The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-09-22
80, 900 80. ..s..
lCrigiiI,!l

! Perhaps there were times when she
fancied that possibly she might
break the bank" Of his finances and
| be rich. Chen she would marry Har-
| ry Hunter, q young man whose ambi-
ton H.as to be a spendthrift and was
only prevented by the want of funds.
/ For / time her dream of making her
| self rich at Mr.. I1auXhurSt'S expense
seemed of possible realization. Slow
| ~ his money was passing from his
! bank to hers One evening when she
| had won from him larger amount
! than usual he looked ut her with his
| impcrturhaDe smile ana asked: Sup
! pose YOU win all | have. What will you
/ do with it,?
Marry poor man.
ITO pass it on for you:'
/ She took o. IL fine hand and was too
| intent upon it to reply. He did not
! p0SS her. Indeed. he scanned his own
| cards. then sat looking III ut Il paint
/ ing on the wall. It represented the re
! turn of the prodigal. and he seemed
! TO have forgotten the game in it,
! When the hand was played his was a
winner, and it Won Il large sum.
/ From that moment the luck changed
! Little by little Miss BurSley'S winnings
/ passed back to their original owner.
/ and then there was Il steady flow of
| her own possessions toward Mr. iIaux-
! hurst. A woman in games Of chance
| invariably becomes Il plunger. The
/ Il; Ia,
| fixed the stakes and the wilder she
| played. Nr. HauXhurst sat before her
! languidly dealing the cards, apparent
| iy neither pleased nor displeaSed to he
! winning such large sums from wo-
man. Fin lily there came a time when
Miss Bursley knew that at the rate she
was losing one more evening would
| put the whole of her estate into the
hands of Mr.. HauXhursl
That evening had arrived. 1t was
the evening mentioned at the begin
, ming of the story. The game was
two handed bridge whist Miss Rurs-
| ley's hands ran we'll at first. and she
won handsomely. Mr. Hauxhurst
| looked at lIer with one OF his usual
smiles and temarked:
IF this keeps up you'll yet be able
to marry your poor man"
Miss Burs.ley. who was dealing. did
not reply and when she had finished
said. without trump" Mr. Haux-
hurst doubled" Miss Rurslcy event
back" This was kept up till half Of
what Miss Bursley had left was at
stake on that one hand Mr.. Haux-
hurst went back" again.
He won five tricks and the rubber.
Then Mr.. HauXhurst. instead of
recommending caution to his adver-
sary. proposed that they play a single
hand Of euchre for the funds she had
In sight. She accepted the terms and
lost
He was raking in his gains when
Miss Bursley moaned that he had won
her last dollar. Every vestige of her
property had passed to him
There is one thing you still DOS
sess of far more value than all you
have lost" he said. still smiling.
She looked at him for an explana-
ton.
yourself. I will play all have won
from you against that treasure
Miss Bursley flushed and said:
There are different ways in which
man may possess woman"
"The only way would possess you
is by marriage"
Miss BurSley was very white. and
her bosom was heaving unanimously.
Gambler-like. she caught at a straw.
She might yet retrieve her losses. If
not. well. then-she was too perturbed
to decide whether the loss Of herself
to her opponent would be curse or
blessing. The alternative had come
too suddenly
Deal the cards." she said.
Mr.. HauXhurst dealt and she no
ticed that his hand trembled His
nerve seemed to have deserted him
Miss Bursley scored four points to her
enemy's two. Then he scored one,
making his points three. 1t was Miss
Bursley's deal. She turned knave.
made the trump hearts and was Gu
chrcd She had lost the game ard
herself.
Il have been months" said Mr.
Hauxhurst. working up to this point
But now that have won you without
your consent I give you your choice
either to abide by the result as indicat-
ed by the cards or take as 4 gift all I
have won from you. Which shall It
be?"
She sat with averted face consider
Ing. while he remained rs he was.
gazing at her. intent on hearing her
decision Perhaps it would have help
ed matters had he spoken few words
from the heart but he preferred not
to influence her. Presently she put out
her hand across the table.
II stand by the decision Of the cards"
ELINOR T. BOYD.