The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-10-15
THE TQEASlJpN
II RCzA5FL
Wfl4lNX LILLE DOZZOEX

thing. 1t wasn't any of my bust
ness. anyway said Elliott, throw
ing away the remains of his resent
ment.
I'm glad that little fool didn't
hit me- went on Henninger, SLOW
ly There would have been trou-
BILE. He isn't such a fool, either
. His memory is excellent"
| You don't mean that-really-"
began Elliott, and stopped.
Elliott, | don't know whether
you've been in hard enough to get
correct light on what I'm going to
tell you. No man knows anything
about life, or human nature, or him.
self, till he's been up against it
banged up against it, knocked
down and stepped on-and the
| knowledge isn't worth having at
the price.
This was two years ago. | had
just come up from Tampico. and
I'd been two weeks in a Mexican
jail. because | wouldn't pay black
mail to the governors private sec
rotary | had just S57, | remember,
when | landed in New Orlean, but
had a good thing up my sleeve,
and went straight up to ST. Louis
to see some men | knew there and
interest them in it. Two of them
came back with me to New Or
| leans
I'VE came down the river by
| boat. There's a good deal of card
playing on those RIVER boats, yet,
though nothing to what 1t used to
be. of course, and we all three got
into game. along with a young
sport from Memphis who had been
flashing big roll all over the boat
hadn't any luck that day.
couldn't get anything better than
two pairs. and my pile kept going
down till it reached pretty near
nothing. All the money | had in
the world was on that table, and
my future, too.
Il was a fool to go into the
game, but | couldn't pull out ABOUT
that time I happened to feel d long.
thin, loose splinter on the under
side of the table. ] don't think
think that I'd have done it but for
that, but took to holding out an
ace or two, sticking them under
that splinter.
81 was beginning to get my
money back, when-I don't know
how it happened-the fellow at my
left suspected something, leaned
over and reached under the table
and pulled out the aces. 81
"They don't shoot for that sort
of thing on the river amy J more,
but it was nearly as bad. y got off
at the next landing. All the pas
sengers were lined up to boot the
detected card-sharper. This fell
10 won board here was one OF
i them"
Elliott could find nothing to say,
and there was a strained silence
He could not see Henninger's face
in the dusk. but presently he gently
touched his shoulder.
Henninger started nervously.
Lets walk about a Bit" he pro-
posed in more natural voice.
och, l don't blame them-not a
Bit" said Henninger, suddenly.
ITS all part of the game. Only
well, don't know, but when l go
up against these people who've al
ways had plenty of money, who've
lived all their lives in warmed
house, all their fat, stuffy lives,
afraid of everything they don't I'M
derstand, and understanding damn
ed little, and getting no nearer to
life than a cabbage-when I have
to listen to those people talking
honor and morality, sometimes it
sends me off my head. What do
they know of it? They haven't
blood enough for anything worse
than little respectable cheating
and lying, and they thank God
they've always had strength to re-
sist temptation.
when it comes to being broke in
a town where you're trying to put
through some business, sleeping at
10-cent hotels and trying to make
a square meal out of banana, and
sitting round good hotels for re-
spectability's sake, and cleaning
your collar with piece of bread
that's about as near hell as a man
gets in this world, and he comes
to feel that he wouldn't stick at
anything to get out of it,"
81 know" said Elliott, RETROSPECT
lively. sr
"Of course, that's all part of the
game. too. II we stuck Ito the
beaten track there wouldn't be- any
! of this trouble. But. great heavens!
| could [ Settle down of 6Edask in