St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-05-12
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: A FREAKY THING Is LUCK )
6 The Case OF Hennessy w hose y
NJ Luck Was Stolen. E
3a9a. Ca. A.9A GA A4A0A& 3aS
MT OUDN'T that bump you'll"
wv murmured the faro dealer,

and Thirty-eighth street.
whats that?' asked the race fol-
lower.
Seem you throw the trapped coun-
tenance up against Hennessy. Say,
wasn't you feedin' him couple years
ago, when seen you down i New Or
leans?"
''Sure!" said the race man.
"And now you throw him down?'
That's right"
'tWoman?'
'Not on your life"
"What then?"
'Say," said the race man, "d'y' ever
hear how me and Hennessy come to-
gether, an what happened to both of
us?"
Nope"
"Well, it's a queer story, and it goes
to show what frealzy thing luck is.
We couldn't ever trot double. If Hen
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 friend nohow."
well, how about it?" asked the
faro man. ...-= =z.. -.
tsIt was after the season closed at
Brighton Beach in '97. 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 shots, an
he couldn't win breakfast money.
I'd been foll'in' the western circuit
all summer an had nursed up quite
a wad, an when come back to New
York the first man / run against is
Hennessy. He was comm out of a
Sixth avenue beanery, where they sell
coffee for two cents a cup, an say, if
ever any man looked like bad nickel,
it was HenRessy. I'd seen him when he
was rollinv high out in California,
m had few drinks with him then,
an some guy had told me that Hen
messy was a man 'at never stood by
his friends. But say, / was sorry to
see man down on his luck, am I says
to myself, I'll help him to take a
brace. So fits him out from feet to
finish, an then I promises him SIS a
day for two weeks to play the ponies
me layin' off awhile to rest
'sWell, after a few days Hennessy
begins to do business again, and in
side of a month had nursed together
little wad Of about three hundred
dollars.
Now says I, were off 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. Neith-
er Of us could make it out. Hennessy
said he's gone into the theater with
his umbrella up. an I guess p'rhaps
that's what it was, but anyway, he
was a dead one from that on, and in
two days he didn't have but $50 in the
world. Then / told him to stick to.
me and follow my plays, and he diay
and in two days l had lost $1,70o aLd
all of Hennessy's $50 was gone. Soil
gave Hennessy $40 to start fresh dn
and told him to lay his own money
an keep away from me. So he did
and lost every nickel of it before
night.
SWELL, it was up to me to take care
of him. So he goes off and gets a
little more somewhere and every
mornin' he's round to my room for
breakfast money and I'm givin' him
So 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 that he'd
hooked. But I guess it was luck to
me, because [ lived high eyerv min
ute of the time and quit the game
$4,000 better than when Hennessy and
me started south.
81 guess Hennessy thought the
same thing, cause he comes round
one morning and says if I'll stake him
to little roll he'll quit me and try
his luck on the western circuit. So /
gave him $500 and he started for Chi
cago. It wasn't long before we heard
of his luck. and my five hundred be-
gins to come back.
Good? Why things Just swan his
way. | was glad of it, although
wasn't doing SO well myself. AS Hen
nessy's stock went up mine started
to slump, and pretty soon I was in
the hole up to my neck. Wien the
meeting closed it left me stone broke,
with only one suit of clothes left and
iyin' in hall room near the corner
of Ninth avenue and Thirty second
street. Then I began playin' the
poolrooms with what money l could
borrow here and there, but / couldn't
get enough ahead to make any kind of
q 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.
We'll, 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 dollar or so Just
to try if my luck had begun to
change. Wen. while was feelin' this
way, not exactly sure if / wouldn't
chuck the whole business and chase
a job, who do T run against but. Hem
messy, He was Just coming out Of
Martins with teothpick sticking