The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-08
GAMBLERS EYES
By HARRY G. CARR

with curse on his lips. A foot on the.
rung of your chair sends your luck away
to the owner of the foot, as every one
knows. But when he saw who it was
he sank back abashed with a murmured
apology on his lips.
Mac said the parson gently, t'cash
in; want to see you"
Mccartney looked back at the table
where stiff stud poker game was going
on and then at the parson. There was a
CLINT of suspicion In his eyes. But he
cashed in and the two walked over to a
distant corner of the room.
The parson handede him the letter with
out a word. Mccartney looked up with
quick distrust as he read the first lines
But as he read on, his thin, sensitive lips
quivered a little and the parson saw that
he had been cut to the quick. His voice
was strained and dry as he said: L
that's pretty damned rough, Parson."
IT found that in the pocket OF the. ten
derfoot you shot, Mac" said the parson
slowly. 9z> 5ss
Mccartney WINGED and looked pitifully
! at the parSOn. @ss-r-l s--.- -.
Il didn't know he said. 'I-my
God, parson, it seems like I'd shot my
! mother - ya--.=---
The parson tried to tell him it was all
for good; told him to go back to his moth
er. But Mccartney shook his head.
IT can't do it, parson,' he said. II guess
I've wasted all my trumps. l don't know
how to do anything but gamble
The parson fumbled over a few inefeet.
ual words. Mccartney caught him sud-
denly by the arm and said almost saw
| agey, '"rhat isn't true: you know 1t isn't.
Look me straight in the eyes. Parson I
look like a gambler, don't.I? I got gam
bler's eyes. haven't 1?'' =
The parson said something about the
change that would come with different
| surroundings ~'--~ -
1 Mccartney grunted scornfully. Differ
| ent surroundings" he said bitterly.
| where in Christ's world would get diff
ferent surroundings? Where is there a
| decent home open to me now? I've
| dropped OUT He turned away with a
gesture of utter despair.
| The parson hooked his arm through the
gamblers. Il know a place up here he
| said. 80 -,
They looked up from the faro tables in
surprise to see Charley Mccartney. the
| widest plunger in town, walking out arm
in arm with the parson. He never came
back; " .# =
Mccartney walked along with his hat
pulled low over his eyes. The parson Ia
boriously manufactured conversation, and
Mccartney didn't hear word Of it.
AS the parson turned in at his own door
he felt McCartney's arm relax in his own,
but he dragged him along.
The Mrs. Parson met them. She was
hardly more than a. girl and she was in
the sweet freshness of a summer gown.
1t was long since Mccartney had met a
good woman. On her arm was a BABY
the parsons boy. -...-~ ~~ Fl
81 want to introduce my friend, Charley
Mccartney" said the parsen heartily as
they came UP the steps. e.;
The girl moved the baby over on the
other arm and held out a slim, cool hand
1Ier fine blue eyes met McCartney's eyes
frankly. 49,
It went straight to his heart "Ah, dea,
: Cod he thought to himself. "She
doesn't know She didn't know the!
were gamblers eyes, and she was goot
2 woman. it wasn't too late. The tear:
: came into his eyes and blinded him ant
he could not speak. Only his heart wa:
, saying over and over to him, she doesni
know; she doesn't know.
4; The baby squirmed around in his moth
er's sweet young arms and looked gravel,
: at Mccartney. All at once he gave {
t crow of delight and reached out his two
( chubby arms. He was kicking his heel:
] and wriggling like a little eel. He wanted
to go to- Mccartney. 49,. .z--,s -
1 parson solennly. The parsons wifi
e laughed joyously. But Mccartney didn'
laugh. He Rugged that baby close to hi
+ heart and the tears streamed down hi
l cheeks. He did not care. He. buried hi
J. face in that baby's dress and cried. Thu
+ parsons wife drew the parson silently int
2 the house and left the gambler with he
baby. ,. &c..
Mccartney stayed a week at the par
l sons house. Most of the time he played
with the baby. He was very silent. A
the end of a week he went away. Thu
parson did not know where. McCartne,
said he would not go back to his mother
, just yet. -
In the parsons desk there are two ole
faded kilograms. One is dated a veal
after Mccartney left the parsons. 1t say:
7 simply that Mccartney has struck it ricl
in the mines; that he has staked out ;
, claim for the parson and is going home
| 1t is dated at a place that the parsoI
never heard Of; he found out afterwart
t that it was in Alaska. The other tele
I gram is from little town in western New
l York. It says that he is home with hi
mother. And" it says, "struck it ricl
, again." -. .~.s e<.-.- .- -