Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-12-10

where she had sunk her teeth into her
lower lip. Glenistcr did not rise. He
| sat, heavy browed and sullen, his Jaw
thrust forward, his hair low upon his
forehead, his eyes bloodshot and dead.
''I'll sit the hand out II you'll let me
bet the finger" said he.
Certainly" replied the dealer.
When man requests this privilege,
1t means that he will call the amount
of his wager without producing the
visible stakes, and the dealer may nc
cept or refuse according to his judg-
ment of the bettor's responsibility. It
Is safe, for no man shirks gambling
debt in the north, and thousands may
go with a nod Of the head though never
a cent be on the board.
There were still few cards in the
box, and the dealer turned them, pay
ing the three men who played. Glen
lister took no part, but sat bulked over
his end Of the table, glowering from
beneath his shock of hair.
Cherry was deathly tired. The strain
Of the last hour had been SO intense
that she could barely sit In her seat,
yet she was determined to finish the
hand. AS Bronco paused before the
last turn many Of the bystanders made
bets. They were the lease players"
who rlsked money only ON the final
pair, thus avoiding the chance Of two
cards of like denomination coming to-
gether. In which event C'splits" 1t is
called the dealer takes half the mon
ey. The stakes were laid at last and
the deal about to start when Glenister
spoke. "Wait! What's this place
worth, Bronco?"
"What do you mean?"
you own this outftT' He waved
his hand about the room. "Well, what
does 1t stand your
The gambler hesitated nm Instant
while the crowd pricked up its ears,
and the girl turned wondering, trou-
bled eyes upon the miner. What would
he do now?
Counting bank rolls, fixtures and
all, about $4,000. Why7"
"I'll pick the ace to lose, my one-half
interest IN the Midas against your
whole layout"
There was an absolute hush while
the realization of this offer smote the
onlookers. 1t took time to realize It.
This man was insane. There We're
three cards to choose from-one would
win, one would lose, and one would
have no action.
OF all those present only Cherry Ma
lotte OWNED even vaguely the real rea-
son which prompted the man to do
this. 1t was not "gameness" nor alto
| gether british stubbornness which
would not let him quit It was some
thing deeper. He was desolate, and
his heart was gone. Helen was lost to
him-worse yet. was unworthy and
| she was all he cared for What did he
want OF the Midas. with its lawsuits,
Its intrigues and Its trickery? He was
sick Of 1t all, of the whole game, and
wanted to get away. II he won, very
Well. IT he lost, the land of the aurora
would know him no more.
When he put his proposition the
Bronco Kid dropped his eyes as though
debating. The girl saw that he stu
died the cards in his box intently and
that his fingers caressed the top one
ever SO softly during the instant the
eyes of the rest We're OH Glenister.
The dealer looked up at last and Cher
ry saw the CLEAN of triumph in his
eye. He could not mask it from her,
though his answering words were hest
tating. She knew by the look that
Glenister was u pauper.
Come on" insisted Roy hoarsely;
turn the cards.
You're on"
The girl felt that she was fainting.
She wanted to scream The triumph
of this moment stifled her-or was 1t
triumph, after all? She heard the
/ breath of the little man behind her
rattle as though he were being throt-
tied and saw the lookout pass shall-
ing hand to his chin, then wet his
parched lips. She saw the man she
4 had helped to ruin bend forward. his
lean face strained and hard, an odd
look of pain and WEAKNESS In his eyes.
She never forgot that look. The
crowd was frozen In various attitudes
Of eagerness, although 1t had not yet
recovered from the suspense of the
last great wager. 1t knew the Midas
and what 1t meant. Here lay half of
it. hidden beneath a tawdry square of
pasteboard. With maddening DELHI
Grafton the Kid dealt the top card. Be
meath 1t was the trey of spades. Glen.
lister said no word nor made a move.
Some one coughed, and 1t sounded like
gunshot. Slowly the dealers fingers
retraced their way. He hesitated pur
posely and leered at the girl, then the
three spot disappeared and beneath II
lay the ace as the king had lain on
that other wager. 1t spelled utter ruin
to Glenister. He raised his eyes blind
4 ~, and then the dcathlike silence OF
the room was shattered by sudden
| crash. Cherry Malotte had closed hel
| check rack violently, at the same III
slant crying shrill and clear:
'"rhat bet is off! The cases are
wrongy'
( Glenister half rose, overturning his
chair; the Kid lunged forward across
the table. and his wonderful hands
tense and talon-like, thrust themselves
forward as though reaching for the
riches she had snatched away. They
worked and wrlthed and trembled n: