The sun., 1909-02-28

those two and persuade his friend "
cit with hip. II he. could exchange tht
nrst seat. Arranged.
Then he went back 10 his hotel TO dc
some more thinking. the way. those thres
trump cards had been lifted from his LAP
still ranking In his heart. in comparison
with being done 30 neatly the money he
had lost was as nothing. He was In daily
terror that Mr.. Richardson would relate
| the incident to his friends at the poker
table and make him the laughing stock
Of the town. After an hours further
consideration ne had his schene OF
revenge worked out.
Friday night, but Mr.. Green did not.
The mind reader could not help over
hearing some Of the conversation which
was carried on In low tones In the seats
Immediately behind him.
The men who were talking did not
seem to care anything for the play. but
continued to whisper 10 each other at
TO 90 at the end Of the act, as he was ap-
parently very much put out about some
action Of a friend Of his.
When the lights went up Mr. Richard
son turned around oareessly and had. q
good look at the two men, but he had
never seen either Of them before. They
did not even look at him. As soon as the
whispering with their heads down.
Mr.. Richardson thought he caught the
name Of Dalton, who was one OF the
players In the poker game, and listening
more attentively to what was going on
behind him than to the actors on the
stage he managed to gather that there
was to be killing In the poker game next
day and that the man behind him was
sore at being shut out because he had
not bQan in the QanA before.
As far as the listener could gather from
the explanation given by one man TO the
other the scheme had been arranged by
Mr.. Dalton. In those days jackpots
were unknown and the straight flush was
a matter OF house rules, some rooms al
other poker rooms still held four Of a
kind to be the best hand, a straight flush
being no better than any other flush.
In the rooms in which Mr.. Richardson
played the house rules were printed on
a large card which hung between the
windows. He had read them over care
fully more than once. They barred the
straight flush.
According to the drift Of the talk behind
him. it appeared that the next evening.
which would be Saturday, some gudgeon
with big bank roll was to get four kings
and an ace and was to be allowed 70 bet
himself silly. When 1t came to a call MIR.
Dalton was to produce a small straight
flush and upon is being objected to oy
was to be referred to the house rules and
told to read them over himself.
Upon doing 30 he would find that a
strai ght flush beat four OF kind in that
room, the card Of rules having been
secretly changed during the game by one
Of the walters.
NJ . ha baroira ha NJ n 70 n nd the audi-
ence was hanging upon every tragic word
II gradually sifted through Mr.. Richard
sons mind that he was to be the man to
hold the four kings. His mind also read
q little deeper.
The two men behind him did not leave
until the last act; When they did Mr..
Richardson took the liberty Of following
them, keeping In the shadow on the other
side OF the street. When they stopped on
corner and looked around he ducked
into a hallway. When they entered a
saloon just beyond he walked over and
peeped in through the side door.
His mind had read the situation Alright
tion with Mr.. Green:
A little later on the same night there
was another conversation. in which Mr..
Richardson was the chief topic. II was
between Mr.. Green and Mr.. Dalton. 4
They say that fellow g a mind reader
remarked Andy. .and I'll lust read his
mind for him this time. You trust me;
Jim and Harry behind him at the theatre
this evening so he should get wise to the
scheme"
sYou are a great schemer. Andy" OBJ
served Dalton, with a shake OF the head,
"but this time don't see it..
The next thing is to get Billy Martin
to sit on his left hand tomorrow night,
nI oh he N-ni a r{a
to deal that hand Billy will have been talk
ing about going home
As soon as Mr. Smarty gets his four
kings and the ace Of clube-he's fond OF
clubs. he is. damn him-Billy gets up and
says he's not coming In that hand. but 60
ing right home; but before he chucks his
hand Billy just let's our friend the mind
reader get a glimpse OF his papers so he |
can see Billy is throwing down the queen. |
lack. ten Of clubs, among other cards.
Now do you savvy?'
.Don't quite see IL yet.
when Billy lays down his hand and
stands up TO go that's your cue TO knock
the table 10 pick it up. That gives Mr..
Smarty mind reader a chance to swipe
those three cards as Billy goes out OF the
door, so he has a royal straight flush with
his ace king of clubs and having all the
other kings in his fingers he knows it's
sure enough cinch,"
But that will beat my hand. What
good is my little straight flushp Are you
going to accuse him OF cheating?'
-You don't have no little straight flush.
All you will get is four eights. We will
take good care that he sees the sign with
The house rules on il changed; but IL will
be only another copy OF the same old sign
saving straight flushes don't GO
"Oi yoi!" was all Mr.. Dalton could say.
mis- ewes spark ling.
when Mr. Smartv loo-loo player gets
.ired raising he will show up his royal
straight flush against your four little
lights. and when he refers to the house
.ules the waiter hands them to him and
hen he tumbles to IL that the second time
ne lifted three clubs that didn't belong to
him he was the fellow that got stung. Now
10 YOU savvy?"
On Saturday night Mr. Richardson was
IN hand. He had taken the preoaution to
bring with him every cent he possessed.
o bet when the time came.
During the game he observed that the
waiter had a sign concealed under his
lpron which was clumsily substituted for
he card on the wall during the play of q
,and Shortly after that Mr.. Billy Martin
,egan to talk OF going home. and Mr..
richardson began TO put a point on his
yoatee in anticipation OF the play that was
o come.
Everything worked beautifully. II
andy Green, who was nervously pacing
he floor in the next room, could have
,e would have been tempted to think
10 had missed his vocation and should
AVE been playwright. As Billy passed
'ut he assured him that there could be
10 s,ioh thing as failure now.
The mind reader got his four kings and