Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-02-03
CHAPT Err X.
The Warp In Fortunes Wheel.

the Elkhorn the limit was re-
~ duced to 50.
It's all right. Smoke AS
sured the gamekceper. II want SO.
500 tonight, as usual. and YOU only
compel me to play longer I've got TO
pick twice as many winners; that's
all"
why don't you buck somebody
else's table?" the Keeper demanded
wrathfully.
because | like this one" Smoke
glanced over at the roaring stove only
few feet away "Besides. there are
no drafts here. and it Is warm AMI
comfortable
ON the ninth night, when Shorty had
carried the dust home. he had fit
IL quit smoke; quit. he began
II know when | got enough. ] amt
dreamin I'm wide awake. system
can't be. but you got one just the
same There's nothin in the rule q
three The almanac's clean out The
worlds gone smash. There's notbin
regular an uniform no more. The
multiplication tables gone loco Two
* EIGHT. nine is eleven. and two times
;wo is eight hundred an forty-siX- an
"a half Anything Is everything. an
uothin's all. an twice all Is cold
cream. milk shakes am calico horses
You've got a system. Figgers beat
lne hggcrin What amt is. an what
ISN'T has TO be. The sun rises IN the
west the moons a pay streak. the stars
IA canned corn beef. scurvy's the bless
,n of cod him that dies kicks again.
ID. Ks GoatS. waters gas. ain. me,
cure somebody else. an mebbe were
twins if we amt hashed brown pota-
toes fried in verdigris Wake me up.
,omcbudy. on. wake me up
TIC next morning visitor came TO
the cabin smoke knew him Harvey
Moran. the owner of all the games IN
the TivoH There was note ~ appeal
IN Bis deep. grun voice ~ he plunged
INTO his business
Its Ike this. smoke" he began
You've got us all guessing I'm rep
resenting nine other game owners and
mysclf from all the saloons in town
We don't understand We know ,h'i
no system ever worked against rou-
lrttc Al the mathematic sharps 10 the
colleges have told us gamblers TN
same thlug They say that roulette it
self il the system. the one and only
system. aud therefore that no system
can beat it. FOR that would mean arlth.
,tatic has .ronp buahouSc"
We'll. you've seen me play" Smoke
answered defantly. and. II YOU think
lis only Il string of luck on my part
why worry"
That's the trouble We can't help
worrying. It's system you've got and
al the time we know II can't he. I've
watched YOU FIVE nights now, and all
can make ont is that you favor certain
numbers and keep on winning
Vow. the ten Of rs game owner
have got together. and we want to
make friendly proposition Wen
put roulette table in a back room ~
the Elkhorn. pool tho bank against
You and have you buck Us II will be
all quiet and private just You and
shorty and us what do YOU say
Of think it's the other way around.
Smoke answered It's up 20 you 90
come and see me IN be playing in
the barroom OF the Elkhorn tonight
You can watch me there just as well
That night when Smoke took up his
customary place ut the table the kcen
er shut down the game. THE games
closed" ne said. Boss orders
But the assembled game owner
were not TO be baked In few min
utes they arranged pool. each putting
I'm "A thousand. and took over the table
Come on and buck us" Harvey Mo
ran challenged as the keeper sent The
ball on It's FIRST whirl around.
"Give ne the twenty Eve limlty
Smoke suggested
"Sure. 90 10 It."
Smoke Immediately placed twenty
i've chips ON "oo aud won
Moran wiped the sweat from bis
forehead GO ON" he said: 1--WE got
ten thousand in th's bank
At the cia hour and half
the ten tho was Smokes
"GOt enough smoke asked.
The game owners looked at one an.
other They were awed They. the
fatted proteges OF the laws OF chance.
were undOne.
I'VE quit Moran said "Ain't that
right BurkeT'
Big Burke. who owned the games In
the NJ. and G.. saloon. nodded. The
impossible has happened" he said.
This Smoke here has got a system all
right II we let him go on we'll all