The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-05-27

| NOW let taIk no more Sn0p. View,
had enough for one night"
While they were exchanging part
ing words the hall door opened ant
Mrs. Otis and Kathleen entered.
Fitzhugh's heart seemed TO stop fol-
the infinitesimal part Of second. and
then as Kathleen came down the hall
IL leapt, bounded. raced on with mad
dening speed. He tingled to his finger
tips. II was the first time he had
seen her since that moonlight night
two summers ago. Then. with the soft
June moon on her glorious hair, a
gauzy scarf over her bare shoulders.
he had thought her exquisite, ethe-
real. Now. with her sables. her tur-
ban Of white fur. the tang Of the
frosty night in her glowing skin he
thought her ravishing. distractingly
beautiful
Momentarily Otis seemed TO hesitate.
as though reluctant 10 do something
that might afterward earn him a re-
buke. But as Kathleen and her
mother drew near he intercepted them
WIN MS SutSl anu ~ pitNtIlti MIN, uTSL
to his wife then to his daughter
As the girl spoke an acknowledg-
ment OF Fitzhugh's salutation she
looked up for the first time into his
eyes. The next instant she started
visiby, and, seemingly unconscious OF
her act, did rather singular thing:
she came very close TO him and looked
searchingly into his face. The bright
color heightened In her cheeks. Her
fingers closed convulsively on the muff
she carried. Her eyes travelled swift
ly over him to his feet, and came to
rest again on his face. She seemed In
q state Of bewlderment.
Then, recovering her composure as
quickly as she had lost 1t, she MUIR
INJURED something conventional aud
was gone.
He never quite knew, when he
found himself walking rapidly down
the drive, with the snow swirling
round him. how he got there. His
brain was in whlrl, his pulse on fire,
and over and over he repeated to him
full than ever And she knows
me knows me OF them all she Is
the only one.
His appointment was with Hunt at
a Michigan avenue club. 1t was here
he renewed the third acquaintance
ship Of that memorable day. A quiet
little game" was brewing In an upper
room, and he arrived In time to Join
at the beginning. The first deal fell
to him, and as he shuffled the cards
In high feather, exchanging qulps with
the men around the table anent his
obvious good spirits, the door behind
him opened and some new players
The next moment Fitzhugh was be-
ing introduced to the new arrivals.
"Mr Fitzhugh, this is Artie Sparkle"
A foppish young man. smiling vacu-
ously, came forward with mincing
step and held out flabby. bejeweled
hand.
The "quiet little game" lasted all
Saturday night and until late Sunday
dess, Luck, frowned upon him at first
and he lost steadily; but later his su
perior playing began to tell, and as
her inclemency gradually turned to
smiles he won much faster than he
had lost. He was decidedly the mas
ter Of the others.
Artie Sparkle lost continually. Also,
he continually drank. 1t was not
quite clear whether his adversely was
for his intemperance, or
vice versa, but certainly as his liba
tons Increased he played the more
recklessly. He distributed his paper
freely, but as he became more intox-
lcated there was decided reluctance
to the advances. At length he was
fatty refused and advised to 60 to
bed.
At this point Fitzhugh, who so far
had loaned him nothing, removed the
number Of chips from his
generous heap and showed them across
the table to the tipsy one, who with
much difficulty counted them and gave
lu tACudust hlS " " ioi uNc uuu-
dred dollars. They soon went the
way Of the rest, ana he sat slumped
down In his chair, his arms dangling
Imply at either side. his head sunksn,
his mouth open, leering stupidity from
under dropping lids.
Fitzhugh caught his wandering eye.
Better try another stack. Sparkle"
he invited In a friendly way. and be-
gan cutting off small section Of his
chip pile. How many may I help
you to. SparkleT
Artie struggled valiantly to speak
distinctly. "A thou-a thou-a hic!
/ thousan'. Of shap."
With considerable slowness and de-
Iteration the transaction was made.
and Fitzhugh pocketed Artie's o U
'or q thousand dollars.
The early winter darkness had closed
IN before the game ended. and most
,f the gamblers were ready for bed.
Very quietly Fitzhugh went In turn
to all those who had taken Artie's
o Us and bought them in. In all
they amounted to over eight thousand
dollars. and the ones he himself held
brought the total to ten thousand flve
hundred.
Fitzhugh was alone In a private
"a q IN