The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-25

things did not work so well for MT. l Smith
 The gentleman from Missouri seemed | to have an extraordinary run of luck in the matter of giving point or running the cards. Every time Mr. Smith would beg with sure point in his hand the cards would be run without moment 'S
 hesitation. Every time he found him self without trump the same alacrity would be shown In giving him a point although MT. Carroll turned out to have had nothing in his own hand but the lone
 jack when he gave 1t. When the bell
 rang for dinner MT. Smith had to go over
 to the bridge table and borrow money
 enough to pay MT. Carroll $500 Alter dinner, as usual. nothing would Induce MT. Carroll to play seven-up. He said he did not really know whether he was ahead of the game or not. He did
 not care anything about the money and offered to give back to Mir. Smith what
 ever he thought he had lost, but for his part he would rather look on at a game of bridge than eat.
 Full Of confidence that he could beat any run of luck by skillful shuffng, Mir Smith was eager to resume the game the
 next morning. MT. Carroll was equally willing and hastened to secure their ac- customed place, where the light was par ticuiarly good in daytime. He also had a proposition to make
 Mir. Smith had been good enough to raise the stake from S5 to s10O in order that Mir. Carroll might have a chance to get even more quickly. How about mak- ing this game for $25O or even $500, if MT. Smith thought he was behind?
 Agreed. With pleasure. Let us make it S50O.'
 But very unpleasant experience was in store for Mir Smith, which dscon- certed him to such an extent that he hardly knew what hea was doing for a few deals. Mir Carroll began to get off some funny stories. apparently quite for getting the serious nature of the game he was playing and the amount depending on it. and while he was laughag over the climax of his jokes himself he absent mindedly shuffed the cards instead of cutting them. just when Mir. Smith had taken advantage of the opportunity to run up hand worth four times
 His Innocent Device.
 This happened on two or three occa- sions. MT. Carroll always apologized or turned it off good -naturedly with a "Well I swan! It's your deal, ain't it? Shuffie 'em again, and I'll cut 'em right this time"
 But this did not give MT. Smith the hand he had so dexterously run up for himself; neither did it leave any jack on the bottom of the pack, where it could be pushed forward with the fingers of the left hand. In fact it simply reduced MT. Smiths skill to the level of plain, ordinary Ehuftle, such as any duffer could make.
 After losing three straight games MT Smith thought 1t advisable to quit as he was not quite sure that the profits at the bridge table had been large enough to meet such an obligation as $2000 in case he should lose the fourth straight.
 In this suppostion he was very nearly correct but in the hurried consultation after luncheon it was agreed that he must get his money back somehow, the blond woman being particularly insstent on going ashore with plenty of sugar in the kick, as she expressed it.
 It was finally arranged that the seven up game should be resumed that after noon for five hundred a corner, and that after the first game. win or lose, one of the partners at the bridge table should take advantage of being dummy to stroll over to the seven-up table and distract Mir. CarrolIs attention for moment while MT Smith rang in a high hand on