, 1900-01-04

"a i6ilbils, anu never dlOubcu d SuS-
picion OF his actions. He simply toyed
with the plungers who ran up against
him.
One night he sat down in a game in
which a rough-looking fellow with a
sharp nose and sleepy eyes was play
ing. Jim didn't pay much attention
to him, but he was playing with Dopey
Jack Hale. There were several young
Frisco fellows in the game. Jim start
ed In to play in his usual manner The
first king hat he got in his hand was
the king of diamonds. and he imme-
diately punched the sharp corner of
his thumbnail into both end of the
card. The very next hand the deal
came around to jim. He shufled and
reshuf1ed and rifed, feeling card after
card. He dealt the hands out and
watched for the king of diamonds.
Suddenly he stopped in the middle of
his deal.
Whats the natter" asked a man
across the table. Jim was white, but
he went on in a minute, passing it on
by saying he had a ramp. The truth
was he had found his king of dia-
monds and had felt a double mark in
1t. Evidently somebody else had be-
gun to mark cards. Jim suspected
Hale right away. but he didn't find
much to strengthen his suspicious, as
Hale appeared to be very dopey and
sleepy. He seemed to go to sleep over
every hand. Jim watched him for
a time and soon observed tina every
time Hale appeared especially sleepy
he held a magnificent hand. 1t looked
strange, but as the game went on
without any startling occurrence, Jim
began to think he was mistaken md
had himself marked the same lrd
twice. Then he started out to ] lrk
the rest of the cards. The first a: he
run across he thumbed carefully and
he fond it already marked. That set
tied It.
FIR some reason Jim's suspicious
wandered from Hale until they settled
on a quiet-looking chap who sat next
to Hale. There was no particular rea-
son for 1t, but the suspicion kept grow
Ing stronger. That's the guy that's
doing the funny business with these
cards. thought Jim to himself; ri lie
low and watch it out
Jim kept on marking cards Just the
same. Suddenly Hale stopped in h
middle of a deal and jumped up in
his chair with a startled look on his
face. He settled down again and held
the cards tight. No one spoke. Several
looked up in surprise. Jim began to
reckon out how he could reach the
door in case a gun was pulled. for he
thought Hale had surely tumbled to
his game. Somebody asked Hale what
was the matter.
Indigestion answered Hale, in a
sharp tone, which Jim regarded as ON
inous. Jim's nerve went like a flash.
He could barely lift his head for fear
Of betraying a guilty countenance.
1--WE got enough he said, throwing
down his cards after the lex deal.
I'm going home
Hale overlook him at the corner
and tapped him on the shoulder. Jim
started as If he had been shot.
AW, COue Ou, Sdlu I1dle. bTdCc
up. No ones onto you except me.
Come in here (pointing to a ~saloon).
I've got something l want to say to
you
They went into the back room OF
the saloon and sat down in a quiet
corner
You're the slickest dealer that
eve happened on this earth said
Hale.
"No, I'm not answered Jim. You
are the slickest. l watched you for
half an hour and did no playing, just
to find out who was marking those
cards, and couldn't
I'VE won't quarrel over that said
Hale; but I've got a proposition to
put to you. You come in with me as a
partner and we will rip out the dough
from the jeans Of every player on this
coast
"I couldn't do 1t to saw my life,'
replied Jim. I've lost my nerve and
I'll never get it back. It's no go. Get
out and let me alone
Hale went. He was shot across a
card table three weeks afterward, and
died in his chair. Jim quit the game.
That is, quit marking cards. You will
find him playing once in awhile even
now, because he can't leave poker, but
he's on the level. His nerve never
came back."-New York Sun.