The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-06-26

Z the sound a come through some tap
estry in a small recess. Perhaps the tap
sstry covered a secret door, but there
WIS no time to investigate. A footnaaan
VAS waiting to conduct me to my host.
An interesting party was assembled at
timer; that is. they were interesting to
me as types of study. As conversation
lists they were failures, for the only sub
lects on which they talked fiuent1y were
:ards and horselesh.
I selected my stories accordingly. The
guests were apparently familiar with the
customs OF Monte Carlo and every hi
sarre gaming place abroad, but I told
Them tales OF our wild west, OF games Of
.aro and poker that fairly made them
Easp. aand after dinner they said I must
each them some points In our national
game OF cards.
Sitting opposite to me at the table wasa
u hroad-skoulaered, dark man, whose
Eyes, buack and set rather closely to-
~yetfer, never left my face. His lips were
hin and bloodless, and his long, rather
lquif1ne nose had a cruel curve about the
~lostr1ls. But what most attracted my at
:entton was his odd trick Of drumming al
most constantly with his right hand, now
IN the table, now on the arm of his chair,
and now on his quare chin. The instant
1e spoke I recognized the voice ] had
aeard in my room. The man was Cap
ain Marchand, al English officer with a
french name. Ills wife sat at my right. a.
handsome woman with a profusion Of soft
brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. which
I earned in a short time were playing
havoc with the mental peace of young
.ellow named Chadwick. He was a hand
some, boyish-looking fellow, one Of those
:haps who imagine themselves violently
N love with every pretty face they meet.
Mrs. Marchand seemed to have caught
1er husbands peculiar trick Of beating
hat m~addening tattoo with her fingers.
It fairly got o. my nerves, but no one
alse at the table appeared to notice It..
She had long, slim nervous looking hands,
covered with rings. the kind of hands one
always associates with an artistic tenn
,erament, and they were as restless as the
a~pofogetfc paws of Uriah Hecp. Never
sor one moment did she keep them still,
But played the DEVILS tattoo with mad
1entng persistency.
During the evening I was kept busy ex-
planning the in~tricacies of poker, after
witch I watched the guests yield to the
fascination Of the game. Soon little piles
Of greenbacks and gold appeared and dis
appeared at the various tables. Excite
nent grew apace.
Finally interest conferred at the table
where Marchand and young Chadwick
played alone. At the beginning the latter
won, and with a triumphant gesture
hauled in his little pile Of gold. The ex-
.itenrent had brought a SPARKLE to his eye
and daring to his tongue, and he kept
Mrs. Marchand near declaring that she
brought him luck. q
When Chadwick won she clapped her
aands in gtrlish glee, and once or twice
caught a cynical smile on M~archand's
lips. Clearly her presence was turning
.hadwtck's head; he played recklessly.
fsypf1H -ooixaE3$ = ca n0nIts M ayNIa mod ~ Nc r.
chand.
"A hush fel, on the rcenL Then rose Mrs.
M~archand's clear, sweet voice.
How exciting! oh, MIR. Chadwick, go
me better. Make 1t $500"
The other guests rose n gathered