Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-02-20
XVIII.
A WINDFALL FROM "GENTLE
MAN" JOE.

XVIII.
A WINDFALL FROM "GENTLE.
MAN" JOE.
Invent to my rooms, purpoSing to
| go straight to bed, and get a good
| sleep. l did make start toward I'M
| dressing; then 1 realized that l should
only lie awake with my brain wearing
me out, spinning crazy thoughts and
schemes hour after hour-for my i'm
agination rarely let's it do any effect
i've thinking after the lights are out
and the limitations of material things
are wiped away by the darkness.
dressed myself again and went
out-went up to Joe Healey's gam
bling place in Forty-fourth street.
Most of the well-known gamblers up
town, as well as their respectable"
down town fellow members of the fra
ternity, were old acquaintance of
mine; Joe Healey was as close
friend as I had. He had great fame
for Squareness-and, in a sense, de-
served it. With his fellow gamblers
he was as straight as string at all
tfmeS-to be otherwise would have
meant that when he went broke he
would stay broke, because none OF the
fraternity would stake" him. But
with his patrons-being regarded by
them as a pariah, he acted toward
them like a pariah-a prudent pariah.
He fooled them with a frank show of
gentlemanliness, of honesty to his
own hurt; under that cover he fieeced
them well, but always judiciously.
That night, 1 recall, Joe's guests
were several young fellows of the
fashionable SET, rich mems sons and
their parasites, a few of the big down
town operators who hadn't yet got
hipped on espectability-they play
ing poker in private room-and
couple of fush-faced, flush-pursed
chaps from out of town, for whom one
Of Joe's men was dealing faro from
what looked to my experienced and
accurate eye like brace" box.
Joe, very elegant, too elegant in
fact, in evening dress, was showing
new piece of statuary to the oldest
son Of Melville, of the National In
dustrial bank. Joe knew little some
thing about art-he was much like the
art dealers who, as matter of bust
ness, learn the difference between
good things and bad, but in their
hearts wonder and laugh at people
willing to part with large sums OF
money for little paint or marble or
the like
AS soon as Joe thought he had suffi-
oin
drifted him to roulette table, left
him there and joined me.
Come to my Office" said he. II
want to see you
He led the way down the richly
carpeted marble stairway as far as the
landing at the turn. There, on a sort
of mezzanine, he had gorgeous little
suit The principal object in the sit
ting-room or Office was huge safe.
He closed and locked the outside door
behind us.
Take seat" said he. You'll like
the cigars in the second box on my
desk-the long one" And he began
turning the combination lock. You
haven't dropped in on us for the past
three or four MONTHS he went on.
NO." said L, getting a great deal OF
pleasure out of seeing again, and thus
intimately, his round, ruddy face
like yachtman's, not like a drinkers
and his shifty, laughing brown eyes.
1.-THE game down town has given me
enough excitement. / haven't had to
continue Il up town to keep my hand
in"
I've noticed that you are getting
| too swell to patronizs us fellows"
said he, his shrewd smile showing
that my polite excuse had not fooled
him. well, Matt, you're right-you
always did have good sound sense and
a steady eye for the main chance.
| used to think the women'd ruin you.
| they were so crazy about that hand
some mug and figure of yours. But
| when / saw you knew exactly when
to let go, knew nothing could stop
you"
By this time he had the safe open,
disclosing several compartments and
a small, inside safe. He worked away
at the second combination lock, and
presently exposed the interior OF the
little safe. 1t was filed with great
roll OF bills. He pried this out,
brought it over to the desk and began
wrapping it up. Il want you to take
this with you when you CO." said he
I've made several big killings lately,
and I'm going to get you to invest the
proceeds"
IT be continuedl