Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-20

listers brown skin, dripping from his
Jaw tinnoticed, He arose and stripped
OF his coat, while those standing be-
hind him shifted and scuffed their feet
Besides Roy, there was
but three men playing. They were
the ones who had won heaviest at
hrst. Now that luck was against them
they were loath to quit.
Cherry was annoyed by stertorous
breathing at her shoulder, and glanced
back to find the little man who had
been SO excited earlier IN the evening.
His mouth was agape, HIS eyes wide,
the muscles about his lips twitching.
He had lost back, long since, the hun
dreds he had won and more besides.
She searched the figures walling her
about and saw no women. They hao
been crowded out long since. 1t seem
ed dis though the table formed the bot
TON Of d sloping pit OF human faces
eager, terse, staring. 1t was we'll she
was here, she thought, also this task
might fall. She would help to blast
Glenister, dssolate him, humiliate him.
An; but wouldn't she!
Roy bet 500 on the popular" card
On the third turn he lost. He bet
5000 next and lost He set out stack
Of 5000 and lost for the third time.
Fortune had turned her face. He
ground his teeth and doubled until the
stakes grew enormous, while the deal
or dealt monotonously- The spots
flashed and disappeared, taking with
them wager after wager. Glenistef
became conscious of a raging, red fury
which lie had hard shift to master. It
was not his money-what II he did
lose? He would stay Until he won.
He would win. This luck would not,
could not, last-aMd yet with diabolic
persistence he continued to choose tho
losing cards. The other men Jared
better TIL he yielded to their Judgment,
when the dealer took their money IL
So.
Strange to say, the tickle goddess
had really shifted her banner at last,
and the Bronco Kid was dealing
straight faro now. He was too good
a player to force a winning hand, and
Glenister's ill-foTtune became as phe-
rlomenal as his winning HAD been. The
girl who figured in this drama was
keyed to the highest tension, her eyes
now on her counters, now searching
the profile Of her victim. Glenister
continued to lose and lose and lose,
while the girl gloated over his swift
coming ruin When at long intervals
he won bet she shrank and shivered
for fear he might escape. II only he
would risk it all-everything he had.
He would have to come to her then!
The end was closer than she real
Med The throng hung GREATNESS
upon, each move OF the players, while
there was no sound but the noise of
shifting chips and the distant jangle
OF the orchestra The lookout sat far
forward upon his perch, his hands
UPON his knees, his eyes frozen to
the board, dead cigar clenehed be-
| tween bis teeth. Crowded upon his
platfUr1n we're miners tense and mo-
| tton1ess a. statues. When d man
spoke or dOughed, score Of eyes star
Cd At him acousinsly, then dropped to
the table again.
dlenistsr took from his clothes q
hdhdle OF bank-notes, so thick that 1t
required his two hands to compass
IT,. On-lo okers saw that the bills we're
mainly yellow No one spoke while
| he counted them rapidly. glanced at
| the dealer, who nodded, then slid
them forward till they rested on the
king. He placed copper" on the
pile. A great sigh Of indrawn breaths
swept through the crowd. The North
bad never known a bet like this-it
meant fortune. Here was a tale for
ones grnndohildren-that a man
should win opulence in an evening
then lose it in one deal. This final
bet represented more than many OF
them had ever seen at one time be
fore. Its fate lay on q single card
1 Cherry Malotte's fingers were like
ice and Shock till the buttons OF he1
oase-keeper ratified, her heart raced
| till she could not breathe, while some
thing rose up and choked her. II
Glenister won this bet he would quit;
she felt 1t. II he lost, ali what could
the Kid there feel. the man who was
playing for a paltry vengeance, com
pared to her whose hope Of happiness
of love, Of life hinged on this wager;
Evidently the Bronco Kid knew
what card lay next below, for he offer
ed her no sign, and as Glenister lean
cd back he slowly and firmly pushed
the top card out Of the box. AL
tHCuBU ILLS WAS the D1SSSSU Turn Oh
his life, he betrayed no tremor. His
gesture displayed the nine Of Diamonds
and the crowd breathed heavily. The
king had not won. Would it lose!
Every gaze was welded to the tiny
fiiclelled box If the faoe-card lay
next beneath the nine-spot, the heav
lest wager In Alaska would have beer
lost; II 1t still remained hidden on the
next turn, the money would be safe
for moment. +
Slowly the white hand Of the dealer
moved back; his middle finger touch
ed the nine Of diamonds: 1t slid
Smoothly out Of the box, and there II
its plAce frowned the King OF clubs
At last the SILENCE was broken.
Men spoke, some laughed, but IL
their laughter was no mirth. Il was
1 more like the sound of choking. They
stamped their feet to relieve the grtr
OF strained muscles. The dealer reach
ed forth and slid the stack Of bills Into
the drawer at his waist without count
ing. The exse-keeper passed shakffla