The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1909-01-01
Won by Card.
IOriginaLl

IOriginaLl
Miss Bursley sat in the library o
her residence at a card table opposit,
Mr.. Hauxhdrst They were boil
young. handsome and to the manne
born. Miss Bursley had inherited 1
small fortune, the remains OF larg,
one, and had lived a fashionable life
Mr.. Hauxhurst was rich.
Miss Bursleys especial interest II
Mr.. Hauxhurst was that he INDUCED
her passion for cards. She was an in
veterate gambler Mr.. Hauxhurst be
ing rich, she did not scruple to win hi,
money, and he did not object to he
doing so If she could. He invariably
permitted her to fix the stake and L
decide whether the game should bt
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
We're extremely cautious. She knew
that If she won the whole OF Mr.
HauXhurst's fortune he would lose 4
like man and scorn to blame her
Perhaps there were times when she
fancied that possibly she NIGH
"break the bank" of his finances and
be rich. Then she would marry Har
ry Hunter, Il young man whose ambi
ton was to be a spendthrift and was
only prevented by the want of funds.
For time her dream OF making her
self rich at Mr.. Hauxhursts expense
seemed of possible realization. Slow
ly 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
imperturba BILE smile and asked: "Sup
do with itT'
Marry poor man."
''To pass 1t on for your"
She took up fine hand and was toe
intent upon 1t to reply. He did not
press her. Indeed, he scanned his own
cards, then sat looking up at a 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 1t won large sum.
From that moment the luck changed
Little by little Miss Bursley's winnings
passed back to their original owner,
and 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
ly neither pleased nor displeased to be
winning such large sums from a wo-
man. Finally there came a time when
Miss Bursley knew that at 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. 1t was
the evening mentioned at the begin
ming of the story. The game was
two handed bridge whist. Miss Burs-
ley's hands ran well at first, and she
won handsomely. Mr.. Hauxhurst
looked at her with one Of his usual
smiles and remarked:
IF this keeps up you'll yet be able
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 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 DOS
sess of far more value than all Won
have lost" he said, still smiling.
She looked at him for an explana-
ton
yourself. l 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 unanimously.
Gambler-likc, she caught at a straw.
She might yet retrieve her losses. If
not, well, then-she was too perturbed
to decide whether the loss of herself
to her opponent would be n 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
enemy's two. Then he scored one.
making his points three. II was Miss
Bursley's deal. She turned n knave.