Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-01-07
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LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
Copyright. 1908. BY r. c, Mcclure
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| nat puts me out, remarked TIT
lean Yankee from the Cross Triangl,
outfit. The third man, Davies, as h,
called himself, raped the table will
his knuckles indifferently. He wa,
ahead Of the game and could afford L
lose the pot.
There remained old man Lorry. re
him Gentry looked with surprising in
soucianee. Having dealt the cards, the
| gambler was disturbed by no doubts as
to Lorry's action. He would raise and
| promptly. Lorry had cut before the
| deal, it Is true. but Gentry had reversed
the cut adroitly, unobtrusively.
| 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
nervously upon one end of his ragged
| tobacco stained mustache. Finally he
| slammed his hand upon the table
| Gentry arched his brows inquiringly.
"Out?" he asked, motioning toward
| the discard.
Old man Lorry swore abandonedly
"Naww 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 amazement He had
| not thought to find such rich prey.
| Lorry, conscious that he was creating
sensation, threw two bills upon the
| table with an air.
"Steddy, pop" cautioned Healy, pro-
| prietor of the saloon.
Mind yer own business" responded
old man Lorry sharply.
"And five hundred better" Gentry
remarked softly.
"An' five hundred"
again"
Lorry glanced defantly 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.
Gall yer!" exclaimed the old man,
depositing the remainder of his for
| tune in the pot.
"Aces up an queense' 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 spells
and passed the cards to Dugan. The
latter shook his head. with an air Of
fnality.
"Nope," he said "No more for me"
"None in mine," 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
bartender's 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 on out into the infinite silent
peace OF the mountain night.
He walked 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 inpatiently,
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 / hadn't got it some other fellow
would"
Gentry lighted cigar, stuck his
hands in his trousers pockets jauntily
and retraccd his steps toward Healy s.
But he did not stop there. Through its
open windows fra gments of an argu-
ment foated 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 1t would mean even
tual bloodshed. He stepped quickly past
the fan of light which the doorway
threw across the road and began an
ascent of the mountain trail. He would
return ere long, when things were
quieted. saddle his horse and ride on
to the next camp.
The night air was warm and sooth
ing with the balm of the pine scent.
Tie gambler strolled beneath q high,
broad arched, brilliant sky. fretted with
bright stars But from these he kept
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 a
great sweet solitude whose essence was
in the mystery of night upon the noun
tains The road wound temptingly on.
a forest aisle empty. dusty, now white
In the glare of the heavens, now black
~ Swallowed by massed pines, through
whose interstices the starlight fell
Presently the gambler came upon a
little clearing in which, set at Il dis
lance back from the road and sur
rounded by 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
ly rich in information and clear-and at
that he made out slender figure sway
ing upon the gate OF the fence. He
tossed away bis smoke. removed his