Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-08-29
IFA7 FA.Ls FOR TUNE
BY BARRY PAIN.

Of the w0rld--"what I maintain Is that
the polnt for the King AT ecarte Is the
ruin Of tie game. Here IS q fine intel
lectual exercise, and you ruin it by
bringing into Il a mere chance. 1t Is all
very wei 10 make your game by skill
and well enough TO make il by tossing
penny. but | cannot see the sense Of
mixing the two
You think So said the philosopher.
II fear | can't agree with you. Ecarfe
is a close reflection Of real life There
lies It's charm. In real life skill tells,
but chance IS the caprlcious and insu-
perahle power"
II know all that" said the young
man peeylshly. "and agree with you
that in the perfect game one must have
the element Of chance. But IT is there
already In eearte. You have to take
the cards that the chances Of the deal
give you. To give an entire point 70
the king as well is to make the prepOn-
derance Of chance outrageous"
Il disagree with you In toto" said
the philosopher. But before he could
marshal and display his arguments lie
was interrupted by an old man who
looked faded and shrunken and melau-
cholv
Pardon me. gentlemen" he said
but | could not avoid oyerhearing the
topic Of your conversation. 1t is one Of
peculiar interest to me. for It IS to the
king AT ccarte that owe my ruin"
Most interesting. sir" said the
young man. at entirely confirms what
said. Skill Is powerless against H."
q don't think you quite understand"
said the old man. II was not ruined
because the other man held the king,
but because l held it myself"
Then I'm afraid l can't follow you"
well. It's fairly simple. marked
the king In - successive games"
The other men look Disguised. The
philosopher picked up his hat and said
coldly. Yes; that sort OF thing is al
ways found out"
wait, | beg Of you. Don't make the
mistake that my millionaire uncle, with
whom | was playing. made He was
man from whose testamentary disposi-
tons was to have benefited enormous
~. a man whom | could not afford TO
offend. the man above all others that
wished to have high opinion Of me.
We were playing penny points and
threepence on the rubber. My uncle
would never 90 beyond that. Indeed il
was these careful habits Of his that
made him the millionaire that he was"
III those were Tie points. | don't SEE
Why YOU should
And | wasn't. II I wanted to cheat
mt cards. 60 YOU suppose that | should
do such q stupid and transparent thing
as 10 give myself the king - times in
succcssionf Why, amy enc who knows
the business Ct swindllng lit cards as
know it'll mean from books. Of course
would see the Stiffness Of il. So far
was ! from wanting the king that II
had only had the requisite skill would
have cheated IN order TO give Il 10 my
uncle. At my first deal | turned the
king. and my uncle took il calmly.
Next deal he gave ne the king. and the
third deal gave II TO myself. After |
had had the king six times in success
sion he said that he had never seen
such luck In his life. but he had not We;
begun TO lose his temper. But after
that he got worse and worse. sug-
gested that we should stop the game,
but he wouldn't hear of it,"
The old man paused and sighed. Go
on, said the young man encouragingiy.
TT reached point" the old man re-
sumed, when my uncle was black IN
the face. and | should have been glad
to have exchanged the king for another
card if had had the chance. But, rs
have explained. / am not an expert In
these matters, Besides. by this time he
was watching nay hands as cat
watches mouse Re gave scornful
and snortns laugh from time TO time.
At the thirty second game be rose.
My opinion OF your character he
said has hitherto been 50 high that
am reluctant tc Change II. But have
no choice. If nan holds the king -
times In succession nj ecarte. that is
sufficient for me. | refuse 10 pay the
points that you have won hy swindling
or to communicate with you In future
IN any way. and am just OF to my So
liciior's 10 get my VIII altered. pro-
tested that | was mel the victim OF
an extraordinary run u good luck. but
be would not listen TO me. II was of
no use lie told every one. and was
ruined man"
"Extraordinary said the young man
as. ~ company with the philosopher,
be rose 10 go.
And IN consequence" the old mar
went on rapidly. I am occasionally, rs
AT present III such straits temporarily
for the small sum of shillings that
am compelled"-
BHt here be stopped abruptly. for the
young man and the philosopher had al
ready passed out.-Black ana White.
Crossed Legs.
Men generally cross their legs when
there is least pressure on their minds.
You VIII not very often fnd man ac-
fr4fiv .,-ftrg..stl fg bf,Siu.SS v-ifh his