The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-20
Playing For
a Wife
BY ELINOR MARSH

Miss Winterton was an inveterate
gambler. She inherited $4,000 from
her mother. which was invested at
per cent interest. giving her a thou.
sand 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 satisfactory companion
Tor man. Nevertheless men are not
prone TO marry woman because she
Is steady. They marry the woman
who fascinates them, and a reckless
woman is sometimes more fascinating
than a 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 S20o00 or had taken To
gambling. One day several years later
he returned
Ono avqninp tho two mot at N br,1,ro
party and were opponents in a four
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 one else's money. but he in
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. Moli-
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 Wintcrton win
! ming MoliueauX's money lie won hers
! She was redu, ed TO n few hundred dol
| lars. the remains Of her Inheritance,
| when the luck turned and she began
! to win. ana II was not long before she
| had recovered all She had lost to him
1 f1la
ed with apparent recklcssncss. which
would have indicated TO an uninter-
ested observer that he was playing
| purroSely 10 lose. \ thousand dollars
Of his money went to Miss Winterton,
then another thousand and another
! till $1,000 had changed hands. Then
he drew five 500 bills from his pocket.
Il thought said Miss Wintertor,
that you had brought back only a
| few thousand dollars"
| Il am not yet AT the end of my pile, :
he replied. dealing the cards.
| Molineaux continued to lose steadily.
| His adversary expected every time she
made big haul he would announce
| that he had been frozen out. But his
| funds seemed 10 hold out amazingly.
The more Miss Winterton 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
the game that she forgot about her
\ opponent having only few thou
sand. She played high, but Molineaux
played higher. Occasionally he won.
They had been playing many hours
when Miss Winterton paused to count
her winnings. She had won $4,000.
"How would YOU like to throw hand
| at poker double or quits?" asked Moli-
neaux
Miss Winterton caught her breath,
She had regained the amount Of her
legacy. Should she stop and live on
81, 900 or risk all by trying to secure a
sum that would satisfy her-$2 900?
She was under the influence Of the
| gambling demon.
suppose You LOSE she said doubt
fully. have you the money to payT
| Molneaux drew certified check
from his pocket for $4,000 and laid 1t
| on the table. His adversary looked
surprised.
| Il thought you were poorT' she said.
| "Since | saw you last | have made
this money | have come back to-
He paused, uncertain how to finish.
Buck against me. Your purpose is
| or was to clean me out, then offer To
take care of me as your wife"
Proceed with the game and You will
know my object. Is ii double or quitsT'
She peered into his face. endeavoring
| to read what was at the bottom OF all
this. 1t was inscrutable. Then she
said:
Double or quits it is. Deal the
| cards"
He dealt her a pair of tens and scat
tering. His own cards were all scat
tering. She called for three cards. and
he dealt himself a new hand. Throw
ing his cards on the table face up. he