The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-01-27

gagged, only to have It lightly pooh
poohed by the Colonel and also by
Maxwell, who joined them just then.
Hang the contract" was Maxwells
immediate comment. "It must be
some picayune job in that town. Put
in any old bid high enough to make
no mistake about getting IT, Your
firm doesn't expect TO get everything
IL bids on, does Il? You must not
break up our little game that way, you
know. That will never do"
It spite Of all the two colonels could
say, and in spite of all the knowing
winks with which the barkeeper pune
tured his advice Frank was firm in
his determination to so ashore next
morning. Opposed to the repeated ar
gument of his tempters that "the firm
would never know" was his recollec-
tion Of Jennies parting words: Think
of me as IL ! were standing beside
you, and you cannot lose.'
When the four sat down to play
their last game together that evening,
nothing was said to Watkins about
Franks determination TO leave them
next day.
Same old thing, | suppose?" he de-
manded as the cards we're shuffled.
That's right" answered Colonel
Draper. -Four of a kind is high, and
call sight for your pile If you want
to; but il you borrow to raise, you
must borrow TO CALL
"All right. Let her go!" was all
Colonel Maxwell had to say, as he
placed handful of bills on the table
There was little change in Frank
Averys luck. and he gradually added
TO his winnings until he had several
hundred dollars more velvet" in front
of him. The losers took It good-na
turedly, and seemed to enjoy the game
Just the same as If they were winning
The barkeeper sat and looked on by
spells, and lost no opportunity to whis
per to Frank to push his luck.
ITS a cinch," he said. you can
lose. It's the chance of your life"
Along toward midnight, Franl
picked up four seYens pat on his owl
blind. Watkins, on his left, hat
queens up, but did not raise the ante
. Maxwell just Clipped, but Drape
raised it twenty-five dollars on thre
= kings.
Frank was too good player TO rails
then, which would probably drive tn
others out, so he put up the twenty
) five as II II hurt him TO do IT, wa
( klns raised 1t fifty, on the principle o
I making his play on two pairs befor
4 the draw. Maxwell saw both raise
Y after some hesitation, and tho deale
I just called, taking up the pack at III
! same time to serve the draw.
. Seeing that his opportunity Tor
. killing had come, Frank raised II
, hundred dollars, which he thought tha
q the three men who were already IN 10
4 seventy-hye each would stand.
D Watkins dropped like a shot Coli
b mel Maxwell not only saw the rails
}. but came back two hundred and MT
{ harder, which drove out the dealer an
y brought Frank up with jerk. II
[ lust called il and drew one card. Ma
& well stood pat and bet a dollar.
o Something in the nature OF an insp
q ration, or perhaps an almost impe
q ceptible movement on the part or IN
r barkeeper, prompted Frank just
9 call, and 1t was fortunate for him thl
he did, as the Colonel had four eight
J. This sudden and unexpected reyers
I. which cost him over four hundred 90
0 lars, gave Frank a chill that ne di
q not recover from for several deais an
d he found himself neryously iumpiih
in his pockets and trying to count lh
r money he had left. There was on
a about half an hour more to play, an
q the chances OF recovering any OF thi
. four hundred were very slim. III
barkeeper looked solemn and shoo
+ his head, as il he did not understan