The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-17
Playing For
a Wife
By ELINOR MARSH


sand a year. This was not enough
She could not possibly get on without
two thousand. She gambled and lost
all her money except a few thousand
dollars.
Steady girls make good wives. and
there is not much to be expected from
unsteady ones. A gambler Is not like
ly to make a satisfactory companion
for a man. Nevertheless men are not
prone to marry a woman because she
Is steady. They marry the woman
who fascinates them. and reckless
woman is sometimes more fascinating
than careful one. At any rate, Fred
Molineaux fell in love with Miss Win
terton and asked her to marry him
But he was poor. and she declined him
Had he been wealthy she would have
married him. because she liked him
But Molineaux did not know this.
Molineaux Went away. Everybody
said that he could not remain In the
same place with the girl who had re-
| fused him. This was before she in
herited her $4,000 or had taken to
gambling. One day several years later
he returned
One evening the two met at a bridge
| party and were opponents in four
F, handed game. Miss Winterton took
$500 away with her Mr. Molineaux
told her he had brought back with
him several thousand dollars and
| would be pleased TO have her win it
| from him. She said she would rather
| win some ono clse's money. but he III
sisted, and she consented
When they sat down To cards Moli-
neaux asked his opponent what game
| she preferred. She chose bridge. and
| they began two handed game. Mol-
neaux told her he couldn't lose his mon.
ey to her fast enough without playing
| high. She was not averse to this. and
they kept doubling" and going back"
| till there was much money passing
But instead Of Miss Winterton win
ming MOlineaux's money he won hers
She was reduced to a few hundred dol
lars. the remains Of her Inheritance.
when the luck turned and she began
to win. and 1t was not long before she
had recovered all she had lost to him.
From this time on Molincaux play
ed with apparent recklessness. which
would have indicated to an uninter-
ested observer that he was playing
purposely to lose. \ thousand dollars
OF hil money went to Miss Winterton
then another thousand and another
till $4,000 had changed hands. Then
he drew five 500 bills from his pocket
II thought said Miss Wintertor
that you had brought back only a
few thousand dollars
II am not yet at the end of my pile
he replied. dealing the cards.
Molincaux continued to lose steadily
His adversary expected every time she
made a big haul he would announce
that he had been frozen out. But his
funds seemed to hold out amazingly
The more Miss Wnterton won the
more excited she became. The more
Mr. Molineaux lost the cooler he ap-
peared. When Miss Winterton had
won $4,000 she was so absorbed In
opponent having only few thou
sand. She played high, but Molineaux
played higher. Occasionally he won.
They had been playing many hours
when Miss Wintcrton paused to count
her winnings She had won 100000.
"How would YOU like to throw hand
at poker double or quits?" asked Moli-
| neauX
Miss Winterton caught her breath
I / 81. lsx.l -
legacy. Should she stop and live OH
$1,000 or risk all by trying to secure a
! sum that would satisfy hers s. 000i
| She was under the influence of the
gambling demon.
h suppose you lose," she said doubt
fully. have you the money to payT
ii Molneaux drew certified check
from his pocket for $4,000 and laid il
on the table His adversary looked
surprised.
| Il thought you were poor" she said
"Since / saw you last l have mad,
this money l have come back to-
He paused. uncertain how to finish.
Buck against me. Your purpose il
or was to clean me out, then offer {,
take care of me as your wife"
Proceed with the game and you will
know my object Is it double or quits? !?
| She peered into his face, endeavorin.
/ to read what was at the bottom of al
this. 1t was inscrutable. Then sh
said
Double or quits it is. Deal tn
cards."
He dealt her a pair of tens and scat
tering. His own cards were all scat
tering. She called for three cards. an,
he dealt himself new hand. Throw
ing his cards on the table face up h
showed king high. Miss Winterto
turned her cards over and showed tw
tens. Imperturbably as ever. Molineau
? pushed the check over to her.
. 1t was only at the latter part of III
play that Miss Winterton's attentio
n.