The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-09
The Result of a
Friendly Game
BY EDWARD ]. STEWART

"AIy friends, you're making a grea
mistake"
How do you make that out. parsonF
drop your game for few minutes
and | win tel you"
The players assented, and the clergy
man told the following story:
"Do you see this white necktie? Well
the reason I'm wearing II Is because OF
playing for money with n friend. What
occurred turned my attention TO using
what gifts possess to fighting evil
Young fellows from eighteen ia
twenty.one are apt 10 play these little
games with each other 10 pass the
time. At that age they have to learn
by experience that since no one of them
wishes to quit loser the game Is end
less. When they get older they find
II doesn't pay and usually give IL up
"When | was twenty years old /
was one of set OF young fellows who
played poker In one anothers rooms.
At first none of us was ever out more
than n 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 our
stakes. our winnings, our losings grew
larger.
"On one occasion we came together
at S o'clock in the evening, and at 6 in
the morning we adjourned till o'clock
the same evening One of the party,
Dick Collins. was out $50. He seemed
quite upset over the loss, for he was
bank clerk on thousand dollars
year, and his mother needed most or
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 | 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 |
1ldn't wish TO spend my nights giving
him chance to win it back. | offered
20 give back all ! had won. This
made him very angry, and he asked
me if | thought him child to make |
such a proposition. So | consented |
that after one nights sleep | would |
continue the game. / was getting anx- |
Ious to have him regain what he bad
lost, for he seemed to be very badly |
shaken up. SO | 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
he rest of the party had dropped out.
They seemed to think that the game
vas getting too stiff for them. Dick
lot of bills and insisted on
,laying for cash instead of on tab. as
We had been playing thus far. was
urprised, but had enough money to
tart In with, so | assented Somehow
he cash on the table seemed more tan
,ible than / o US, and, though I
idn't try to win, | didn't try to lose.
The luck continued with me, and Dick
vas so anxious to win that whenever
e had a fair hand he would bet very
Ugh, and | was sure to overtop him ]
Y one or two points Once he held I
hree mines to my three tens Another I
me held pair of queens on three !
ours. he a pair Of kings on three .
euces
"At o'clock In the morning | had
7on all the cash he had brought with
i'm. He was the worst broken up
ian I ever saw. His nerves were all '
n edge.
"'Go home, Dick I said, and go to
eep. Tomorrow evening Wen dine p
,gether, and we'll fix this matter up :,
,mehow to your satisfaction. / don't a
ant your money, and l only wish to h
nd out how / can return it to you V
ithout trying to lose 1t to you through p
lie cards Ii
-" oh, that's what you have been do
Crying to lose?' he said angrily. t.
you don't want my money l don't n
ant your generosity 81
"He was so hot that / feared he "
ould strike me- l endeavored to u
othe him., but failed. ~
I" Generosity be hangedr he kept on u, ~
tterly. More likely the reason I've
st so heavily to you is that you've =,
ZEN manip'- lC,
IF | hadn't been so young l suppose m
might have endured the insult that
as coming. | certainly should have
ne so without resentment, for he and
were intimate friends, and it was the
vii speaking through the cards and
t Dick My right arm went out, and
ok went over
NO sooner had | struck him than
rs sorry for what | had done. He
Sc and was coming for me like a
~ when l slipped out through a ,
or behind me and, darling into my
broom. locked the door lie follow
me and after calling me coward and
Ter names went downstairs, and I
ard the house door close behind him
i went TO bed and tried to sleep, but
led. At 6 O'Clock / heard the tele-
one bell ring and on answering the
/ was informed by Dicks mother
1t he had shot himself through the
art.
1t turned out that the cash l had T.
n from him he had taken from the
TX where he was employed" 4
he clergyman stepped TO the table. &
K the cards from il and throw fhau1