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

COURIER
on the lady's part was idle, but, on
the other hand, she was able to pocket
for each bottle a check redeemable at
five dollars.
A stranger from the East, would
have remarked first upon the good
music, next upon the good looks Of
the women, and then upon the shabby
clothes Of the mentor some of them
were in "mukluk," others in sweaters
with huge initials and winged en-
blems, and all were collarless.
/ Outside In the main gambling-room
there were but few women. Men
crowded In dense masses about the
faro layout, the wheel, craps, the
Klondike game, pangingi, and the
card-tables. They talked of business,
of home, of women, bought and sold
mines, and bartered all things from
hams to honor. The groomed and
clean, the unkept and filthy jostled
shoulder to shoulder, equally affected
by the license of the goldflelds and
the exhilaration of the New. The mys-
terry of the North had touched them
all. The glad, bright wine of adven-
ture filled their veins. and they spoke
nightly of things they had resolved
to do, or recounted with simple DIFF
/ fldence the strange stories OF their &C.
complishment.
The Bronco Kid" familiar from At
lin to Nome as the best bank dealer
on the Yukon, worked the shift from
eight till two. He was slender man
of thirty, dexteruus In movement.
slow to smile, soft of voice. and known
as living flame among women. He
4 had dealt the biggest games of the
early days, and had no enemies. Yet,
though many called him friend, they
wondered inwardly.
1t was strong play the Kid had to-
night, for. Swede Sam, of Dawson, ven
tured many stacks Of yellow chips, and
he was quick, aggressive gambler. A
/ Jew sat at the king end with ten neat
/ ly creased one-thonsand- dollar bills be-
i fore him, together with piles Of small,
er currency. He adventured vicious
ly and without system. while outsid-
ers to the number Of four or five cut
in sporadically with small bets. The
game was difficult to follow; conss.
quently the lookout, from his raised
u,
hand, while the group was hedged
about by eager on-lookers.
4 Faro is closed book to most people.
for Its intricacies are confusing. Lucky
is he who has never persevered In
solving it's mysteries nor specialized
upon the systems" of beating 1t.
From those who have learned it. the
game demands practice, dexterity, and
coolness. The dealer must run the
cards, watch the many shifting bets,
handle the neatly piled checks, figure,
lightning-like, the profits and losses.
1t was his unerring, clock-like regular
ity in this that had won the Kid his
reputation. This night his powers
were taxed. He dealt silently, scowl.
ingly, his long white fingers nervous
ly caressing the cards.
This preoccupation prevented his
noticing the rustic and stir Of a new.
conner who had crowded up behind
MIN, until he caught the wondering
chances of those in front and saw that
the lsraelite was staring past him, his
money forgotten, his eyes beady and
sharp, his rat-lilse teeth showing In 8
grin of admiration. Swede Sam glar
ed from under his unkempt shock and
, felt uncertainty towards the open col
lar OF his flannel shirt where a ker.
chief should have been. The men who
were standing gazed at the newcomer
some with surprise, others with q
Z half smile of recognition.
Bronco glanced quickly over his
shoulder, and as he did so the breath
caught in his throat-but for only an
instant. A girl stood so close beside
him that the lace of her gown brushed
his sleeve. He was shutting at the
moment and dropped q card. then
nodded to her, speaking quietly, as
ne stopped to regain the paste-board:
4 "Howdy, Cherry?'
Il She did not answer-only continued
to look at the layout" what a
!. woman!" he thought She was not
too tall, with smoothly rounded bust
and hips, and long waist, all well dis.
played by her perfectly fitting gar.
ments. Her face was oval, the mouth
rather large, the eyes of dark. dark
blue, prominently outlined under thin
silken lids. Her dull-gold hair was
combed low over the ears, and her
smile showed rows of sparkling teeth
before it dived into twin dimples
. Strangest of all, it was an innocen,
face. the face and smile of school.
girl.
The Kid finished his shutting awk
wardly and slid the cards into the box
Then the woman spoke:
Let me have your place, Bronco =
The men gasped, the Jew snickered
the lookout Strengthened in his chair
Better not. It's hard game" said
the Kid, but her voice was imperious
as she commanded him:
Hurry up. Give me your place.
Bronco arose, whereupon she set
tied in his chair, tucked in her skirts
removed her gloves, and twisted into