The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-07-12

and hat, the waiter who took his order
for food and the croupier who took his
money, were all gladdened by his COM
ing; for his gratuities were as large
when he lost as when he won. Even
the reserved proprietor, accustomed as
he was to a wealthy and careless Glen
tele, treated Percival with marked con-
sideration after night when the young
man persuaded him to withdraw the
limit at roulette, and spent a large
sum in testing a system for breaking
the wheel, given to him by friend
lately returned from Monte Carlo.
II think, really, the fellow who gave
me that system is an ass he said,
lighting a cigarette when the play was
done. "Now I'm going down and de-
molish eight dollars worth of food and
drink-you won't be all to the good on
that, you know"
His host decided that a young man
VINO was hungry after losing 100000
in five hours play, was person to be
not lightly considered.
And, though he loved the rhythmic
whir and the ensuing rattle of the lit
tie ivory ball at the roulette wheel, he
did not disdain the quieter faro, play
ing that dignifled game exclusively
| with the chocolate-colored chips, which
cost $1,000 a stack. Sometimes he won;
but not often enough to disturb his
hosts belief that there is less of chance
in his business than in any other
known to the captains of industry.
There were, too, scciable games of
poker, played with Garner, of the lead
trust; Burman, the intrepid young
wheat operator from Chicago, and half
dozen other well-moneyed spirits;
games in which the limit, to use the
Chicagoan's phrase, was "the beautiful
but lofty North STAR" At these games
he lost even more regularly than at
those where, with the exception of a
trifing percentage, he was solely at
the mercy of chance. But he was a
joyous loser, endearing himself to the
other players; to Garner, whom Bur-
man habitually accused of being
''closer than warm night" as we'll as
to the open-handed son of the chew
ing gum magnate, who had been raised
abroad and who protested nightly that
there was an element of beastly Amer
lean commercialism in the game. When
Percival was by some chance absent
from a sitting, the others calculated
the precise sum he probably would
have lost and humorously acquainted
him with the amount by telegraph next
morning-it was apt to be nine hundred
and some odd dollars-requesting that
he cover by cneck at his early conven-
fence.
Yet the diversion was not all gam
bling. There were long sessions at all
night restaurants where the element of
chance in his favor, inconspicuous else
where, was wholly eliminated; suppers
for hungry Thespians and thirsty para
sites, protracted with song and talk
until the gas-hames grew pale yellow,
and the cabmen, when the party went
out into the wan light, would be low
voiced, confidential and suggestive in
their approaches.
Broadway would be weirdly quiet at
such times, save for the occasional
frenzied clatter of a hurrying milk
wagon. Even the cars seemed to move
with less sound than by day, and the
early-rising workers inside, holding
dinner pals and lunch baskets. were
subdued and silent, yet strangely OBJ
serving, as if the hour were one in
which the vision was made clear to
appraise the values of life justly. To
the north, whence the cars bulked ST.
lently, would be an awakening sky
of such tender beauty that the jewellers
often paid it the tribute of moments
notice.
pure turquoise" one would declare.
with just a dash of orange bitters
in it, another might add
And then perhaps they burst into
song under the spell, blending their
voices into what the professional gen.
tlemen termed "barber-shop harmon
ies," until policeman would saunter
across the street, pretending, however,
that he was not aware of them
Then perhaps ride toward the
beautiful northern sky would be pro-
posed, whereupon three or four hanson
or coupe loads would begin a journey
that wound up through Central park
toward the northern light, but which
never attained point remoter than
some suburban road house. where
sleepy cooks and bartenders would
have to be routed out to collaborate
toward breakfast
Oftener the party fell away into
struggling groups with notions for
sleep, chanting at last, perhaps:
"While beer brings gladness, don't forget
That water only makes you wet"
Percival would walk to the hotel,
sobered and perhaps made little re-
Elective by the unwonted quiet. But
they we're pleasant, careless folk, he
concluded always. They permitted him
to spend his money, but he was quite
sure they would spend it as freely as
he if they had it. More than one ap-
preciative soubrette, met under such