The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-10-29
ZEN / RI, -.
~~ GAMBLER
LOUIS JosErali I yAiilc
;gCopyrtghf. 1908, by =. g. Met sInrss 4, 81
. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

outfit The third man.. Davies, @as; b
called himself, raped the table Wit
his knuckles indiferently. He wa
ahead of the game and could afford t,
lose the pot. @- .=....= H..
There remained old man Lorry. Z,
him Gentry looked with surprising in
souciance. Having dealt the cards, tn,
gambler was disturbed by no doubts al
to Lorry's action. He would raise and
promptly. Lorry had cut before thi
DEAL it is true. but Gentry had reversed
the cut adroitiy, unobtrusive1y.
Nevertheless, to the gamblers sur
prise, Lorry was uncommonly slow
He vacillated mentally between eau
ton and cupidity; his weak, red rim
med eyes shone feverishly behind the
iron bound glasses, and he chewed
nervotlsly upon one end Of his ragged,
tobacco stained mustache. Finally he
slammed his hand upon the table.
Gentry arched his brows inquiringly. ri
"Out?' he asked, motioning toward
the discard. !. :. s:4: @E$
Old man Lorry swore abandonedly.
NAV" he replied. "See yer twenty
an go yer hundred BETTER ::##:
From the interior of his shirt he pro.
duced roll of bills which the gambler
appraised with Amusement He had
not thought to find such rich prey.
LOrry, conscious that he was creating
a sensation, threw two bills upon the
table with an air. -. *$a.#
''Steddy, pop" cautioned Healy, pro-
prietor of the saloon. j.
Mind yer own business responded
old man Lerry sharply. 4 : 81
and Ave hundred better" Gentry
remarked softly. *s.:7.5
"An' five hundred"
Again" IT,.
Lorry glanced defiantly about the ia
Bile. Healy had turned his back. AS
for the, rest startled out of their COM
posture by this abrupt change in the
complexion of the game. they watched
breathlessly.
"Call yerv' exclaimed the old man,
depositing the remainder of his for
tune in the pot.
"Aces up an queens!" he added, with |
an oath, as Gentry displayed his cards. |
Better n my kings up an jacks"- He |
broke off, staring blankly at the gam |
bier as he calmly raked in his spoils |
and passed the cards. to Dugan. The /
latter shook his head, with an air Of
f1nality.
"Nope," he said. "No more for me-"
None inmfne," agreed the lean Yam
kee briefly, and Davies nodded assent
to the judgment Of the others
Lorry shambled dispiritedly toward
the bar. Gimme some ski. Billy" he
demanded
Gentry arose and placed fifty in the
bartenders hands. "You can pay for
the drinks out Of that. I'm going to
take little walk to cool off. See you
later, gentlemen" He paused on the
threshold but none answered him, and
he passed OH out into the infinite silent
peace of the mountain night.
He walked a few steps along the
apology for a road which formed the
main street of the half deserted mining
village, then halted suddenly.
"Old fool" he muttered impatiently,
comforting himself against the thought
of the wrong he had done old man
Lorry. "He should have known bet
ter. Well, what's his loss is my gain.
If l hadn't got it some other fellow
would"
Gentry lighted a cigar, stuck his
hands in his trousers pockets jauntily |
and retraced his steps toward Healy's.
But he did not stop there. Through it's
open windows fragments of an argu-
ment f1oated to his ears, punctuated |
with old man Lorry's voice, bleating
that he had been shorn. That was |
quite true, but the gambler did not
wish to discuss the question with him
since of necessity it would mean even
tual bloodshed. He stepped quickly past
then of light which the doorway
threw Ioss. the road and began an
ascent of tbmountain trail. He would
return ere pg, when things were
quoted, saddle Hlperse and ride on
to the next camp. -: l
The night air was wan and sooth-
ing with the balm of thepine scent.
The gambler strolled beneth< a high, ',
broad arched, brilliant sky, freed with
bright stars. But from these hskeYt
his face. His thoughts were too near
to the earth for contemplation of the
armament. AS he left the struggling
village behind him he entered upon
great sweet solitude whose essence was
in the mystery Of night upon the noun
tains. The road wound temptingly on,
forest aisle empty, dusty, now white
in the glare of the heavens, now black
ly Swallowed by massed pines, through
whose interstices the starlight fell. -..'-
Presently the gambler came upon
little clearing in which, set at dis
lance back from the road and sur
rounded by a dilapidated picket fence,
was a small cabin, vine clad. Its win
dows shone dimly with yellow lamp =.
light, this although the hour was =
past midnight. AS he stopped, putting.
speculatively upon his cigar, voice
hailed him-a feminine voice.. singular
~ rich in intonation and clear-and lat
that he made out a slender figure sway
ing upon the gate of the sfence.a He p
tossed away his smoke, removed his :.
SLOUGH hat and approached. :-ssss1:f:. Eff