The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21
Being Reminded of the Iniquity
Of Betting on a Sure
Thing.
SMITH OPENS THEIR EYES
Acknowledging RemOrsefully
That lie Had Been Guilty
of Doing 1t Himself.


time. and friends too OF no ordinary.
ness was found to be in serious difficulty
owing to the failure of big contracting
frin 10 which he had been furnishing
supplies every man in the party had
stretched his purse strings to the limit
in making AN unsolicited loan to him
that carried him through his troubles.
He had paid 1t all back. an they knew
he would IL he could. but they doubted
when they made It whether Ne would
ever be able TO.
Then. when Russell was indicted for
completely in the frauds that made the
building of the new court house scan
dal of the first magnitude they stood by
him manfully. Appearances were GER
tainly against him. and he narrowly
escaped conviction on the trial. but not
one of them wavered in the fun conf
dence they gave him even when pub
lie opinion decided that the trial was a
farce and he was ostracized for time.
And It had been by the efforts OF Irwin
and Dobson. abetted by the others. that
he was finally indicated.
Even when Higbie's wife left him and
he took to drink, refusing to say a word
in reply to the charges she made against
him, they scoffed at the people who de-
clared that his silence could only be
construed az confession and carried him
on bodily to Wards houseboat. And
they let him tight IL out by himself,
knowing the stun that was In him.
OF the entire half dozen forceful.
whole hearted men in the party, little
Smith was In some respects the most
notable. Nobody even knew AT what
tangent he was most likely To ny out.
or how far he would 40 after he
started. Equable and piacid in his de-
meanor generally. polite and even def
erential in manner. he was capable of
sudden outbursts of temper as binding
as summer lightning, and those who
knew him best were always doubtful
whether IL was of the harmless heat
variety or whether 1t would prove to be
prelude to serious electrical storm.
Not altogether comfortable com
panion at times. he was yet to be re-
lied on always to do the right thing af-
ter he had recovered himself. "Smithy's
a valuable man il he's handled right.
Ward used To say, Ward being an cleo
trtcian OF note.
It was not greatly surprising to the
others, therefore, when Smithy exploded
IN the stud poker game.
There may be- among the devils In
hell" he observed deliberately, after
losing a large pot, "some'form Of amuse-
ment more unworthy than stud poker
Possibly there are ways In which deep
dyed depravity and ineffabe mean ma
lightly may be displayed to better adj
vantage than they are in Turing a man
on to bet money against a sure thing
but I know Of nothing that bespeaks
greater degradation.
"The falntest indication of an instinct
toward common decency would be s1if-
ficient to prevent any one who was
not a moral pervert Of the lowest type
from the commission OF such an act
And these few remarks are offered with
no reservations. II they seem To have
a personal bearing, no one realizes the
application more clearly than l do"
And he glared furiously at Higble
who had raked the pot, and was sorting
out the chips.
The others noticed that he was dis
pleased, and being aware of the un-
certainty OF his temper were unable &c
decide to what lengths II might carry
him. They knew, too, that he carried
a revolver, being smaller than the aver
age man, and unable TO cope with ever
an ordinary antagonist in physical
encounter, though he was absolutely
fearless. having great reliance on his
skill in the use of the weapon.
There is nothing IN the Constitution
or the statutes" said Irwin. as he as
sembled the deck for the next deal
(which compels "a man to continue play
ing the game any longer than he desires
to do so. And when the banker is re-
sponsible. as he certainly is in this case
u is always feasible to cash in"
"Smithy's right. though" observed
Dobson thoughtfully. There Is moth
ing meaner or more unprincipled thar
betting on a sure thing. The objec
ton have to stud poker is that | don
get a chance to do 1t as frequently al
II II done TO me. / don't blame hin
for being testy. III be sorry for Hlg
bic, though. IL he gets chance to &
back at him."
"I'm some ratified. my own self" sat
Higb!e. putting up a red chip, he hav
ing the high card showing.
II was queen. and Irwin, sittini
next with a seven showing. folded
promptly, but Ward and Dobson cam
in. Then Russell passed. and Smitl
trailed. His visible card was a jack.
On the next turn he caught an ace
and bet out with a show OF contidenc
that gave rise 10 a suspicion that hi
buried card was also an ace, but Hig
bic had received a king as his third car
and raised the bet with calm assur
ance that made 1t almost a certaint
that he had another king hidden.
No one else had enough to justif
going further against two such proba
blities and they passed, leaving tn
two again opposed. Then Smith playe
Food poker, or. at least. what the other
recognized as good. on the assumption
that he really had aces.
He saw the raise without going fur
,her. II Higbie with the certainty O
kings was willing to push the game
Smith with aces could not afford I
discourage him at that stage. So the
waited for the next turn. in whic
neither one bettered, according to ap
pearances.
\. Smith got a nine spot, and Higbie a
4 slQhl and Smith having tho hiph cal