Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-28

moved back. His middle finger touch
ed the nine Of diamonds. 1t slid
smoothly out of the box, and there in
Its place frowned the king Of clubs. At
last the silence was broken.
Men spoke: some laughed, but in
their laughter was no mirth. 1t was
more like the sound of choking. They
stamped their feet to relieve the grip
of strained muscles. The dealer reach
ed forth and slid the stack Of bills into
the drawer at his waist without count
ing. The case keeper passed a shaking
hand over her face. and when It caue
away she saw blood on her fingers
lower lip. Glenister did not rise. He
sat, heavy browed and sullen, his Jaw
thrust forward. his hair low upon his
forehead. his eyes bloodshot and dead.
"I'll sit the hand out If you'll let me
bet the finger" said he.
Certainly" replied the dealer.
When a man requests this privilege,
it means that he will call the amount
of his wager without producing the
visible stakes, and the dealer may nc
cept or refuse according to his 1udg-
ment Of the bettor's responsibility. 1t
Is safe, for no man shirks q gambling
debt in the north, and thousands may
60 with q nod Of the head though never
a cent be on the board.
There were still a few cards in the
box, and the dealer turned them, pay
ing the three mel who played. Glen
lister took no part, but sat bulked over
his end Of the table, glowering from
beneath his shock Of hair.
Cherry was deathly tired. The strain
Of the last hour had been so intense
that she could barely sit in her seat.
yet she was determined to finish the
hand. AS Bronco paused before the
last turn many Of the bystanders made
bets. They were the lease players
who risked money only on the final
pair. thus avoiding the chance of two
cards OF like denomination coming to-
gether, in which event. ("splits' 1t is
called) the dealer takes half the mon
ey. The stakes were laid at last and
the deal about to start when Glenister
spoke. wait! What's this place
worth. Bronco?'
What do you mean?
"You own this OUTFIT" He waved
his hand about the room. well, what
does it stand you"
The gambler hesitated an instant,
while the crowd pricked up its ears.
and the girl turned wondering. trou-
bled eyes upon the miner. What would
he do now?
Counting bank rolls, fixtures and
all, about $4,000. Why?"
"1'll pick the ace to lose, my one-half
in the Midas against your
layout
There was an absolute hush while
the realization Of this offer smote the
1t took time to realize 1t.
This man was insane. There Were
three cards to choose from-one would
win, n would lose, and one would
have no action.
OF all those present only Cherry Ma
lotte OWNED even vaguely the real rea-
son which prompted the man to do
this. 1t was not "gameness" nor alto
d british stubbornness which
would not let him quit. 1t was some
thing deeper. He was desolate, and
his heart was gone. Helen was lost to
yet, was unworthy-and
she was all he cared for. What did he
want Of the Midas, with its lawsuits,
It's ~intrigues and It's trickery? He was
tick Of it all, Of the whole game, and
to get away. If he won, very
well. If he lost, the land of the aurora
know him no more.
When he put his proposition the
Bronco Kid dropped his eyes IS though
debating. The girl saw that he stu
lied the cards, in his box intently and
hat his fingers ~caressed the top one
so softly during the instant the
eyes Of the rest were on Glenister.
The dealer looked up at last, and Cher
y saw the CLEAN of triumph in his
Eye. He could not mask 1t from her,
his answering words were hest
She knew by the look that
ilenister vas a pauper.
Come on" insisted Roy hoarsely;
turn the cards."
you're on"
The girl felt that she was fainting.
She wanted to scream. The triumph
If this moment stiled her-or was 1t
triumph, after all? She heard the
breath Of the little man behind her
attic is though he were being throt-
led and saw the lookout pass a shak-
ng hand to his chin, then wet his
,arched lips. She saw the man she
helped to ruin bend forward, his
can face strained and hard, an odd
ook Of pain and WEAKNESS in his eyes.
'he forgot that look. The
'rowd was frozen in various attitudes !
# eagerness, although it had not yet
ecovered from the suspense of the
asst great wager. 1t knew the Midas
nd what 1t meant. Here lay half of
hidden beneath a tawdry square of
dashboard. With maddening DELHI
ration the Kid dealt the top card. Be
leath it was the trey of spades. Glen
ster said no word nor made a move.
'ome one coughed, and 1t sounded like
gunshot. Slowly the dealers fingers
etraced their way. He hesitated pur-
'osely and leered at the girl, then the
hree spot disappeared and beneath it
ay the ace Is the king had lain on
hat other wager. It spelled utter ruin
D Glenister. He raised his eyes blind
and then the deathlike silence of
he room was shattered by q Slldden