The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-09-14

had died, echoing miles away, the
gambler coughed lightly and groaned.
Drace wondered why he should be
tickled over any ones misfortune, but
he felt merry tingling In his blood.
This boats got good bass voice."
he remarked.
BASS voicei Do you know what
I'd like to do? I'd like to bore ten
inch hole in her bottom and let her go
down."
'You must have lost, Liberty"
'Don't call me Liberty. Call me
Lib-just Lib; that's enough. But let
me tell you something. Never in all
my life have 1 ever come as near be-
ing a rich man as was just now.
had won-by George, l had so much
money stacked up in front of me that
mulatto from the North called me
'marster.' And then a cog slipped. We
could have split and had a small for
tune apiece"
"Blundering fool again?" Drace in
quired.
"Yes, sir, and was the fool.
wanted to be a rich man-and came
within one of 1t. You know, some
times Fortune hesitates as to whether
she shall crown you or slap you"
"In your case. she didn't seem to
hesitate long, Lib
"No the hair-tangled hagl And
then do you know what she did just
as I was forced to get up from the
table in as hot a fever as ever
scorched a mans blood? She smiled
at me. Now. I'll swear to that. But it's
all over. A fellow has his little day,
and then stretches out and lets the
undertaken measure him."
Eyes, Lib, and I'd advise him to
bring along extra tape when he comes
after you"
| Sh0ttle attempted to smile, but the
fever within him was still so hot that
his effort ended In grim tightening
of the mouth.
"That's all right, Virgil, but you
must remember that you are one out
Of million. How fellow can lose
5000 at poker and get up from the
table with money still in his pocket is
beyond me. However, it means that
you haven't got poker in your blood.
which of itself is a marvel. But want
to tell you that every man Is food for
some sort of desperate passion. If II
isn't gambling, 1t may be love. How
about that?"
Hasn't caught me yet" answered
Drace. stoutly, even though the pic
ture of the girl in the passageway was
at the moment floating bright before
his minds eye. "Of course" he add
ed. II may marry. Liberty; that sort
of thing runs in our family. you know
But don't think the subject very in
teresting."
II grant you. In this we wall
shoulder to shoulder. But there i
something of vital interest Just nov
Il lost"
Eyes. and a very natural thing,
Drace agreed.
'No, it wasn't natural. 1t was I'M
natural that should lose just at tina
time. 1t was an accident. Listen t.
me for just a minute. Anybody car
do the natural and expected thing. A
dog or a cat or any other animal al
| Way6 uOCS. IL 10 uOAnS tic tAink that
nature didn't intend that marks the
progress Of civilization. Now. 1 have
a proposition to make that may seem
unnatural. Perhaps no man you ever
met before would make II. But you
| never met such a man as am, be
fore. You couldn't look forward and
see me. Could your"
II didn't" Drace cheerfully admit
ted.
"And it would have been hard for
you to believe that 1 exist, which ]
don't. according to the belief Of some
CT my folks. Now, then, what are we
getting at? Another stalker No. ]
am not going to ask you to risk any
more Of your money. But this Is my
proposition: You let me have 500
If win, I'll pay back all owe. And
If don't. I'll belong to you-your
property. body and soul - but with
this understanding, / am not to per
form any mental service in public
And 1t is further understood and
agreed upon that If by any chance
can raise 800, am to have the privi-
lege of buying my freedom. The first
| 500, you understand, was stake and
not loan. Before you decide, weigh
the advantages of owning a man.
will be your Greek. your enslaved phi.
losopher, be your Epictetus and turn
your mill. We will revive the ethics of
ancient society. Won't that prove that
history really does repeat itself?'
"Yes," answered Drace. 'but don't
care any more whether history re-
peats herself than l do that starn-
mering man repeats himself"
"Now my dear friend soon to be my
master, hope-I ask you; isn't it
something to own companionable
slave?"