The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-03-25
"The Long Arm. "
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BY KEiGHLEY SNOWDEK.
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II ing one more hand. He played
at all times very quietly, so far as a
card table manner is concerned, and
tonight he was sometimes mildly
humorous. His preoccupation could
not be imagined. But it deepened dur
ing the final rubber, and, far away in
thought from Piccadilly, he heard the
Strid roar at Bolton, in lovely Wharfe-
dale. That was a place where man
might easily seem to die by misadven-
ture.
The game being ended, he pushed
the cards away with a smile. Some
sense Of embarrassment lay upon the
other players. His luck had been
worse than common, he was pleasant
officer, and everybody knew him to be
''hipped." He wrote in his neat hand
upon the back of visiting cards an Il
o U" for each member of the party,
while they were paying cash or checks.
His refined and tranquil face was
flushed little; the act brought home
to him a very disagreeable sense of his
position.
He reverted to a conversation which
had passed before the game began.
"You are all very good fellows to
watt" he said. "Pm sorry. haven't
at all the same faith in my chances"
His sensitiveness provoked friend
ly murmur and some light encourage
ments. When a man is "off his luck"
he cannot do better than go away and
forget it. In the high priced club
where the colonel played above his
purse worse luck than his had been
known to right itself.
Col. Arthur Sale was a man of no
excuses but this of gambling; middle
aged, a good soldier, with some repu-
tation as a traveller and a sportsman.
While yet a lieutenant he had made
two Independent journeys in the Sou
dan about the time of the first mahdi's
rise to power. His resolute courage
had been attested then and since; tho
regularity of his life was of late con-
firmed by happy marriage, and men
knew him for q nice sense Of honor
and excellent temper, taste and social
tact These last qualities were best
observed in his duller moods, when a
special gentleness appeared in him.
Few men were better liked, and, as
commonly happens, not the most i'm
agiaatfve among his friends could sus-
pect what he had it in mind to do.
He was going to Yorkshire "for q
months fishing" But, for some time
now, the position must have seemed
to Col. Sale to have hopeless look
He had lost hard upon $4,000 in few
months; his means were narrow, and
after calling in all but assurances, he
was in debt for three impossible thou
sands still.
To give up honor and life was doubly
futile. But what had determined him
was the necessity Of saving somethins
for his wife and boys. He said good.
by to them In the morning. Let those
who share his temperament be Col
Sales judges. Granted his point OF
view, there must have been something
beautifully tender and brave in the
light farewell, and yet one does MOI
care to think OF 1t.
Pass to certain reflections of tn,
Journey. They had some bearing OF
the sequel. With only few days t,
live, and with the sense Of master,
winch every Caim resolution gives
Col. Sale was more than usually cleal
headed, although his heart -1abored
and scenes from the old past ran most
~ In his thoughts. In particular b
was struck by recollectiens Of col
lege friendship and of q boys CONVEX
sation which pointed to his presen
CASE It was the most intimate AM
lasting friendship he had known, an,
he would have liked to say good-b,
20 Jack Alleyn. Dear old fdu
Achates, matter OF fact and gay an
kind. What In these last lew year
had become Of him? He might eve
have shown better way with debt
of honor. He always did know tn
right thing 10 do. and did It with
fnrn q ne hand. When they yer
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