'It don't!' says I, and you can be
I was surprised, if he wasn't.
! "'Not particle says Hennessy
you went broke when quit you, be
|, cause I was your mascot. You stol
e my luck, and I figure that you ow
!, me about $1,000. The minute I lef
!, you things came my way
+ "Well, I tried to laugh. why, Hen
y messy, old man. says I, you're string
0 in me. Dye take me for hoodoo:
S "'That's what do he says, 'th
a worst hoodoo this side of the Rock
o mountains
a "sWell, say, Hennessy,' says
q stake me for hundred and let
go at that?'
VI "'Not Nickel says Hennessy
L You got my luck once. but you don
r get it again, see!'
d "Then he turned back into the caf
and I could see him through the VIII
r dow ordering new quart"
'sWouldn't that bump you!" said til
le faro man.
s "Say, isn't luck about the queeres
e thing on carth?'' continued the rae
l. man philosophically. Here was Hel
" messy tramp only a year before, whe
h / was high rider. Now, I'm on m
IS uppers, and Hennessy's on the wav
le and vet at that very minute my luc
IN was on the turn. / walked around tt
le corner where could curse Henness
70 on the quiet and there in little hes
d. of wet dirt by the curbstone I sa
ID something shining. picked it up.
/ was five-dollar gold piece, and the
N was hole in it. Say. do you rememb'
y me coming into your bank with it 2"
id "Sure," said. the faro man.
re '.Say, it needed lot of nerve to Il
the whole FIVE on one card. and n
re hungry. too. but was afraid if /
a break the five I'd break my luck, see
~ The faro man saw.
Or $50 l laid it in one bet, and won t
m times running. Then l called Il
h. turn, and finally quit $4,000 WHINE
er Say, that was about the dizziest gan
v, I ever played, and when cashed in
~ twent and eat the best dinner that 4
n Tenderloin afforded.