The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-07-07

deed for his plantation as his stakes,
so W await yoh pleasure. Mr.-er
Jackson
Il understand you to say that the
stakes were fifty, not twenty thou
sand9' replied the other, casually
giancing at the ~coloneIs roll.
II calculate my check is good for
the balance" replied Moreau. signal
Ing a warning with his eyes--the
National Bank. OF New Orleans, subj
"Ah. a very sound institution, for /
draw against 1t myself" observed the
younger man. sAs, OF course, we do
not carry such an mount with Us,
he added, with Difference, turning to
Mr. Randall, Colonel Moreau and I
must Of necessity substitute our
checks. We are strangers to You, sir.
and"-
"Yoh word, sub. is entirely sufn-
Gent" interrupted the planter, wav-
ing his hand .sThis is a question or
honor between Us, fob I might draw
a deed to a plantation l never owned.
I am a man Of the world, sub, and i
reckon we each can recognize a south
ern gentleman on sight"
Yes, in the present company that Is
not a very difficult matter" graveIy
responded Mr.. Jackson. sShall we
cut for the deal? The four best hands
take all. All, luck is with me. take
the cards. sir" &c
zone moment" said Moreau, "as no
stakes are up / reckon I'll give my
check for the full amount should T.
lose" Pocketing his roll, he glanced
satirically at Mr.. jackson.
lie for a presumable amateur who oc-
~casionally INDUCED in a gentlemans
game merely for the sake Of passing
the time Colonel Moreau had exhibited
q wonderful aptitude at shutting ana
pletely oyershadowed by that OF the
young intruder, whose lightning defE
ness was almost uncanny. Talking
n~onchalantly and brilliantly, he stack
ed the deck with a beautiful pre-
cision, fascinating In the extreme, even
while the coloneps watchfuI and sua-.
picious eyes never for a moment g
Taxed their vigil. Owing entirely to
this marvellous and criminal skill Mr..
Jackson won on his own deal and,
luck following him, won also on that
of Mr.. Randall. As each and every
n of the colonePs undertakings were
highly estimable he naturally held the
best hand when, for a moment, the
cards were in his power, and it speaks
eloquently for Mr.. Jackson's large
charity OF judgment that he refrained
from criticism even when acutely
aware that the middle aged creole had
rather clumsily garnered his third ace
from the bottom of the deck. But as
youth must be served, especially when
possessor Of such consummate skill AZ
that owned by Mr.. Jackson, the latter
handsomely won his fourth showdown
with surprising ease, verve and dash.
"Well that winds her." airily re
marked the colonel, arising and stretch
ing his long arms. Zone hundred thou
sand amt such a bad cleanup, 1 feck-
on, but yoh alwayssWere lucky. yOh
young scamp, and there's no playing
against it. Yoh even topped my fob
kings. I calculate the Randall luck
finished a very poh last. How about
yoh theory now, suh?"
The planter did o reply, for it is
somewhat difficult for a but newly
ruined man to sense the full humor Of
his condition. In silence he drew to-
ward him the pen and ink, while for
a long moment he stared at the white
rhnn+ anf nonD~ YIDan -vh3aAE H@--~-
about to give title to all which he
owned He and his children were beg
gars,e total and complete. This was
the turning of the tide, his royal home
coming. For a moment he bowed his
grizzled head; then, shutting his teeth
against all thoughts of the future,
seized the quill pen. For a Randall
must show the world how it can lose.
A Randall must be beaten at nothing
even at playing the fool.
"Yoh name, suhY' he ~courteously In
quired, turning to the young stranger
who had proved SO fortunate.
Eugene Kirby, sir"
'erWhat?" exclaimed the planter in q
dazed manner It thought, suh"-
"Oh, the colonel sometimes calls me
MI. Jackson because he thinks / re-
semble the general" lightly replied
Cameo Kirby as, head between hands,
he stared gravely al the table. ANY
one viii tell you my name is Eugene
Kirby-even the Texas tender knows
it."
"Ah, the General. L have a boy, sub,
whom we affectionately call by that
name,'' replied Mr.. Randall irrelevant
ly, staring at the ceiling. Il have
three children, sub. There is Tom and
Adele and the General. Their mother
Is dead, sub. And yoh say yoh name
Is Eugene Kirby. Very strange, sub
I know the Kirbys of PlaQuemine,
sub. No relation, I suppose. But yoh
pardon, SUBJ"
And, with a hand now steady and
firm, he wrote and signed the deed to
the Randall plantation and, with a