The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-09-10
xviii.
A WINDFALL FROM "oENTLE.
MANI JOE.

MAN" JOE.
! went to my rooms, purposing to
go straight to bed, and get a good
Sleep. l did make start toward UNI
dressing; then / realized that should
only lie awake with my brain wearing
me out, spinning crazy thoughts and
schemes hour after hour-for my i'm
agination rarely lets it do any effect
i've thinking after the lights are out
and the limitations of material things
are wiped away by the darkness.
1 dressed myself again and went
out-went up to Joe Healey's gam
bling place in Forty-fourth street.
Most of the well-known gamblers up
town, as well as their respectable"
down town fellow members of the fra
ternity, were old acquaintances OF
mine; Joe Healey was as close a
friend as had. He had great fame
for squareness-and, in a sense, de-
served it. With his fellow gamblers
he was as straight as a string at all
times-to be otherwise would have
meant that when he went broke he
would stay broke, because none of the
fraternity would stake" him. But
with his patrons-being regarded by
them as a pariah, he acted toward
them like pariah-a prudent pariah.
He fooled them with frank show OF
gentlemanliness, of honesty to his
own hurt; under that cover he fleeced
them well. but always judiciously.
That night, / recall, Joe's guests
were several young fellows of the
fashionable set, rich mems sons and
their parasites, few of the big down
town operators who hadn't yet got
hipped on 'respectability-th play
ing poker in a private room-and a
couple of flush-faced, hush-pursed
chaps from out of town, for whom one
of Joe's men was dealing faro from
what looked to my experienced and
accurate eye like brace box.
Joe, very elegant, too elegant in
fact, in evening dress, was showing a
new piece of statuary to the oldest
son of Melville, of the National In
dustrial bank. Joe knew little some
thing about art-he was much like the
art dealers who, as a matter of bust
ness, learn the difference between
good things and bad, but in their
hearts wonder and laugh at people
willing to part with large sums Of
money for little paint or marble or
the like.
AS soon as Joe thought he had sutti-
GENTLY impressed young Melville, ne
drifted him to a roulette table, left
him there and joined me.
Come to my Office" said he. Il
want to see you"
He led the way down the richly
carpeted marble stairway as far as the
landing at the turn. There, on a sort
of mezzanine, lie had gorgeous little
suit. The principal object in the sit
ting-room or Office was a huge safe
He closed and locked the outside door
behind us.
"Take seat" said he. You'll like
the cigars in the second box on my
desk-the long one" And he began
turning the combination lock. You
haven't dropped in on us for the past
three or four months" he went on.
NO." said 1, getting q great deal Of
pleasure out of seeing again, and thus
intimately, his round, rudy face
like yachtman's, not like drinkers
land his shifty, laughing brown eyes
THE game down town has given me
enough excitement l haven't had tc
continue It up town to keep my hand
| in"
i've noticed that you are getting
! too swell to patronlzo us fellows,
said he. his shrewd smile showing
that my polite excuse had not fooled
him. Well, Matt, you're right-yol
always did have good sound sense anC
a steady eye for the main chance.
used to think the wcmen'd ruin you
they were so crazy about that hand
some mug and figure OF yours Blu
when saw yoG knew exactly wheI
to let go, knew nothing could stol
YOU"
BY this time he had the safe open
disclosing several compartments ant
| small. inside safe. He worked ava!
at the second combination lock, an,
presently exposed the interior OF tn
little safe. II was filled with a grss
roll of bills He PRED this out
brought it over TO the desk and hegal
wrapping it up. Il want you TO TAX
this with you when you CO. sad he
I've made several big Killings lateiy
and I'm going to get you &c invsst th
proceeds"
(To be Continusdl