Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-12-23
.'Honor!' he said. "Have you enougi

HOnOF. ne Salu. f1uNe you enough
to swear by? You are what you are
because you are bad egg. You were
porn a gentleman, but you choose to
be rogue Do you know the meaning
of the word honor or right or justicei
Have you n single purpose of mind
which isn't crooked?'
You're just like the rest, them
Hugh retorted. "Just because did
that one thing you'll give me no more
chance. Yet the first thing l did with
that money was to square myself.
paid every debt of honor had. That's
why I'm in the hole now. But get
no credit for it. even from you. wish
you could put yourself in my place."
Harry had been looking steadily at
the sallow face with its hoof print OF
the satyr, not seeing it, but hearing
his own voice say to Jessica: 81 was
my brothers keeper. | see it now"
And out of the distance, it seemed, his
voice answered.:
PUT myself in your place! l wish ]
could! wish TO God could!'
The exclamation was involuntary,
automatic. the cumulative expression
of every throc of conscience Harry
had endured since then. the voice of
that remorse that had cried insistently
for repartion. DINING in his ears the
Hateful question that God asked of
Cain. Suddenly 81 whirl of rage seized
him. unmcasured, savage, malicious.
He had dcsnised Hugh. now lie hated
Inundated him because he was Jessi-
cas- husband and. more than all, be-
cause he was the symbol of his own
the old Satan Sanlerson that he had
chained and barred rose up and took
him by the throat. He struck the oak
wainscoting With his list. feeling rcd
mist grow before his eyes.
$50 you paid every debt of honor
you had. ell? You acknowledge n
ganester's honor. hut not the obiga-
ton of right action between man and
man! Very we'll Give me that pack
of cards. You want money-here 1t
Isl"
He swiftly turned the clicking com
bination of the safe. wrenched open
the door and took out Two heavy can
vas bags. lie snapped the cord from
the neck of one of these. and n ring
ing streaEl of double eagles swept
iingling on the table He dipped his
hand in the yellow pile. A thought
mad as the hoofs of runaway horses
was careening through his brain. He
felt an odd lightness of mind, a tense
tingling of every nerve and muscle.
Here is two thousand dollars-yours
If you win it-for you shall play for it
you gambler, who pays his debts OF
honor and no other! You shall play
fair and straight, If you never play
again.
Hugh gazed Mt Harry in startled
way. This was not the ministerial
Harry Sanderson he had known-this
figure with the white. infuriate face
the sparkling eyes and the strange
yelled look. This reminded him of the
reckless spirit of his college days, that
he had patterned after and had stood
in awe of.
"How can play" he said "whe1
you know very well haven't sou
markee?'
Harry stuffed the gold back into the
bag. He snatched the cards from
Hugh's hand and box of waxen ell.
velope waters from his desk. There
was strange light in his eye, tremo1
in his fingers.
ut is l who play with money!" he
said. MY gold against your coun
tiers! Each of those hundred red disks
represents day of your life-a day
do you underestimate red day of your
sin! A day of yours against double
eagle! What you win you keep But
for every counter win you shall pay
me one straight, white day, clean
day, lived for decency and for the
right!'
Hugh's eyes We're fastened on the
gold In Harry's fingers. Two thousand
dollars! If luck came his way he could
go far on that-far enough to escape
the nameless terror that pursued him
in every shadow. Money against REQ
waters? Why, it was plenty If he Won
and If he lost he had staked nothing
What fool Harry was!
Harry saw the shrewd, calculatin.
look that came TO his eyes. He caugh
his wrist.
Not here!' he said hoarsely. II,
flung open the chapel door and pushed
him aside. He seized one of the alta
candles, lit it with match and stucl
1t upright in its own wax on the small
communion table that stood just in
side the altar rail. with the cards, TIL
red waters and the bags of coin. II,
dragged two chairs forward.
"Now," lie said in strained voice
put up your hand--sour right hand
and swear before this altar, on tn
gamblers honor you boast of, win O
lose, to abide by this camel"
Hugh shrank. He was superstiticu s