Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-10-18
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
AT the PAVILION.

finds beyond the borders Of civilization.
There we're Transfers, COW punchers,
and a sprinkling of men fairly well
dressed.
The game was one most commonly |
played in those parts-faro. The deal !,
er, red.headed, sandy.bearded man
in a wooden shirt, sat at one end Of the
table dealing cards from a tin box,
while the patrons of the pavilion" as
II was called, placed their money on
other cards arranged in oval form on
the table.
All we're too absorbed In the play to
notice the entrance Of man who un.
der other circumstances would have
been noticeable even in that motley
crowd. His clothes were in tatters; his
sunken cheeks and eyes told story of
long continued hunger. Shutting up
to the faro table, he chose card on
which to bet and, opening his clutched
fingers, placed a silver dollar upon II.
The dealer was proceeding with the
usual precision-exposing the card
that was to win or lose, gathering In
the money "the house" had won and
paying that which was lost like slow.
ly working piece Of mechanism grind.
ing out the fate of those who came
within its feeder. He had Just gathered
in his gains on the card exposed when
the stranger put down his coin. First
casting his eye over the board, the
dealer exposed the next card. IL was
a winner for the stranger. Not only
was his dollar still his own, but the
dealer laid five more dollars beside 1t.
When the bets had been settled 1t
was noticed that the stranger left his
money just as It was on the card he
had placed his first bet. II won again.
Il The dealer laid $50 on 1t, settled up
the other bets and went on with the
IDEAL. Again the stranger won. There
was a hum OF interest in the matter
the s3G, aggregating In all $216. Sew.
eral players looked up into the face OF
the winner to see how he took his good
luck, but his hat was drawn down over
his eyes, and they could not see his
features. He sat with his elbows on
the table. his chin resting on his hands.
For few moments there was the
sound of heavy breathing, then perfect
quiet.
Before exposing the next card the
dealer waited n moment to see II the
stranger would not draw his money.
: He sat perfectly still, his face turned
down to the heap beside him, and as ne
gave no sign to take II in the dealer
went on with the game. There was a
multiplicity OF chances that the win
nings would 20 back where they came
from-into the possession of the pa.
vilion." Indeed there had been null
tiplicity of chances that they would
not win the third time.
And these adverse chances were null
tiplied against its winning the fourth.
When the card which was to decide the
matter was exposed the eye OF every
one present was on It, forgetful OF
everything save the seedy mans case.
!, A burst of EXPLANATIONS told that again
he had won.
, The dealer gave dissatisfied grunt,
turned to the Golfers to replenish his
, eXchequer before paying the loss, then
dumped several pounds of gold on the
, table before the winner.
Again the crowd looked at the for.
y tunate man to see how he took his won.
q dcrful run Of luck, but there was no
Z evidence even at the supremely excit.
n ing moment when the card was exposed
p or even tremor. No such unemotion-
c al winner had ever played at the pa.
:. yilion." Several Of the better dressed
Y players lost interest in their own game
!. and became intensely interested in
that of the stranger. He made no mo-
ton to touch the money he had won,
sitting apparently unmoved while the
dealer was counting II out and settling
the minor bets. Then, when all was
ready for the next DEAL the strangers
heap was still staked on the card on
which he had bet and won several sue
cessive times.
He's going to try 1t again."
"Fool!"
Idiot"
LET him alone. He'll break the
bank"
He's gone to Sleep"
wake him up"
The dealer, who was cocksure that
fortune once more tempted would de-
sert the stranger, and return all his
winnings to the "house," hurried on
and exposed the next card.
A wild shout from the crowd showed
that the stranger had won again.
+ The winner still sat motionless. One
I of the bystanders shook him. The
= mans head swayed, lost its support on
the palms Of his hands and fell for.
ward on the table. He was lifted up