The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-04-15

"Yes, roulette too. Everything!
They got me upstairs at Burbank's.
The games crooked. Every box, ev-
cry case, every wheel, every pack Is
crooked, crooked, crooked, by God!'
he burst forth in a fever struggling to
sit upright, his hands always tighten
ing on the arms of the chair. ITS
nothing but a creeping joint, run by a
bunch of handshakers! LIP
Suffering choking, stammering i'm
precautions, his hoarse clamOr died
away after awhile. She sat there,
head bent silent, impassive, acquies-
cent under the physical and mental
strain to which she had never become
thoroughly hardened. How many such
scenes had she witnessed! She could
not count them. They differed verr
little in detail and not at all In their
ultimate object, which was to ge;
what money she had. This was his
method Of relmbursing himself for his
losses.
He made an end to his outburst aft
er awhile. Only his dreadful fat
breathing now filled the silence and,
supposing he had finished, she found
her voice with an effort:
81 am sorry. 1t comes at a bad
time, as you know
"a bad timer he broke out violently.
"How can ii come at any other sort of
time? With us all times are bad. II
this is worse than the average it can't
be helped. We are in it for keeps
this time"'
"We?"
eyes, WEI he repeated, but his face
had grown CHASTITY and his uncertain
eyes were fastened on hers in the mir
ror.
what do you mean-,IactlyY she
asked, turning from the dres. "~ to con-
front him.
He made no effort to answer. An cX-
preston Of dull fright was growing
on his visage, as though for the first
lime he had begun to realize what had
happened.
She saw it and her heart quickened,
but she spoke disdainfully: "Well. |
am ready to listen-as usual. How
much do you wantY
He made no sign. His lower lip
hung loose. His eyes binked at her.
what is it?" she repeated. what
have you been doing? How much
have you lost? You can't have lost
very much. We hadn't much to lose.
If you have given your note to any of
those gamblers it is shame-a shame!
Leroy. look at me. You promised me.
on your honor, never to do that again.
Have you lied, after all the times ]
have helped you out, stripped myself,
denied myself, put off tradesmen,
faced down creditors? After all |
have done, do you dare come here and
ask for more-ask for what l have not
got-wlth net one bill settled not one
servant paid since December
Leila, 1--we got-to tell YOU
"What?' she demanded, appalled, by
the change in his face. If he was
OVERRIDING it. he was OVERRIDING it real
istically enough.
live used Planks check" he
mumbled and moistened his lips with
his tongue.
She stared back at him, striving I
comprehend "Plank'sr' she repeated
slowly. "P' nk's check? What check?
What do you mean"
"The one he gave you last night to
pay his bridge losses and forgot to fill
in"
The one he But you couldn't!
How could you. 1t was not filled in."
Il filed it,"
Her dawning horror was reacting
on him, as it always did, like a fierce
tonic, and his own courage came back
in a sort of sullen desperation.
"You-you are trying to brighten me,
Leroy" she stammered. You are try
ing to make me do something-give
you what you want-fOrce me to give
you what you want! You can't fright
en- me. The check was made out to
me-to my order. How could you
have used it, if l had not Endorsed it,"
II Endorsed it. Do you understand
that?' he said savagely.
"No, ] don't. Because if you did
it's forgery"
81 don't give a -- what you think
it isr' he broke in fiercely. "All I'm
worried over is what Plank will think.
didn't mean to do 1t. l didn't dream
of doing it. When L saw that check