The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1916-12-09

play cardsf You play cards sometimes.
don't Your
No response was mule TO tile ques-
tion. The fathers besettIng sin was
the gambling table.
During i've years following this cpl
sode the country round about the set
tiers cabin WINS filling UP. but witt!
that rough element which seeks new
countries. Silver WINS what ATTRACTED
the crowd. and many were CROWN
rich from the mines. Scarborough. til
settler. was In a position to avail him
self Of opportunities: but. being sub
ject to passion for gambling. when
ever he got good thing he gnmbled I:
away. In vain his wife pleaded with
him to keep away from the gumina
tables. II Is singular how credulous
are those who are afflicted with this
passion. And yet " not the passion 10
strong that they are swept away BY 1t.
knowing that the chances are all
against themf e
Meanwhile the little girl who had
saved the card sharp was growing to
be q woman. She was q serious char
acter. for she lived in country where
she saw a great deal to indicate to
her that the world is not a bed of
roses. Then. too. she experienced
trouble at home. Her father was
bright man. but they say death loves
shining mark" and 1t Is hard to
nnd q person with 4 superior intellect
who IL not handicapped by some glar-
Ing defect. Just as soon as Scar
borough made a deal by which he
pocketed q handsome profit he would go
to gambling den and lose 1t, and that.
too to men who were his interiors.
One evening Scarborough. who had
Just sold a piece Of property for $1,000.
was being relieved Of It by a gang of
sharpers. While he was playing
young man Of clerical cut and wearing
white cravat entered the den and.
taking position IN the center Of the
room. began to speak against the gam
bling passion. The proprietor looked
at him rs though uncertain whether to
stop him or let him proceed. Seeing
that no one in the room paid any atten-
ton to the speaker. he chose the latter
course.
While the young clergyman was in.
Weighing against the sin Of gambling
girl Of seventeen entered and. moving
straight to Scarborough. put her arms
about his neck and begged him to come
away.
Mother says that you will lose all
the money received for the sale of the
property" she pleaded.
1--WE lost 1t already, but I'll get It
back again. and more too"
"Oh. father!'
Just you 60 home and tell your
mother not to worry. I'll come out all
right"
When the girl entered the gambling
house the clergyman ceased his re.
marks ON the sin Of gambling and fixed
bis eyes upon her intently. He heard
he refused to 60 away with her the
clergyman went over to the table
where her father was playing and
looked over the game.
YGents," be said presently, would
yoa mind man Of the church taking
4 q hand In this gamer
There was burst Of laughter and
much chafnng Of the clergyman at hav-
ing preached against gambling and
then going back on all he had said.
But the men at the table. except Scar
borough. were all card sharps and
thought what nne thing 1t would be
to fleece a parson. He was admitted to
the game with a welcome and. taking
500 from his wallet. invested the
amount In chips.
| Never at that board had such hands
been held Is by the parson. II the best
hand against him was full of mines
he held full of tens. When he dealt
the cards 1t seemed that he was en-
abied to give the others such hands as
would draw them out. and he always
topped them. The chips all came his
way. and before long he had pile be-
fore him that filled the others with
envy. Then he said:
| Scents. NO more piayin' for chips
| Cash these and let the game 60 on for
hard money"
Since he was winner. there could be
no objection to this. and the game pro
] ceeded on a money basis. When the
parson had won more than $2.50O he
suggested q Jack pot. The betting was
opened with pair Of queens. The par
son bet 10 high that he drove all the
rest out except one man. When he
was called and showed his hand he
was found to hold four kings and an
ace. He won $500 on that hand alone.
Turning to Scarborough. he said:
"How much money did you bring in
here?''
Thirty two hundred dollars
The parson counted out the amount.
pushed It toward him. deducted the
hundred dollars he had begun the