Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-04-28

NOt SOcldNy. sun. TepIieu Tue OtueE
dryly. II 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 bis
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
on the bottom Of the pack. Why.
sub. assure yoh on my honor they're
so crooked they have to sleep in
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 bis
worthless life. and from IT be gets his
name. sub. But shall we continue the
game? l am still five hundred ych
master. and we have fob hours to kill
Uc1Ou we udAc yum bUuulusS
Randall accepted the cards with un-
steady hands, Il assure you. sub. yoh
are betting against a foregohe conclu.
sion." he said. "foh there ia 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.
fob further play would be sheer rob-
berry. You can't beat the Randall luck
when once it has turned"
II never believed in luck" replied
MOreau. "foh life has demonstrated to
me that there Is no such abstract.
Fob instance, II coin falls head ten
times out of ten it Is still an even bet
fob heads or tails on the next toss
That Is the law. sub. and all the su
perstition in the world cannot revoke
or change It,"
MY dear sub" replied the planter.
waving an impatient hand. that IL all
nonsense. for hold that our entire
existence is greatly controlled by luck
and not law. believe in a Supreme
Being. sub. and attend church regu
larly. but | do not believe. sub. that
our poh mundane affairs are regulat
ed by celestial corporation. especial
~ such affairs as card games. Yoh
know yohself. colonel. that the best
playing in the world can't stand against
a run of blind luck. and as a man Of
the world I've seen mob fortunes lost
by fob 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. subj
he finished. humping the table. that
when | fill fob 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 You'll finish dead
broke. Call 1t what yoh like-luck or
the shutting Of the devil"
Now. sub. 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 fob past
experiences but 1t is the old case OF
the coin. Though yoh may have turn
ed heads hundred times In success
sion. as ! said. the chance Of It being
tails is still an even bet. Yoh luck
may have changed. but I'm willing to
lay ten thousand that hold the hest
hands in two out Of three. There's
q sporting offer. sub. that will test
yoh theory"
Randall blinked at his glass. Again
he was momentarily sobered.
mo. subj" he said decidedly. pluck
ing at his frilled shirt. "Those are
high stakes. colonel. for. IA wealth
goes nowadays. am not very rich
man. and / cannot afford to jeopar.
die the welfare Of my children Tor
the sake Of proving my point. Again.
sub, l consider 1t would be taking an
unfair advantage Of ych"-
Come. Yot statements don't agree.
Mr. Randall" laughed the other.
"What do yoh jeopardize. sub. II yoh
consider the advantage entirely with
yohself? However" he finished. with
some coldness: this is but game.
sub. and had no idea that yoh were
at all imperiing yoh welfare
1.-THE Randalls. sub. never incur an
obligation which they cannot meet"
hotly Interrupted the other. the drink
showing in his eyes. "Yoh pardon,
sub. II have touched on personal
matters. 1t is not my custom. as-
sure yoh. to do so with Strangers
..Now, now. Mr.. Randall. sub. In.
terrupted the other. patting the plant
er's arm. "Yoh pardon. sub. II have
offended. am an old soldier" twiri-
Ing his mustaches. land perhaps own
an exaggerated and touchy sense OF
honor. When yoh mentioned imperii-
ing yoh welfare it seemed rs II we
we're no longer INDUCING in gentle
mems game merely fob the sake OF
passing the time. | have a very dell
cate sense Of honor. sub. and perhaps
l am too ready to back my opinions
with sums which ! consider mere tri-
fes. hope this difference Of opinion
will not impair our but newly formed
friendship. Mr. Randall"
Il was too hasty, colonel" replied
the other, "foh I reckon my pride is as
touchy as yoh own. Come. all up yoh
glass. sub. Yoh're a good fellow. and
I'm a good fellow. We're both good
fellows. sub. A Randall never yet re-
fused to back his opinion. and ten
thousand is as much picayune affair
to me as to yoh. II yoh persist in go
ing broke. I'll take yoh bet. sub. The
best two out of three. My cards.