The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-13
How Molly Burton
Saved Jim Hodson' S
Mining Shares
BY SADIE oLCoTT

Molly kept a boarding house and was
hail fellow well met with her boarders,
who were all men. There was moth
ing squeamish about Molly, but she
was considered perfectly straight. The
only dissipation she INDUCED in was
gambling, and this with her was pas
sion. If she had dollars to stake she
would play dollars; IL she had cents 1t
would be penny ante. She always
played a fair game and would take no
charity from any one. Once when an
opponent bet to lose purposely In order
to enable her to recoup she told him
that IL he did 1t again there would be
no more play between them.
Jim Hodson was a miner who had
struck it big. 1t was while he was de-
yeloping claim that he came to Mol
" Burton's house to board. She used
to play penny ante with him, but
would never consent to considerable
stake. She said that he needed all his
money to get his claim In condition
10 offer on the market. She also saw
TO 1t that he did not fall into the
hands OF card sharps. II she saw him
playing with one of the fraternity she
would ask him for loan thereby get
ting his money out Of hts hands.
One day Hodson struck vein that
made his property very valuable. A
company was formed which gave him
a large block of stock with plenty
Of cash down. He accepted the posi-
ton of superintendent When not en-
gagged In his duties at the mine he
played cards at Molly Burton's Despite
all her efforts to prevent it he was
soon stuck for some $4,000. Molly
played with him in order to keep him
from playing with any one else. He
knew she would take no charity from
him. so he played to win. In the long
run they stood nearly even.
One day man got hold Of Hodson
and was playing him for all he was
worth when Molly interfered. From
that time forward Molly Kept Hodson
playing with her all his spare time
and il soon came TO be noticed by those
who overlooked the game that she was
cheating him. This caused great sur
prise. because Molly was known to be
square with every one, especially Jim
Hodson. No one said anything to her
victim about her manipulation OF the
cards. That was none OF their bust
ness, and any OF them would gladly
see her gain.
1t was not known TO any one besides
Hodson and Molly how much OF his
money she was relieving him Of but
II was considerable. One night when
they were playing together alone Jim
said to Molly:
IF you clean me out, Mol, whatH
you do with the fundsy"
Marry a good for nothing man.
Don't see what such first class wo-
man as you wants with a good for
nothing man"
We'll, a weak woman wouldn't;
strong one would. It's our opposites
we like"
They were playing ordinary euchre.
Molly was turning jack on her VIC
tim. dealing herself hands 10 match the
trump aud every now and again pro-
posing to raise the stake. Hodson was
very stupid not TO see that he was get
ting slaughtered. but he had no faculty
for cards and was blind as bat to
sleight OF hand. Besides, he never
dreamed that Molly would cheat More
over. there was no money on the table;
be was continually signing |. o. US.
The truth is he had lost all his cash
and was signing away his stock in the
mine. Molly knew how many shares
he owned, and. keeping count In her
head, she was aware that she had !.
o. US for 90 per cent OF them. When
she took in the nnal tenth she called a
halt and said:
Jim. how many shares In your mine
do you ownY'
fifty thousand"
Molly took up the ]. o. Us and. add
ing the amounts on them. figured up
5000 shares. Jim turned pale.
You're a good man. jim" said Mol
~. "and I'm going TO give you a chance
TO win back your property" Writing
something On the back OF one o. the
4. o. Us. She folded ii and told him
TO put Il IN his pocket
"Tu play all ! have won from you
against what's on that paper"
Jim begged 70 know Whist Il was,
but she wouldn't tell him. lie was
desperate enough 20 accept any terms
10 be consented. He proposed euchre.
but Molly substituted showdown
poker hand. with Jim for dealer. say
ing that she wanted him 10 be sure
that there was no shcnanigan Jim
said be was sure o. that already. They
concluded 20 make u the best In three
tands. and jim dealt the first hand.
Molly -von. drawing a king with aces
aud serens Jim had no pair. The
second baud Jim wen on tens and
deuces lis hand trcInbled a. BE- dealt
The third time. and when the cards
were drawn be showed the queen %
hearts high against jack high
without waiting for Molly 20 hand
over bis I. o. u's b. took out the %
per- she had given him uufoided y and
-end single word
Yourself
II required somr time 90 rrt tire
meanlne fhrwuga his bead though ~
zas assisted ~ q mid biush On Mo-
- fnne Wben he uuasrsfe01 10
-eachpd across TIE table and fook MOI
y N rs arms
T-F.t. 4 tam waH~ snrna IAN u.H-