Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-21

Let the people go! Bible!" cried |
Red, laying down his knife and fork. |
still more astonished at her allusion.
Twill you kindly tell me what that
has to do with faro bank? Girl, one
of US is full of ghost songs. and far,
far off the reservation. What in the
name of Brigham Young's off-ox, are
you talking about?"
"Why, you spoke of Pharaoh, Will,
and 1 can remember about his holding
| the children of Israel captive, and the
| plaques, but I really don't see just
| how it applies"
"Oh! said Red, as a great light
! broke upon him. "Oh, 1 see what
you're thinking about. The old boy
| who corTalled the Jews and made 'em
work for the first and last time in
their history, and they filed him full
of tleas and darkness and all kinds of
| unpleasant experiences to break even?
Well, l was not talking about him at
all. My faro is a game played with
a layout and a pack of cards and a
little tin box that you ought TO look at
carefully before you put any money
on the board, to see that it amt ar
ranged for dealing seconds; and
| there's a lookout and case keeper
and-well, 1 don't believe 1 could tell
you just how it works, but some day
I'll make layout and We'll have some
| fun. It's bully game but 1 say, it's
a great deal like life-the splits go to
the dealer; that is to say, that If the
king comes out to win and lose at the
|
NO" said Miss Matte truthfully.
Red thrust his fingers through his
hair. and sighed. I'm afraid 1 know
too much. about it to explain it clear
~" he replied. But what 1 mean is
this: Some people try to play system
at faro, and they last about as quick
as those that don't. 1 always put the
limit on the card that's handiest, and
the game don't owe me cent. AS a
matter of fact, some of the tin horns
used to wear panied expression when
they saw me coming across the room.
I've split 'em from stem to keelson
more than once and never used a cop
per in my life. Played 'em wide open
all the time. Now" and he brought
his fist down on the table, I'm going
\ to play that young man wide open,
and I'll bet you / don't lose by him
neither. He looks as honest as q mas
tiff pup for all he dresses kind of nice.
I might just as well try him on the
fly as to go Junk heading around and
get stuck anyhow, with the unsatis-
factory addition of feeling that was
fool as well as confiding"
| / Of hn ho
Gent Aryan to Miss Matte, but the
ring of the voice and the little she I'M
derstood made the tenor plain. A sud-
den moisture gathered in her eyes as
she said: You're too good and honest
and generous man to distrust any
body. That's what think, Will"
Matte, 1 wish you wouldn't talk
like that" said he in an injured voice.
1T amt hardly respectable
After which there was silence for
short time. Then said Miss Matte,
do you think you could content your
self here, VIII, after all the things
you've SEEM
Red frightened at the change of
topic. "I'll tell you how that is. If
hadn't any capital and had to work
here as poor man, 1 don't believe I'D
take the trouble to try and live. I'd
smother. But, having that pleasant
little crop of long greens securely
planted in the bank where the wild
time doesn't grow and thusly being
able to cavort around as it sweetly
pleases me, why, 1 like the country
, It's sport to take hold of a place like
} this that's only held together by its
suspenders and try to make a real live
mans town out of it."
Miss Matte drew a deep breath OF
t relief. "You came like the hero in Il
3 fairy story, Will, and 1 was afraid
you'd go away like one," she said.
He reached across the table and pat
ted her hand. You'd have had tc
gone, too" said he. 1.-The family Il
stick together"
She thanked him in a soft little
voice. Dear me-" she murmured, 'i
does seem that you've been here q
year, Will!'
Never was told that I was such
slow company before"
'You know perfectly well that thai
isn't what 1 mean.'
"Well, you'll have to put up witt
me for awhile whatever I ain, inso
much as I'm to be a manufacturer ani
the Lord knows what. Then some
day I'm going to have an awful hank
ering for the land where the breeze
blows, and then We'll take a shute fo
open prairie. It's cruelty to animal.
, for me to straddle a horse now, We
there's where I'm at home, and In
going to buy me cayuse of som'
kind. Say, l ought to get at that. /
I'm going around with Lettis I wan
to ride horse. Know anybody that;
got a real live horse for sale, Matte
No? Well, I'll stop in and see tn,
lady that deals the mail. I'll bet yol
what that woman doesn't know abou
what's going on in this camp will new
er get into history. Be back, RICH
awayw
Said he to the postmistress: an,
names Saunders, ma'am-cousin t
Miss Matte. I just stopped in to fin,