Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-02-28
A MepbLSfopbefeS
Of Today.
lOriginal.l

In one OF Lne IdSnl0naOle houses OF q
large city. The games were for money.
but as one may lose or win a large
number Of points at bridge a point
was fixed at few cents. There were
two sets of tables. At one set the play
was for money; at the other there was
no stake. Guests were permitted to
sit at the stake or no stake tables, as
they pleased.
Nearly all the guests had arrived and
selected their seats when a young man
entered who took chair opposite a
young girl at one of the tables where
there was no stake to be played for
On his left sat an elderly woman with
a superior look; on his right, q middle
aged man with bald head, whosseem-
ed to regard the affair as a bore. The
newcomer was delicately formed,
strikingly handsome and with a win
ming voice and smile. The girl was
what is called Titan beauty-that is,
with reddish golden hair and dark,
liquid eyes. The young man was not
known to any one at the table. but in
Productions in such cases are not re-
quired. He addressed the young girl
modestly, yet confidently.
AS the play went on it was eviden.
that she was falling under the spell of
the many pleasant things he said u
her, the musical voice in which lie
said them, the gIances that shot from
his eyes. Indeed, his whole personal
ity was fascinating and plainly devot-
ed to impreSsing her. Finally he sug-
gested that a game without q stake
was uninteresting and proposed thai
they have a small one to consist of brt
cent a point. The opposing couple
did not object, but the Titan girl de
INJURED. She said she was d member
of church that prohibited both card
playing and dancing. She had attend
ed the party not knowing there were
to be cards and had been persuaded
to play only at the urgent request Of
the hostess, there being one vacant
seat The young man opposite her
looked into her eyes with his, where
upon she took up the hand that lay be.
fore her, making no further objection.
From that moment the cards seemed
bewitched. Whenever it came the turn
of the Titan girl to play dummy she
Invariably played without trump
which in bridge whist counts twelve
points for each trick above six. She
usually won most of the tricks, often
taking them all, making what is called
q grand slam and counting a bonus.
Besides, she and her partner always
won the rub game which gave them
an extra hundred points. This was all
the more remarkable since she had
never played the game before. Occa-
sionally her opponents would take up
a good hand and double" upon which
she would ''go back" which is the
term for doubling the double. This
doubling and redoubling would often
go on till the original count had been
multiplied by six.
The only person at the table having
ordinary hands was the young man
who had suggested playing for stake.
But, while he took no important part
in the game himself, the others seemed
to feel that all this high play origlnat-
ed through some mysterious influence
emanating from him. One by one the
players at the other tables ceased to
play and, noticing that there were
large hands and large count at the
table where sat the girl with the Titan
hair, stood watching the game. One
Of these onlookers by mental process
counted the-score and noticed that she
and her partner were winners of a
considerable sum.
Her partner sat facing a corner with
his back to the room full of guests,
so that his face could not be seen. The
host, noticing persons about his table
advanced, looked at him and. not rec
ognizing him, thought that he was
some friend of his wife's to whom he
had not been introduced. Then the
hostess saw him and fancied he must
be some friend of her husbands. Ev-
erybody was inquiring who he was,
and no one could give information.
At last there arose q whispering and
murmuring. The Titan girl was
known to most of the guests as an
example Of probity, but here she was
playing for stakes that had been raised
from cent to dollar, her eyes blaz-
Ing and her cheeks red with excite
ment, her partner man whom nobody
knew and of whom everybody was sus-
plcious. Another estimate was made
Of the winnings, and they were found
to reach far up into the hundreds Of
dollars.
Presently clergyman Joined the on
lockers. He was an Episcopalian, and
gold cross glistened on his breast.
He stood directly opposite the young
stranger, who, on looking up, espied
the cross. In twinllling every mem
ber Of the card party seemed released
from his enthrallment His opponents
threw down their cards and arose, with