The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-04-10


this bet, he would quit She felt il. Z
he lost, ali! what could the Kid Their,
feel. the man who was playing for
paltry vengeance, compared TO heI
whose hope of happiness. of love. o.
life hinged on this wager?
Evidently the Bronco Kid knew what
card lay next below, for he offered hel
no sign, and as Glenister leaned bacz
he slowly and firmly pushed the tor
card out of the box. Although this
was the biggest turn of his life, he be-
trayed no tremor. His gesture display
ed the nine of diamonds, and the
crowd breathed heavily The king
had not wen. Would it lose? Every
gaze was welded to the tiny nickeled
box. If the face card lay next beneath
the nine spot. the heaviest wager in
Alaska would have been lost; if it still
remained hidden on the next turn. the
money would be safe for a moment
Slowly the white hand of the dealer
moved back. His middle finger touch
ed the nine of diamonds. 1t slid
smoothly out of the box. and there in
. It's IttuNC ALNN l4CNl the lAlliS vi CiuUS. Al
last the silence was broken.
Men spoke; some laughed, but in
! their laughter was no mirth. 1t was
more like the sound of choking They
J stamped their feet to relieve the grip
of strained muscles. The dealer reach
ed forth and slid the stack OF bills into
the drawer at his waist without count
ing. The case keeper passed shaki-g
hand over her face. and when it came
| away she saw blood on her fingers
where she had sunk her teeth into her
lower lip. Glenister did not rise. He
sat, heavy browed and sullen, his jaw
thrust forward, his hair low upon his
forehead, his eyes bloodshot and dead
"T'll sit the hand out if you'll let me
bet the finger" said he
Certainly replied the dealer.
When a man requests this privilege.
1t means that he will call the amount
of his wager without producing the
visible stakes. and the dealer may ne
cept or refuse according to his judg
ment Of the bettors responsibility. it
is safe, for no man shirks a gambling |
debt in the north. and thousands may |
go with nod of the head though never |
a cent be on the board.
There We're still few cards in the |
box, and the dealer turned them. paw |
ing the three men who played. Glen
lister took no part, but sat bulked owe.
his end of the table, glowering from
beneath his shock of hair.
Cherry was deathly tired. The strain
of the last hour had been so intense
that she could barely sit in her seat
yet she was determined to finish the
hand. AS Bronco paused before the
last turn many Of the bystanders made
bets. They were the ease players"
pair, thus avoiding the chance of two
cards of like denomination coming to-
gether, in which event C'splits" it is
called the dealer takes half the mon
ey. The stakes were laid at last and
the deal about to start when Glenister
spoke. wait! What's this place
worth, Bronco?"
what do you meanT
you own this outft% He waved
his hand about the room. "Well, what
does it stand your
The gambler hesitated an instant,
while the crowd pricked up its ears.
and the girl. turned wondering troI-
bled eyes upon the miner. What would
he do now?
Counting bank rolls fixtures and
all. about $120.OO0 Whyr
'l'll pick The ace to lose, my one-half |
interest in the Midas against your
whole layout"
There was an absolute hush while
The realization of this offer smote the
,nlookers. 1t took time to realize it.
This man was insane There wee
hree cards to choose from-one would
win, one would lose, and one would
AVE no action
OF all those present only Cherry Ma
otte OWNED even vaguely the real rea-
on WnTcn prompted tne man 10 DO .
his 1t was not "gameness" nor alto
ether a british stubbornness which
would not let him quit. 1t was some
hing deeper He was desolate, AMI Z,
is heart was gone. Helen was lost to
iln-WOTse YET WAS unWoTIUN-dnl N
he was all he cared for. What did he
rant Of the Midas. with its lawsuit
IS intrigues and its trickery? He was :,
lex OF 1t all. of the whole game. and =
'anted to get away. If he won. very =
'ell If he lost, the land of the aurora
'ould know him no more ;.
When he put his proposition the :,
romeo Kid dropped his eyes as though :
chatting The girl saw that he stu ),
ed the cards In his box intently ana y
lat his fingers caressed the top one III
'er so sortly during the instant the M
Ter of the rest were on Glenister. In
n~ dealer soOked up at last, and Cher I'll
saw the CLEAN of triumph in his 70
e. He could not mask It from her, bl
ough his answering words were hest 81
ting. She knew by the look that
enister was pauper. II
Come on" insisted Roy hoarsely; ha
urn the cards" WI