Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-09

and called the remaining cards:
"Ace, trey. king"
Last turn" monotonously chanted Kincaid.
following the customary dealers routine. "and
four to one II you call the order"
lie sat back to await the fnal readjustment
Of bets.
II great MIND" said Gurney. with drunken
.olemnity. II great mind { make you a real
bet"
GO as far as you like" Nelss told him
cheerfully.
What you mean? How big limit?"
Kincaid's reply was little contemptuous.
There would seem to the encirclins players and
spectators small chance that an habitually
modest player like Gurney would want to stake
anything spectacular.
ITO you" he said, "the roof is OF. The
blue. blue sky"
"Dyou mean that?" Gurney ogled. "Dyou
mean it?"
"The higher you stack 'em the better We
like it," Kincaid told him. still smiling
Gurney got out a little wad Of bills and sur
veyed them. There couldn't have been more
than $500. "Id have to write a check" he said.
Il don't spose you'd take check"
II would II you guarantee, on your word,
there'll be enough in the bank in the mawnin'
to cover it II you lose" Nelse was still half smil-
ing provocatvely Gurney dug a checkbook out
Of his pocket and muttered something about a
pen.
go get a pen and bottle of ink Nese COM
manded Ricard Doyle, a halfMexican attache
of the place, who stood not far behind Gurney
When the man had brought it Cole spread his
checkbcok before him, dipped the pen, and
looked up into Kincaids face.
OF l made this as much as $4,000 would
you take it,"
Nelse stopped smiling and his face set to
the emotionless inscrutabIlity behind which
gambler hides his thoughts when high plays are
afoot.
"Ill take whatever you guarantee in the
presence of these witnesses will be good In the
mawnin'," he replied coldly.
"But II I made it s10,000?" leered the youth
with alcoholic persistence. "'F made it $4,000
and she come out, four for one, reckon ia
bust the Oh bank"
ut would be bent, but it'd take more than
a 100000 losing to plumb bust It," Nelse as
sured him.
Damn + don't!" cried Gurney. and
scrawled the check Gimme big chips"
Nese picked up the paper and read its hg-
ures aloud. "Ten thousand. You guarantee
there will be enough in the mawnin' to
cover II. ?"
''Word Of honor" mumbled Gurney.
Kincaid opened the drawer and dropped
the check in. From corner Of his chip.rack
he selected counters Of color and design
used only on special occasions. He smoothly
slid them in front Of Gurney-1o OF them.
zone thousand apiece" he declared.
was in progress at Kincads bank. and men
who were mere spectators OF tho games
moved in that direction. Shutter edged in
fairly close SO that he was against the wall
off at Kincaid's right, directly facing Gurney.
The boy he said, sat lingering the little stack
Of checks half-stupidly, as though now that
he had them he didn't know what to do with
them.
"And things got to moving kind O. fast"
Shutter said. zone thing come after another
so 1t was darned hard afterwards, to recol!ect
Just how 1t all happened. I don't sup
pose 1t was noren four or five minutes from
then until the excitement was all over, but
the time was sure crowded"
Shutter Smell turned his head and looked
out across the gay dance floor with Its swirl
ing crowd, Its bright summer dresses, Its
laughter, and its swift-beating rhythm and
rattle Of syncopated harmony. There was
slight reminiscent smile on his lips from my
side, as he turned, it seemed drowsy and abb
sent He was looking far beyond the modern
dance floor, across 25 years and more
Of flying time to day when some men
were honest and some were knaves IN this
old city that was the country's last frontier
but most men had courage. He was standing
there against the gambling house wall again.
his gaze intent on the cold-eyed Kncaid the
drunken boy and the provoking, allurnS, in
fatuatng June
I had to call him back.
"And Gurney didn't seem to know how he
wanted to bet" l prodded.
"He didn't seem to know what he wanted
to do with them, or whether he wanted to
do anything with them" Shutter resumed
turning to face me again. Everybody wait
ed and let him take his time; a player that
was going to lay bet that size was entitled
to think It over as much as he wanted to
without anybody getting impatient. There
was noise enough in the background-the
click Of the marbles at the wheels. loud talk
ing and laughing out at the bar, and the
music from the dance hall-but over in our
corner everything still and sort Of breath
less. Then Gurney looked up; he was pale and
his face had lines in It, like he was Just sem
sing that this was most OF his fortune he was
planning to gamble on the turn OF two cards.
He asked:
"'What are they. again.
"'Ace. trey, king Kincaid told him.