The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-04

S1OdSA hot LAAA OS "S@ A-Ay A~A0ADOAs suh, and I knew his folks we'll. I had 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, I reckon. We'll, suh, MT. Kirby's son, Eugene, came home from school to find his poh father dead and a bankrupt - everything swept away. That was hard homecoming, suh. Very sad case I have often wondered what became of the boy, foh 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 1 have heard in roundabout way that he had become wild, drifted in with bad companions and taken to the river for a livelihood. Tn 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 dTyly. 'I calculate he is no relative of the folks you mentioned, foh his reputation, suh, 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. It is scum like them, suh, who give our fair Mississippi her evil name Yoh speak of no man dealing off the bottom of the pack. Why, suh, assure yoh on my honor they're so crooked they have to sleep in a roundhouse. I merely mentioned Kir- by'S name because of the fact that, man of the world as you are, suh, you would never pick him foh profession al gambler. Never wore diamond in his life. The cameo is his favorite stone, foh they say it once saved his worthless life, and from it he gets his name, suh. But shall we continue the game? I am still five hundred yoh master, and we have foh hours to kill befoh we make yoh landing.'
 Randall accepted the cards with un- steady hands. ''I assure you, suh, yoh 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, and then we'll pull stakes, sub, all square, foh further play would be sheer rob bery. You can't beat the Randall luck when once it has turned"
 q never believed in luck" replied Moreau, "foh life has demonstrated to me that there is no such abstract Foh instance, if a coin falls head ten times out of ten it is still an even bet fOh heads or tails on the next toss. That is the law, suh, and all the su- perstftion in the world cannot revoke or change it."
 'My dear suh,' replied the planter, waving an impatient hand, ''that is all nonsense, for I hold that our entire existence is greatly controlled by luck and not law. I believe in a Supreme Being, suh, and I attend church regu- larly, but I do not believe, suh, that our poh mundane affairs are regulat- ed by celestial corporation, especial ly such affairs as card games. Yoh know yohself, colonel, that the best playing in the world can't stand against run of blind luck, and as a man of the world I've seen moh fortunes lost on high bands-foh barmaids topped by foh kings every trip-just because their holders hadn't sense enough to realize that the tide had set in against them. And give yoh my word, suh, ," he finished, humping the table, "that when fill foh card inside straight the Randall luck is sitting into the game right with me, and yoh simply can't win. Oh, yoh may get one or two little pots, but yohl finish dead broke. Call it what yoh hke-luck or the shuff1ing of the devil'
 'Now, suh, yoh're bucking right against my pet hobby" replied Mo reau, leaning across the table and growing as earnest as his companion. "Of co'se accept yoh word foh past experiences, but it is the old case of the coin. Though yoh may have turn ed heads a hundred times in success sion, as I said, the chance of it being tails is still an even bet. Yoh luck may have changed, but Pm willing to lay ten thousand that hold the best hands in two out of ihree. There's a sporting offer, suh, that will test yoh theory"
 Randall blinked at his glass. Again he was momentarily sobered.
 ''No, suh," he said decidedly, pluck ing at his frilled shirt. 'Those are high stakes. colonel, for, as wealth goes nowadays, I am not very rich man, and cannot afford to jeopar- dize the welfare of my children for the sake of proving my point. Again, sub, I consider it would be taking an unfair advantage of yoh"-
 Come. Yoh statements don't agree, Mr. Randall" laughed the other. ''What do yoh jeopardize, suh, if yoh consider the advantage entirely with yohself? However" he finished, with some coldness; "this is but a game, suh, and had no idea that yoh were at all irnperiling yoh welfare"-
 ''The Randalls, suh, never incur an obligation which they cannot meet" hotly interrupted the other, the drink showing in his eyes. "Yoh pardon, suh, if I have touched on personal matters. It is not my custom, I as sure yoh, to do so with strangers'-
 "Now, now, MT. Randall, suh,' in- ferrllpted the other batting the plant