The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-23

They were mostly working men like
the carpenter. and l couldn't help
wondering about their families. And
yet, unless one shakes it off, there is
peculiar magnetism about the ma
chimes. l let it work on me a sort
of test. Almost unconsciously 1
stepped up and played SO without win
ming anything. 1t made me a little
sore when l realized it. BY no means
can l afford tests of this kind, and
why should ! make any tests in the
matter anyway?
May IG-It is most peculiar.
could see cards dropping before my
eyes all night. 1t was a sort OF night
mare. I think. in which ! dreamed OF
playing a million dollars for four of
a kind and never getting it. Beatrice
writes me that she is staying in Los
Angeles for just a little while longer
to nurse her aunt who has had a sud-
den attack of sickness. / do wish she
would come home. / am singularly
nervous and have been SO for two
days. | think it is the result of stand
ing and watching the play al the slot
machines. l have somehow got into
the habit of doing this. [ seem to
have become unaccountably morbid.
too 1t is because Beatrice is away, 1
imagine. And vet she writes me the
sweetest letters, feel there should
be something divinely melancholy and
sweet about her absence. and still there
seems to be a sort of shadow over me.
Perhaps it is from losing what money
did.
May 1S-I really DO not think I was
to blame. The fellow won two specials,
amounting to s27. with 81 worth Of
slugs 1 heard them call 1T out, and
the idea of winning my money back
VIZ n win 7 hn
machine as soon as he was through
with 1T. l put SIS in it and only sue
ceeded in winning a IS special. I put
in $3.50 more and got an eight full"
at $3.50. There was a sort of madness
on mean insane idea of getting even
at any risk. 1t was early in the even
ing and I played all the way down
street till past midnight. / came to
my senses this morning almost 1920
TO the bad. Perhaps was short
changed on some of it somewhere. I
didn't know what I was doing. Good
God. l haven't got money enough left
to make the payment on that deal for
the grille and me. She is coming home,
too.
May 20-I have been In bed all
day. I telephoned to Rugby to come
up to see me. Rugby is wise. He ex-
planned to me that the fellow winning
win them at all, but was a capper play
ing for the stand. The specials were
called out, Of course, but the fellow
had a slug in and the cards down so
quickly that no one took notice. Rugby
says, however, that he never heard of
any one suffering such uniform bad
luck as / have. Perhaps-but no, I
will never play them again. When
Beatrice returns I will simply tell her
what have done, and release her It's
all over as far as the deal up Mission
is concerned-I am almost $500 below
the necessary amount. Well, the girl
will be well rid of a gambler As for
the rest of the money it will soon CO.
There. that slipped out unconsciously,
rs If something had spoken within me
than myself. / wonder if the
thing is really becoming a passion with
me. j can't believe it--and vet I re-
member an old racetrack man saying
there was no other form of gambling
that got such a grip on one as the slot
machines. Oh. pshaw I'm becoming
morbid. Just to prove that / have
control of myself, I will go down and
play a single dollar-and then no more
Tonight.
Later won five dollars worth of
checks and sold them. find that In
front of the machines that only paw in
- S@i . SAiSAS 70 a. w aSs d leliOW stand
ing who will pay you 0 cents cash
for your checks. He is usually an
outsider and makes a cent on every /.
check. besides the coupons. I think
I'll have lunch now and go out for a
walk.
May 21--Well, at last realize It.
vas stronger than the passion for the
'acetrack. but the passion for the slot
machines is stronger than I am.
,ame home at 2 o'clock this morning
With another SAT sunk. Stockford took
ne home and explained the whole thing
o me- He's an expert in liking the
machines and gave little advice on
he side for my own especial benefit.