Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-04-22
By George Agnew Chamberlain
Copyright, The Bobbs. Merrill Company

/
streets. The said apartment at the
moment Of his arrival contained five
| occupants seated round circular table
| of convenient height and clothed In
! pale green, kindest of all shades 10 the
eye Of man. There were no mirrors
on the walls.
Mr.. Randolph's entry was greeted
| first with CONSERVATION and then with
| shouts.
Bobby, you old scouti"
"Herv. by great balls of swent.'
! "Randy. from where the devil"
The speakers arose and pump
| handled Mr.. Randolph's arm.
Eye gods, man, where you been?
Strayed In from n fancy dress9
"Never mind the glad rags, fellows"
| said Mr.. Randolph. II was just feel
| ing lonely for the sound of chips. Room
| for anotherT
"rhe surest thingi You don't know
these two chaps, do You? Mr.. Seegar,
| passed on TO us from Frisco, and Mr.
Bowllng-True, our latest new member.
Gentlemen. this is Mr.. Randy Ran
! dolph of New Haven and New York,
In disguise but still the best ever"
liable stakes?" murmured Mr.. Ran
dolph, as he took his place, apparent
ly ut random, but at the left of the
| two comparative strangers.
"Of course Same old ante. Same
old game. You talk as though you'd
been away for mon.n."
For n moment. but for n moment
only, Mr.. Randolph was dazed. Was
1t possible that the last three weeks
hadn't been year? He drew out his
slxty-eight dollars and fifty cents non
chalantly, as though they were merely
the loose change he had on his per-
son, bought fifty In chips, and laid the
| small heap of what was left of his
cash on the board. The strain on his
nerves during the next hG1f-hour put
| that of the five days walt for bunch
on the Street to the blush. There
came a moment when all his chips
were gone, and he was forced to see
with n full house for his small pile
of change only.
SERVES you right, Randy" said Mr..
Mein. For forgetting to pile up the
ready In table-stake game there are
two and half million walking the
| streets"
"Oh, stow I'll" murmured Mr.. Ran
dolph, as he counted out his share,
amounting to ninety-two dollars and
fifty cents, and pushed across the rest
of the fat pot to the next best hand.
| He looked up and smiled. Boys he
remarked frankly, I'm riding a bunch
with four legs. Watch me-"
Five spectators did. but got little
excitement of their pains. Mr.. Ran
dolph was playing that most difficult
and uninterestlng of poker corollaries
"A tight game. Mr.. Seegar turned i'm
patient as the conviction grew upon
him that he had run up against the
original hard-shell who never drew to
less than pair of tens, never bluffed,
and could surrender three kings with
out q sigh to low straight unseen.
He began TO make facetious remarks
In connection with the safety-flrst cam
paign which was then at its height. Il.
Mr.. Randolph nursed his pile
through five long hours up to eighteen
hundred dollars. Then Ii was that
he suddenly met n raise of two hum
dred on the part of Mr.. Seegar. tackled
on three hundred more, waited for
that individual to throw In his very
good hand, face up. with the resigned
smile of wise one, and then careless
lU HianluNaH In M his
own three-ilush so bobtailed that the
attention of the S. Z. c. A. should have
been called to the case.
The roar of laughter that went up
from all but Mr. Seegar was more full
and free than even such occasions
usually produce. Mr.. Mein pounded
Mr.. Randolph on the back.
Bobby, old boy" he said, that was
the eternalest, patientest and deepest
laid trap I've ever witnessed In n life
long pursuit of the only national pas
timei"
The light merely fickered In Mr.
Randolph's blue eyes. and he returned
to his old job of saving wood. Not
for nothing had he made that grand
stand flourish. and his object had beer
gained. A new seriousness. masked II
cold-edged, classic poker smiles, set
tied upon the table as whole. The
idea that they were gathered together
merely TO while away an idle evening
faded into the background, and, one by
one. like stars coming out at evening
time. supper trays began to make theil
appearance. All but Randolph. they
had been toying with poker; now they
began to play il.
That gentleman continued for the
nonce the even tenor of his stride ex
cept for Lenten concession to hi:
insides. He ordered placed on a stanC
at hIs elbow a large jug Of Ice water
: and n platter containing four dozer
/ sandwiches. No added touch coult
r have done more toward persuadlng his
a | friAn1lV ann that hn popdnlph