The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1910-06-25

sun. ana knew his IOlkS well. naQ
the honor to be of some slight assist
ance when he went under during
the panic years. Crops failed. banks
went to smash. but yoh remember,
reckon. Well. sub. Mr.. Kirby's
son. Eugene. came home from school
to find his poh father dead and a
bankrupt = everything swept away.
That was hard homecoming. sub.
Very sad case. have often wondered
what became of the boy. fob he had
all his fathers pride and refused to
let me exert my privilege of an old
neighbor and friend. That was twen-
ty years ago. and since then | have
heard in roundabout way that he
had become wild. drifted in with bad
companions and taken to the river for
livelihood. In fact. become COM
mon gambler, But of co'se don't be-
lieve it. for no Kirby could ever do
that. suh-fall so low. Yet the name
is uncommon. Have you ever met
this gentleman of whom you spoke?"
mot socially. suh." replied the other
dryly. 81 calculate he is no relative
Of the folks you mentioned, fob his
reputation, sub. is the worst on the
river: known from New Orleans to st.
Louis and back again He and his
side partner, suh-a dam carpetbag-
ging Yankee by the name of Bunce-
are the most reckless characters on
the river. 1T Is scum like them. sub.
who give our fair Mississippi her evil
name. Yoh speak of no man dealing
off the bottom of the pack. Why.
sub. assure yoh on my honor they're
so crooked they have to sleep in a
roundhouse. merely mentioned Kir-
by's name because of the fact that.
man of the world ,as you are. sub, you
would never pick him fob profession
al gambler. Never wore diamond in
his life. The cameo is his favorite
stone. fob they say it once saved his
worthless life, and from it he gets his
name. sub. But shall we continue the
game? am still five hundred ych
master. and we have fob hours to kill
befoh we make yoh landing"
Randall accepted the cards with un
steady hands. II assure you, sub. yof
are betting against foregone conclu
sion" he said, "foh there is no stem
ming the turn in the tide. I'll bet you
five hundred on this showdown. anc
then We'll pull stakes. sub. all square
fob further play would be sheer rob
berry. You can't beat the Randall lucl
when once it has turned"
II never believed IN luck" replied
Moreau. "foh life has demonstrated t,
me that there Is no such abstract
Fob instance, If coin falls head tel
times out of ten it is still an even be
fob heads or tails on the next toss
That is the law, sub, and all the su
perstition in the world cannot revok
or change it,
MY dear suh." replied the planter
waving an impatient hand, that is al
nonsense, for l hold that our entir
existence Is greatly controlled by lucl
and not law. | believe in Suprem
Being. sub, and attend church regu
larly, but | do not believe. sub. tina
our poh mundane affairs are regulai
ed by celestial corporation espec'n
ly such affairs as card games. Yo
know yohself. colonel. that the bes
playing in the world can't stand agains
run OF blind luck. and as man Q
the world I've seen mob fortunes los
on high hands-foh barmaids toppe
by fob kings every trip-just becaus
their holders hadn't sense enough {
realize that the tide had set in agains
them. And give yoh my word. sub,
he finished. humping the table, "ths
when ! fill "A fob card inside straIgt
the Randall luck is sitting into th
game right with me. and yoh simpl
can't win. oh. yoh may get one {
two little pots. but yoh'H finish dea
broke. Call 1t what yoh like-luck {
the shuffling of the devil"
Now, sub. yoh're bucking rigl
against my pet hobby" replied MI
reau. leaning across the table an
growing as earnest as his companion
.Of co'se accept yoh word fob pal
experiences. but It is the old case
the coin. Though yoh may have turl
ed heads hundred times In succe
sion, as l said. the chance Of 1t beir
tails is still an even bet. Yoh luc
may have changed. but I'm willing
! lay ten thousand thatlI hold the be
' hands In two out of three. There
: sporting offer. sub. that will te
, yoh theory"
I Randall blinked at his glass. Aga
I he was momentarily sobered.
mo. suh." he said decidedly. pluc
ing at his frilled shirt. Those a
I high stakes. colonel. for. as veal
goes nowadays. ! am not very I'll
J man. and cannot afford to jeopa
J fiize the welfare Of my children f'
: the sake OF proving my point Agail
|, sub, | consider II would be taking
: unfair advantage Of yoh"-
1 .Come. Yoh statements don'tagre
] mr. Randall" laughed the othe
\ ~What do yoh jeopardize. sub. II ys
! consider the advantage entirely WI
\ yohself? However he finished, WI
] some coldness: "this Is but gam
. sub. aud had no idea that yoh we
II at all impcriling yoh welfare
.The RandaIls. sub. never incur
obligation which they cannot meet
hotly interrupted the other. the drii