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

sOiue Hcntdif feueI Ny July rlSkluS INC
silver in his pocket. He had let the
coins lie and double, then double again
and again. He had been Indifferent
whether he won or lost, SO assumed a
reckless disregard for the laws OF prob
ability. thinking That he would shortly
lose the money he had won md then
go home. He did not want 1t. When
his luck remained the same, he raised
the stakes, but 1t did not change-he
could not lose Before he realized it.
other men were betting with him, ami
mated purely by greed and craze of
the sport. First one. then another
Joined till game after game was closed.
and each moment the crowd had grown
In size and enthusiasm SO that It's fever
crept into him. imperceptlbly at first.
but ever increasing. till the mania mas.
tered him.
He paid no attention to Cherry as he
took his seat. He had eyes for moth
ing but the layout" She clinched her
hands and prayed for his ruin.
Whats your limit, Kid? he in.
CURED
zone hundred and two" the Kid an
swered, which in the vernacular means
that any sum up to 5000 may be laid
on one card save only on the last turn,
( when the amount is lessened by half.
Without more ado they commenced
The Kid handled his cards smoothly,
surely, paying and taking bets with
machine-like calm. The onleokers
ceased talking and preparedsto watch,
for now came the crucial test of the
evening. Faro is to other games as
war is to jackstraws.
For a time Glenister won steadily til!
there came moment when many
stacks of chips lay on the deuce Cher.
~ saw the Kid clash" to the case
keeper, and the next moment he had
'.pulled two" The deuce lost. 1t was
his first substantial gain, and the play,
ers paid no attention. At the end OF
half an hour the winnings were slight
ly in favor Of the "house." Then
Glenister said: This is too slow. I
want action"
"All right" smiled the proprietor.
wen uOuDle the limit.
Thus 1t became possible to wager
$500 on card, and the Kid began real
" to play. Glenister now lost steadily,
not in large amounts. but with tan
talizing regularity. Cherry had never
seen cards played like this. The gam
bier was revelation to her. His work
was wonderful. Ill luck seemed to fan
the crowds eagerness, while, to add to
its Impotence, the cases came wrong
twice In succession, so that those who
would have bet heavily upon the last
turn had their money given back.
Cherry saw the confusion of the
"hearse driver" even quicker than did
Bronco. Toby was growing ratified.
The dealers work was too fast for
him, and yet he could offer no signal
of distress for fear OF humiliation at
the hands of those crowded close to his
shoulder. In the same way the owner
of the game could make no objection
to his helpers incompetence for fear
that some bystander would volunteer
to fill the mans part. There were
many present capable of the trick. He
could only glare balefully across the
table at his unfortunate confederate.
They had not gone far on the next
game before Cherry's quick eye de
tected sign which the man misinter.
preted. She addressed him quietly
you'd better brush up your plumes."
In spite of his anger the Bronco Kid
smiled. Humor In him was strangely
withered and distorted, vet here was q
thrust he would always remember and
recount with glee in years to come
He feared there were other faro deal
ers present who might understand the
hint, but there was none save Mexico
Mullins. whose face was study
mirth seemed to he strangling him. 4
moment later the girl spoke to the case
keeper again.
"Let me take your place; your reins
are unbuckled.,
Toby glanced inquiringly at the Kid
who caught Cherry's reassuring lool
and nodded, so he arose and the CIR
slid into the vacant chair. This wo
man would make no errors, the dealer
knew that; her keen wits were sharp
ened by hate-it showed in her face
II Glenister escaped destruction to
night 1t would be because human
means could not accomplish his down
fall.
u In the mind of the new case keeper
there was but one thought-Roy mus
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