Willmar tribune., 1908-05-06
Won by Card.
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Mr. 1auXnurSt. Iley were both
young handsome and to the manner
born. Miss Bursley had inherited a
small fortune, the remains of large
one, and had lived fashionabl life
Mr.. Hauxhurst was rich.
Miss Bursley's especial interest in
Mr.. Hauxhurst was that he indulged
her passion for cards. She was an in
veterate gambler. Mr.. Hauxhurst be-
Ing rich, she did not scruple to win his
money, and he did not object to her
doing so If she could. He invariably
permitted her to fix the stake and to
decide whether the game should be
heavy or light. She always decided
that it should be heavy. She had 9TH
er men friends who gambled, but some
could not afford to lose, others took lit
tie interest in the game. while others
were extremely cautious. She knew
that If she won the whole of Mr.
Hauxhurst's fortune he would lose it
like man and scOrn to blame her.
Perhaps there We're times when she
fancied that possibly she might
''break the bank" of his finances and
be rich. Then she would marry Har-
ry Hunter, a young man whose ambi-
tion was to be spendthrift and was
only prevented by the want Of funds.
For time her dream of making her.
self rich at Mr.. Hauxhurst's expense
seemed of possible realization. Slow
~ his money was passing from his
bank to hers. One evening when she
had won from him a larger amount
than usual he looked at her with his
imperturbable smile and asked: "Sup-
pose you win all l have. What will YOU
do with it?'
Marry poor man."
ITO pass it on for you?"
She took up fine hand and was too
intent upon it to reply. He did not
press her. Indeed, he scanned his own
cards, then sat looking up at q paint
Ing on the wall. 1t represented the re-
turn Of the prOdigal, and he seemed
to have forgotten the game in it.
When the hand was played his was a
winner, and it Won large sum.
From that moment the luck changed.
Little by little Miss Bursley's winnings
passed back to their original owner.
ana then there was a steady flow Of
her own possessions toward Mr. Haux-
hurst. A woman in games of chance
invariably becomes a plunger. The
more Miss Bursley lost the higher she
fixed the stakes and the wilder she
played. Mr.. Hauxhurst sat before her
languidly dealing the cards, apparent
~ neither pleased nor displeased to be
winning such large sums from wo-
man. Finally there came time when
Miss Bursley knew that Mt the rate she
was losing one more evening would
put the whole of her estate into the
hands of Mr.. Hauxhurst.
That evening had arrived. It was
the evening mentioned at the begin
ming of the story The game was
two handed bridge whist. Miss Burs-
ley's hands ran we'll at first, and she
won handsomely. Mr.. Hauxhurst
looked at Eer with one of his usual
smiles and remarked:
- ~AAS HNNHo W yOu YET Oc dDlc
TO marry your poor man."
Miss Bursley, who was dealing. did
not reply and when she had finished
said, without a trump" Mr.. Haux-
hurst doubled" Miss Bursley 'went
back" This was kept up till half of
what Miss Bursley had left was at
stake on that one hand. Mr.. Haux-
hurst went back" again.
He won five tricks and the rubber.
Then Mr.. Hauxhurst, instead of
recommending caution to his adver-
sary, proposed that they play a single
hand of euchre for the funds she had
In sight. She accepted the terms and
lost.
lie was raking in his gains when
Miss Bursley moaned that he had won
her last dollar Every vestige of her
property had passed to him.
'There IS one thing you still nos.
sess of far more value than all YOU
have lost.'' he said, still smiling.
She looked at him for an explana-
ton.
yourself. will play all have won
from you against that treasure"
Miss Bursley flushed and said:
"There are different ways in which
a man may possess woman"
"The only way would possess you
Is by MARRIAGE"
Miss Bursley was very white, and
her bosom was heaving tumultuously.
Gambler-like, she caught at a straw.
She might yet retrieve her losses. If
not, we'll, then-she was too perturbed
to decide whether the loss of herself
to her opponent would be a curse or
blessing. The alternative had come
too suddenly.
IDEAL the cards." she said.
Mr.. Hauxhurst dealt. and she no.
ticed that his hand trembled. His
| nerve seemed to have deserted him.
Miss Bursley scored four points to her
>nemy's two. Then he scored one,
making his points three It was Miss
Bursley's deal. She turned knave,
made the trump hearts ana was eu-
chrcd. She had lost the game and
herself.
II have been months" said Mr..
Hauxhurst. working up to this point.
But now that have won you without
your consent give you your choice
either to abide by the result as indicat-
ed by the cards or take as gift all I
have won from you. Which shall it
be-"
She sat with averted face consider
ing. while he remained as he was,
gazing at her, intent on hearing her