Rock Island Argus., 1902-08-25
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Game of PenochIe.
IOriginal.l

time to step on car going uowntoWn
l knew the letter referred to the COM
ing of the prince, for we had no time to
attend to other business than his pro-
lection. In the car 1 read:
G.'s saloon IL a. m. Beer. Glass over.
PENOCHLE.
At precisely 1880 1 strolled into G.'s
saloon. Sitting at one of the tables. l
called for beer and cast my eyes about
the room. There was but one person
seated, and the moment / saw him /
knew him to be my man. Fortunately
for me, he had come early. I must get
him away before the man he was to
meet entered. That man did not know
him. but did he know that man? We
shall see. 1 sat for n few minutes
watching him and saw that lie was
nervous. Then, fixing my eyes upon
his, 1 emptied my beer glass and turned
it upside down on the table. He start
ed. 1 got up and, going over to him,
said in q low tone, Follow me-" He
did so, and as we left the saloon man
with u red beard entered and cast on us
both Il piercing eye, which he did not
"a narrow escape" 1 muttered,
That's the man who was to meet
Penochle."
"Why did you not wait for me TO give
the signal instead of giving it your
self?" asked my man.
Had no time to waste. Have you
arranged everythingf"
"I have the bomb"
1t would be impossible for me to
keep up Il conversation with him, even
for a few minutes, without betraying
myself. My only hope was before do
ing so to gain sufficient information
to locate the conspiracy.
"Where is it?' 1 asked, referring to
the bomb.
Between the mattresses Of my
bed"
l wanted to ask where his bed was.
but did not dare do so.
"He is expected I'm the morning"
said instead. when is it to be done"
while he is being driven to his ho-
tel. That is the order"
"Where will you standT"
"I?" He looked at me. susprised.
"You mean where Will you stand"
"I will attend to that. You must
hand me the bomb. However, these
details must be arranged later. AT
present l can only make an appoint
ment for this evening. Meet me to-
night at-let me see. Go to No. - -
street, rear hall room. third floor, 10
O'clock"
"But''-
"It won't do for us to be seen talk
grr l,n StP
We were watched, though l did not
know it, and by one whom l rather
than my anarchist had cause to fear.
L went to the office and reported the
programme to the chief. We arranged
that n number of men should appear
at the point of rendezvous at 1905
o'clock and arrest Penochle. 1 pur-
poseIy made the hour five minutes aft
er that of the meeting, hoping to gain
some information before taking my
man I'm. 4 few minutes before 10
O'Clock 1 went to the rendezvous,
room that 1 kept for such purposes In
the worst part of the city, and, going
upstairs, opened the door.
1 started back. There sat the man
with the red beard who had eyed US
when we left the saloon.
w nere-lS SlOpptOs
"Penochle? Penochle Is n very haZ-
ard0us game. Just now 1 happen to
hold six aces"
"Six? Ordinary packs hold but four.
Perhaps you count the joker"
"You show your ignorance of the
game" he replied knowingly.
"The game is one of life and death.
know that"
''What card do we playF
"The knave, who arrives tomorrow"
every good. By whose order"
''The circle"
"Good again. And who is PenochleT
The man would soon trap me. In
deed 1 believed this question would
prove my ruin. heard a clock strike
10. Five minutes yet before the men
would come! One may be killed in
as many seconds.
'PenochleP 1 repeated to gain time.
Then, remembering that my compan-
ion of the morning had said. You. not
l." replied evasively: THAT seems to
be the question: Is it you or ?"
"Who is PenochleT he repeated
sharply, moving his hand, which now
for the first time 1 noticed was con-
cealed under his coat
Don't bully me-" said as uncon-
cernedly as 1t was possible. 81 am not
the one designated by the circle to be
done 1t has assigned me special
work, and If you kill me you will
break the chain"
'What work?"
At that moment the door opened, and
my companion of the morning entered
excitedly.
"a letter has gone astray," he said
to the man with the red beard. 1.-THE
man must have used it"
Like a flash my interrogation raised
the concealed hand. which held n re-
volver. and covered me.
81 play my six aces. Every one Of