The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-09-22
The Result Of a
Friendly Game
B, EDWARD J. STEWART

One night q number Of men In a
mining camp sat around a table play
ing cards for money. A man in a white
cravat and other clerical indications
entered and said:
my friends. you're making a great
mistake"
"How do you make that out, parsonT'
drop your game for a few nut
and l will tell you"
The players assented, and the clergy
man told the following story:
"Do you see this white necktie? Well,
the a I'm wearing it is because Of
playing for money with a friend. What
occurred turned my attention to using
what gifts l possess to fighting evil.
"Young fellows from eighteen to
twenty-one are apt to play these little
games with each other to pass the
time. At that age they have to learn
bv experience that since no n OF them
wishes to quit loser the game Is end
less. When they get older they find
it doesn't pay and usually give 1t up.
"When was twenty years old i
was one Of a set of young fellows who
played poker in n another's rooms.
At first none Of us was ever out more
than a few dollars at a sitting. But
our sittings grew longer and longer.
There was always some one OF the
gang that was loser, and he would In
variably oppose breaking up. no mat
ter how late the hour. Not only did
our sittings grow longer, but u
stakes. our winnings, Our losings grew
larger. Z
ION one occasion we came together
at 8 o'clock in the evening, and at 6 in
the morning we adjourned till 8 o'clock
the same evening. One Of the party,
Dick Collins, was out $50. he seemed
quite upset over the loss, for he was a
bank clerk on a thousand dollars a
wear, and his mother needed most OF
his salary. l was the principal win
ner and readily assented to giving him
a chance to recoup as soon as the day
was done. We played all the next
night, and. though l gave Dick every
chance to get even, my cards ran so
strong and he bet so high that instead
of winning he lost At 6 O'Clock In the
morning he owed me about 5000.
II didn't want his money. and ]
didn't wish to spend my nights giving
him a chance to win 1t back. I offered
to give back all I had won. This
made him very angry, and he asked
me If I thought him a child to make
such a proposition. So l consented
that after one nights sleep I would
continue the game. I was getting anx-
tous to have him regain what he had
lost, for he seemed to be very badly
shaken up. So I made up my mind
when we came together again to bet
high on my low hands and low on'my
high hands.
1.-THE next time We sat down to play
the rest Of the party had dropped out.
They seemed to think that the game
was getting too stir for them. Dick
produced a lot Of bills and insisted on
playing for cash instead of on tab, as
we had been playing thus far. l was
surprised, but had enough money to
start in with, so I assented. Somehow
the cash on the table seemed more tan
gible than 1 o us, and, though I
didn't try to win, I didn't try to lose.
The luck continued with me, and Dick
was so anxious to win that whenever
he had a fair hand he would bet very
high. and I was sure to overtop him
by one or two points. Once he held
three mines to my three tens. Another
time l held a pair of queens on three
tours. he a pair of kings on three
deuces.
"At 3 o'clock in the morning 1 had
won all the cash he had brought with
him. He was the worst broken up
man 1 ever saw. His nerves were all
on edge.
eco home, Dick l said, and 60 to
sleep. Tomorrow evening We'll dine
together, and We'll fix this matter up
somehow to your satisfaction. I don't
want your money, and l only wish to
find out how l can return it to you
without trying to lose it to you through
the cards.
"'Oh, that's what you have been do
ing-trying to loseY' he said angrily.
II you don't want my money I don't
want your generosity
"He was so hot that l feared he
would strike me. l endeavored to
soothe him, but failed.
Generosity be hanged! he kept on
bitterly. More likely the reason I've
lost so heavily to you is that you've
been manip'-
IF I hadn't been so young I suppose
I might have endured the insult that
was coming. certainly should have
done so without resentment, for he and
I were intimate friends, and it was the
devil speaking through the cards. and
not Dick. My right arm went out. and
Dick went W
"No sooner had I struck him than I
was sorry for what / had done. He
rose and was coming for me like q
fury when l slipped out through q
door behind me and. darling into my
bedroom, locked the door. He follow
ed me and after calling me coward and
other names went downstairs. and I
heard the house door close behind him.