The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-20
cspyrisht. 1910. by Emerson Hossh
: By
 EYER ON HOUGH


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 "Quite right wouldn't care to re- strain her in any way, if she cared to travel in other company. Our work is well advanced toward completion, as : is. My fortunes need mending now. Do, you think I could continue 8 jour ney down the river in company so strong at cards as yours? At a later time, if you like, will endeavor to get my revenge
 Suppose you have it now," said Dunwody calmly.
 Tut, tut! I don't borrow to play cards''
 "You do not need to borrow, say Your stake equals mine, and we will play at evens too Come, let us deal one poker hand between two and to the hift''
 The other man looked at him and gazed at the heaped pile of coins and notes which lay before him. .I don't understand said he
 ssYou don't understand me- said E Dunwody, looking him fair in the face sT said that your stake can easily be equal with this on the table. I'll play you just two out of three jack pots be- tween the two of us- You see my stake.''
 "But nineg'
 "You can make it even by writing one name-and correctly-here on a piece of paper. Full value-yes, ten times as much as minei You are giv- ing odds, manP'
 q don't understand you.''
 .'You don't want to understand me. Come, now. You, as an army man, ought to know something of the his tory of poker in these United States Listen, my fFend. Do you recall a certain game played by a man high in authority-younger than he is today "a game played upon snowbound train in the north country? Do you remember what the stakes were then? Do you recall that that man later became president of the United States? Come. There is fine precedent for our little enterprise"
 The swift frsh-on the face of the other man made his answer Dunwody went on .mercilessly:
 He played then much as you do now. There was against him then, as there is now against you, man who admired not so much just one woman in all the world as, let us say, one par ticular woman then and there present. Perhaps you remember his name-Mr. Parish. Picture that snowbound train, that great citizen and Parish playing and playing until at fast it came to the question Of woman-not so beautiful as this one here, but in her own way shrewd, the same sort of woman. l might say-mysterious, beautiful and no, don't protest, and I'll not describe You remember very well her name. It was. pleasant property not so long ago for everybody. They played for the love. not for the hand, of that wo- man. Parish won her. Do you remem- Der now7a
 The younger man sat looking at him silently, his face now grown quite pale. Dunwody went on: sfIt was mans game and well worth the playing. Your former head of the army, at least, lost; and he paid. The other won. All Ogdensburg can tell you about that today. They lived -together-Parish ands the wo- man till he went abroad. Yes, and she was a prisoner there not simply for a short time. She lived and died there. l Whatever Parish did, whoever he was, he never loved any other woman as he | did that one. And when it comes to l that no other woman in that town ever l was loved more than she by every | body.''
 Carlisle made no remark, and Dun wody went on.
 ''She had political intrigues back o1 1 her just as this woman here has, for | all l know. Here is that same situa | tion, twice in one lifetime! It's omi nous for somebody. There is trouble l in the air for some or all of us. But 1 say I offer you fair play, even, man l to man. I ask no questions. She is l the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I have looked her in the face | shall never see such another face again. Man, I'm mad over her. And you've just said you'd loose your hold on her, whatever it is. for her sake Once my hold was on her she never should get away again."
 What do you propose?" asked the other hoarsely-
 '''I propose only to offer you that same game over again. replied Dunwody 1 Man, what an uncanny thing this is But remember one thing-no matter what comes, shall never mention oui meeting here. I will play you two ou of three to see who takes her" Hi: voice was low, tense, savage.
 The younger man sat back in hi chair. One knowing his tempestuou nature might have expected anger, con sternation, resentment. to remain o1 his face. On the contrary, suddel 1 light seemed to come into his counte nance. Suddenly he sti1ed a smile I He passed a hand across his brow a. though to assure himself. It was no so much confidence or resolution a half deliberation which shone in hi