Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-10-22

born a gentleman, but YOU choose to
ne a rogue. Do you know the meaning
OF the word honor or right or justice3
Lave you a single purpose Of mind
Which isn't crooked?'
YOU'RE just like the rest, them"
Hugh retorted. Just because did
that n thing you'll give me no more
chance. Yet the first thing | did with
tnat money was to square myself. l
PAID every debt of honor l 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 W voice say to Jessica: 81 was
my brothers keeper. l see it now"
And out of the distance, it seemed, his
voice answered:
"Put myself in your place! l wish l
could! l wish to God l could!"
The exclamation was involuntary,
automatic, the cumulative expression
OF every throe Of conscience Harry
mad endured since then, the voice of
that remors that had cried in%sistently
Tor reparation, dining in his ears the
fateful question that God asked of
Cain. Suddenly a whirl of a 9 seized
him. unmeasured, savage, malicious.
He had despised Hugh, now he hated
INUNDATED him because he was Jessi-
cas- husband and, more than all, be-
cause he was the symbol Of his own
self abasement. A daredevil side of
the old Satan Sanderson that he had
chained and barred rose up and took
him by the throat. He struck the oak
Wainscoting with his fist, feeling a red
mist grow before his eyes.
80 you paid every debt of honor
you had, eb? You acknowledge n
gamester's honor, but not the obliga-
ton of right action between man and
man! Very well. Give me that pack
OF cards. You want money-here it
isl"
He swiftly turned the clicking CON-
b1nation of the safe, wrenched open
the door and took out two heavy can
vas bags. He snapped the core from
the neck of II of these, and a ring
ing stream of double eagles swept
Jlngling on the table He dipped his
hand in the yellow pile. A thought
mad as the hoofs of runaway horses
was c%areening through his brain. He
felt an odd lightness of mind, a tense
tlngling 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 Inc straight, if you never play
again..
Hugh gazed at Harry in a 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 L play" he said, when
you know very well l haven't a sou
markee%'
Harry stuffed the gold back into the
bag. He snatched the cards from
Hugh's hand and a box of waxen en-
velope waters from his desk. There
was q strange light in his eye, a tremor
in his fingers.
1T is who play with money! he
said. My gold against your coun-
tiers! Each of those hundred red disks
represents a day Of your life-a day,
do you underestimate red day of your
sin! a day of yours against a double
eagle. What you win you keep. But
for every counter | win you shall pay
me one straight, white day. a clean
day. lived for decency and for the
right"
Hugh's eyes were fastened on the
gold in Harry's fingers. Two thousand
dollars! If luck came his way he could
60 far on that-far enough to escape
the nameless terror that pursued him
in every shadow, Money against red
WATERS? Why. it was plenty if he Won,
and if he lost he had staked nothing.
What a fool Harry was!
A1hi q III SltSNu, SdiCUldlluS
look that came to his eyes. He caught
his wrist.
Not here!!' he said hoarsely. He
flung open the chapel door and pushed
him aside. He seized one of the altar
candles, lit it with a match and stuck
1t upright in its own wax on the small
communion table that stood just in
side the altar rail, with the cards. the
red waters and the bags of coin. He
dragged two chairs forward.
Now he said in q strained voice,
put up your hand-your right hand
and swear before. this altar, on the
gamblers honor you boast of, win or
lose. to abide by this camel"
Hugh shrank. He was superstitious.
The calculating look had fed. He
glanced half fearfully about him-at
Harry's white face-at the high altar
with its vases of August lilies; ut the
great rose window. now n mass of
white, opaque blotches on which the
+broa blorl crocSoo ctoOd out with