The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-07
MADELINE coRLIss. GAMBLER.


named Orvile SPENCER. The king Of
| gamblers, they used 10 call hin-but that
| was wrong. Spencer was no gambler:
| IN fact, he never sat into a game that
! he did not lose. But he seldom played;
ne was content 70 manage his establish
ments.
Among the visitants Of the Chicago
gambling hoUse-in those days II was not
| stylish to call them 'helIs'-were the best
| people-peOple whom you might expect to
meet auywhere-coming nliIIouaires and
mllhonaires who had just come. In those
/ days Pat Sheedy, who had made his
money at cards, was Just as respectable
as Old Hutch who made his millions in
wheat, or Armour. who made his in pro-
/ visions. II was all speculation; every
/ body gambled, from the millionaire TO the
! laborer. The general rever OF specula-
I ton among all classes in those days is
! what gave rise TO the expression, The
| dinner-pan brigade
Well, among the regular visitors at the
| 'PandOra's Box as Spencier's place was
| called, was Tom Seabright. Seabright
was really the king of gamblers. for
never game htat he went against
/ that he didn't beat Pandora's Box had
/ also among its patrons some ladies. I
] nave seen ladies come in there, thickly
/ veiled, with some sporty and gold-la5en
( youth for chaperone, but most Of the
] females We're of the deni-monde. Demi-
/ monde was a swell expression: It was
/ quite new to US in those days. besides II
/ was Frenchy, and therefore popular. L
/ was laughable TO notice with what happy
/ familiarity a man would speak OF his
! associations with the demi-monde.
Madeline Corliss was one Of the deni-
| monde, that is, such was the supposition
1 Everybody called her AIadge in speaking
| of her; no one ever spoke to herself
She carried about with her an atmos-
I
TO break through. Although exhibiting
none of the brazen effrontery affected
by the women of the class to which she
was supposed TO belong, she carried her
self with a modest assurance that was
delightful to witness She was beautiful
beauty, why, nothing you could ever
| hope to see on canvass could compare
with her beauty. Eyes-why you were
lost if you ever looked at her. III bet
ten thousand men were in love with her
at the same time.
"One night she walked into Pandora's
Box. 1t was a Saturday night. Business
was always at its best on Saturday. The
name and fame of Madeline Corliss had
spread all over the country, and il is safe
to say that the expectation of seeing this
lnvinclbie female gambler was the big
gest advertisement the house had. She
sat down at a table and before six hands
were dealt she had half Of the house
standing around her.
Lose, lose, lose; she lost all the time.
Putting down on the table her last ten
dollars and throwing away three cards,
she held up a pair Of fOurs and she lean
ed back in her chair. Behind her sat Tom
Seabright and Orville SPENCER. One by
one she picked up the cards the dealer
passed to her. the men behind her watch
ing her eagerly. Everyone there was
versed in the ethics of gambling, and
r7nV nv 0-l ~ loo
The first card she picked up was an ace,
and then-another ace. Nonchalantly
enough she placed them in position in her
hand, then turning around TO Seabright
she said:
Got any money, Tom?"
I'm dead broke, Madeline
Here's little. SPENCER handed her
a roll of bills. Everybody was surprised,
for Spencer, above all men, had little
use for women, and as a rule tried TO
discourage their playing. Madeline hesi-
tat ed at his offer. looked at him and
then, 1 thought inquisitively, at Sea
bright
q" Take it, Madeline he said
She took it. and when she quit the
game that night she was $4,000 win
ner.
"One night. probably a month after
this, / strayed into the Pandora's Box
Everything was in full blast. After
watching several of the games my gaze
wandered off to a far corner OF the
room. There was Seabright and SPENCER
engaged in an earnest game OF cards
It surprised me to see those two men
playing. 1 knew that Seabright was a
king Of card sharps and I knew that
most anybody could beat SPENCER. Even
as 1 watched them they were disa greeing
about something. Just as it seemed the /
game would end in hosuiities Spencier
looked up and seeing me called me over.
Say. Muffutt,' he said I wish you'd |
referee these games. Seabright and I I
have had an argument, and We chose this !
way to settle it,
Wen. what's it all about? I said
Never mind what it's about They
both answered with more asperity than I
thought the case demanded. Then Sea 1
bright added:
Yes, Muffutt, we've got something to /
settle. and we chose this as the fairest 4
way of deciding il. Best two out Of I
three games. That's fair enough; isn't .
itg
Under most circumstances il would .
be I answered, but not in this Why
! laughed, It would be a case OF the T
tiger and the lamb Referring to 4
their respective abilities at tho cards
" What would you have as do then? .
asked Seabright a little petulantly.
" 7 don't know what the stakes are 4
4
but If YOU want TO play game where
each of you VIII have an equal chance I
get the dice box
All right said Seabright.
All right said SPENCER.
The waiter brought in the dies and
they Shook, SPENCER winning the first
horse. II made him feel good and he
5oked Seabright, who was feeling rather
blue.
Don't crow too soon the latter said.
you've won half your game, bat youn
find the last half harder TO capture
BY this time 1t had dawned upon me
that the stake, whatever Il was. was
something extraordinary The training
of Seaorght's life had taught him under
any and all circumstances TO hide his
emotions As the dice rolled On the table
and he won the second horse his eyes
bulged out and his hands trembled.
Ha. he laughed. We're again
equal
But it was not for long. Again the
dice rolled and SPENCER arose frome his
chair Ike one dazed
Too bad you lost. Tom said Spen-
ciers but your Joss is my gain
I wish I was dead Orville; you've
won and III keep ny word
Cheer up. Tom. and forget Il: come
down and have drink Join rs. Nuf-
Below the gambling house. OF TIE
ground foor- was q saloon We went
down aud stood before the bar Seatright
was standing alongside q ne lie reach
Cd out his hand
You won't refuse 70 shake hands
with me. Old man. VIII your h. said
Then he spoke 20 SPENCER.
Youu shake hands, too. went you.
CrViile2
Say. Tom. says Spencer. 7 5ou't
ur afrt~ Irr