, 1903-02-12


Last Night.
was on. Nobody was there but the
scrubwomen and they thought l was
n Of the men. 1t takes me just
twenty miutes to get my work In on
the wheel. and it's fine work, too. The
II, the 16. the 81 and the 20 have
got to come every time. l goes back
after lunch and there's nobody playin'
the wheel. I stays round all the after
Don and evenin' but no wheel play
ers. l didn't want to ask them to
open up for me. At last, about an
hour ago, in walks the Kid. He didn't
let on that he knew me. Then some
wheel players comes in and the Kid
himself opens up. l strolls yer and
throws out a twenty for some checks.
NO" he says, I'VE don't want your
game" SO there you are. staid q
minute to see If the graft on the wheel
was all right, and it was perfect. All
you got to do is go up and break him
and come back and split with me"
Holy Mackinaw; but will he stand
for it," said Jack huskily as he
leaned forward over the table.
Stand for it IL. Go up and
grab all you can while he does stand
for it. Have you got a hank roll?"
Bank roll! One fve-dollar note
to my name"
Here's fifty. You've got your Clar-
ence coat on 30 he'll think you're a
swell. Sting him as hard as he'll let
y6u every play and duck quick when
{he makes you cash in"
n What's those numbers again."
asked Jack, %buttoning his coat.
Eleven, 16, 81 and 20. Get a hus-
tie on you now and I'll wait right
here"
The three blocks which interviewed
between the Russell house and the
sumptuous quarters of the Broadway
Club were like so many miles.
Your coat, sah?" queried q little
darkey boy in livery, as he entered
the heavily bolted door.
Good evening"" said Kasson as
Jack strolled languidly over to a seat
at the wheel Some checks?"
20, give me fifty-I only want to
fiirt q little" came in Jacks most
blase tones. while within he felt like
a furnace heating q s~ky-scraper in q
blizzard.
Stand for ten on . number" he
asked c%arelessly.
That's u limit"
He laid ten dollars worth on each Of
the fated numbers and the ball spun
round. Would 1t never stop. Bounce,
rattle. bound and 1t settled down In
the little bin marked 16.
"Ah," he murmured, that isn't bad
for a starter" while mentally he fig
ured three hundred and fifty dollars
won and thirty dollars lost.
Guess I'll make the same bet
again"
Number eleven won that time and
sixteen repeated the next. An anxious
look began to gather on the hard face
Of the Kid a. Jacks pile Of checks
doubled and trebled.
you've certainly got EN- comm to-
night" he said as he spun the wheel
viciously. Again the ball found one
Of the lucky numbers.
You better raise the limit and take
a chance to get ven I'll lay twenty
on a number II you say" You're on"
Again the young man won and again
and again. The other players gradu-
ally stopped and stood breathlessly
watching this favored child of for
tune. Beads of perspiration stood on
the KIDS brow. Jack felt as though
he were sitting on the roof and reach
ing down through to play, but out.
wardly he WIS the coolest man in the
room.
At last-"Whether you're man or
devil, l can't beat you tonight. Cash
in" A murmur nj round the room
~ everyone took = long breath. It
was the first time in tho memory OF
the Oldest rounder that the Club had
! quit"
"Seventy-six hundred and hfty,"
said Jack pushing owe his last stack.
The roll Of bills he got had to be
distributed among his various pockets
to ind accommodations. He dropped
the quarter predestined for to-mor.
rows breakfast. into the hand Of the
boy who obsequousfy held his coat,
and in avs minutes had rejoined Gully.
Have you the goodsf" said the lat.
ter in tones Of Joyful anticipation.
II have. Here. bring az . quart
Of White seal. A split Of 'polinaris
II do me. seventy-aix hundred and
here's your atty back Thirtyeight
hundred Apiece. 1 guess thatT help
some. You've certainly hxsd ne out.
Gully"
Il thought I'd teach that lobster to
cross-road . poor devil whose wife
needed the money"
Another man1l have Q wife you've
made happy before many moons. too"
Good boy, Jack. And oon4 yoa
ever forget about that sticktn' 70 Tie
1egit' either" Trust Ne"
Nsxt sve1ia8. UAAss ssvsr lpabsG