Bisbee daily review., 1903-04-16
THE OUTCOME
 OF A GAME
tOriginal.l

fore his marriage and continued to be ehums after his marriage, although confess was greatly disappointed that Grace Horton married him instead of me. That his marriage did not break on our intimacy was due entirely to Otis, who was ignorant of my attach ment for the woman he married. and could not turn away his invitations to he a frequent visitor to his house. Day by day grew irritated against him.
 Otis had one weakness-a passion for gambling: not that he visited the regu- lar gambling houses, for he did not. but he played at home. He would gath CT party of friends nearly every night. and the play was always very high. This his wife did not know. She was aware that he played for money, but supposed the amounts were trifiing. Otis gradually collected ali sorts of i'm p,ements for gambling.
 One Saturday afternoon in June as was about to leave my office for half holiday. Otis dropped in and told me that he had bought a roulette table. Would. go with him and see the ball spin1 He insisted. yielded.
 On reaching his house we went to what he called the .noking room, di- vested ourselves of our coats and vests. lighted cigars and sat down st the rou- lette table. There is something fasci- mating in watching the little ball spin rapidly around for awhile. then begin to coquette with the different pockets. rolling toward one, striking point and nearly being knocked into another, poised for a moment on the edge of third. never settling into its choice till the excitement of the watchers has reached fever heat Otis was banker. He won all the money I had about me; then began to give hin due bills. About o'clock added these amounts and found that l was bankrupt.
 It was plain to me that Otis had grown frightened at my large bets. He had a wife and child. and if in stead of the bank having broken me had broken the bank it would have been terrible. The fires of hell were burning within me. This man had de prived me of the woman upon whom 1fd0 SCt tn5 ncdi duo nOn AC iA1o Ad en every dollar I possessed. As a drowning man will catch at straw l ran nay hands through my pockets and felt a coin the size of half dollar drew 1t from it's place and in doing so dropped it, and it rolled under a lounge. arose to get it.
 Never mind," said Otis What was ity'
 Fifty cents, believe"
 "very well; it's safe. Make your bet"
 bet on the number giving the high est returns The ball spun around, daiIied here and there, then dropped into my number. From this on I had sn astonishing run of luck till had won back S100 of my losses. I played on, the luck continuing with me. Din ner was announced, but we paid no at tention to 1t. At II o'clock l had re- gained all I had lost besides consid- erabie sum from Otis. He figured his losses and in trembling voice an- nounced that they were S6.000, or near y 1000 more than he could possibly pay. had broken the bank
 The revenge I had coveted now that it was attained suddenly turned bitter. After the first exciting moment of realization that l had saved what possessed, won all Otis had and placed him in the position l was in when found the half dollar revulsion came over me. He WAS my friend and had never injured me. I had loved the girl who was his wife, and his child was devoted to me. Nevertheless had ruined him and ruined his wife and child.
 'Otis," l said. ''when l had lost all this afternoon l found half dollar with which retrieved everything and broke your bank. It rolled under that lounge Go and find it and see what you can do with it My opinion is that there's rare luck in it."
 He went to the lounge. got down or the floor. found the piece and brought it to the table. I noticed curious ex pression on his face and turned my eyes from it to the coin. It had rather the look of german silver than the trus white metal.
 That's 10 half dollar" said Otis 'Tfs check fer something 2
 It was check for an umbrella tha had carried for week. ! had re gained my fortune and won Otis for tune on a yaiueiess bit of metal. W. stood looking at each other while tht truth was breaking over us. His for tune was his own. and he was entitle< to mine.
 The remembrance of that moment al ways gives me great satisfaction In stead of experiencing disappoinfmen felt pleasure. preferred that Otil should possess the money. His wifi and child would share it with him, and as for me. l was young and would dou ble my efforts Co retrieve my losses.
 There was a grate in the room, am Otis. without speaking. gathering tn due bills. both his own and mine, tool them there; then. striking match, b. iiehted them. When they were burned he came to me with outstretched hand saying;
 'The games draw, old man, an' it's the last game that will ever b played in this house and the last tim