The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-09-19

I'd like to do? I'd like to bore ten
inch hole in her bottom and let her so
down.. 7a~ 49,.
"You must have lost, Liberty"
Don't call me Liberty. Call me
IAb--just. Lib; that's enough. But let
me- tell you something. Never in all
! my life have I ever come as near be-
Fing rich man as was, just now; I
! had won-hy George, I had, So much
money stacked up front of me- that
a mulatto, from, the North gained me
'marster.'sAnd then a cog slipped. I'VE
Gould have split and had 4 s1na1i alt6fs
tune apiece" :2 - 10 h1Hhnst
"Blundering fool againTi'ii pr ace II;
quired.
". .:ssYes, sir, and, was the fool. 7
wanted to be rich man-=<and came
within one of it,, 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"
mo the hairtangled bag! And
then do you know what she did just
as was forced to get up from the
table in as hot fever as ever
scorched mans blood? She smiled
at me. Now. ri swear to that. But it's
all over. A fellow has his little day,
and then stretches out and lets the
undertaken measure him."
"Yes, Lib, and I'd advise him to
bring along extra tape when he comes
after you" ~
Shottle attempted to smile, but the
fever within him was stin so hot that
his effort ended in a grim tightening
Of the mouth.
-''That's all right, Virgil, but You
must remember that you are one out
Of million. How a fellow can lose
500 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 marvel. But want
to tell you that every man is food for
some sort of desperate passion. If it
isn't gambling, it may be love. How
about that?"i
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, Il may marry, Liberty; that sort
of thing runs in our family, you know.
But 1 don't think the subject very in
tetesting.h !, -.
Il grant you. In this we walk
shoulder to shoulder. But there is
something OF vital, interest. Just now
Il lOst."e sal r. '.t -
Eyes, and a a. very natural thing"
BRACE agreed - 800 :. =.
'''No, It wasn't natural. It was un-
natural that Should lose just at that
time. 1t wasaan,.accident.< Listen to
ME for just a. minute: Anybody can
do the natural pad expected: thing. A
dog Or, a cat or: any OTHER animal al
ways does. tits doing the thing that
nature didn't; intend that marks the
progress Of ciyilization.s Now, I have
a proposition to make that may seem
unnatural: Perhaps no man you ever
, met before would make it. But you
never met. suuch d. man as I am, be-
fore. You couldn't look forward and
see me. Gould you?''
"I"dldn't" Drace cheerfully admit
ted. = -
~And it would have been hard for
you to believe that I exist, which 1
don't, according to the belief of some
f-my folks. Now, then, what are we
getting at? Another stake? No, 1
an not going to ask you to risk any
more of your money. But this is my
proposition: You let me have 500;
If I win, I'll pay back all owe. And
If I don't, Ill belong to you-your
property, body and soul - but with
this understanding, am not to per-
form any mental service In public.
And , it is further understood and
agreed upon that if by any chance 1
can raise 500, I am to have the privi-
lege o. buying my freedom. The first
500, you understand, was stake and
not q loan. Before you decide, weigh
the advantages Of owning man.
will be your Greek, your enslaved phi
losopher. be your Epictetus and turn
your mill. We will revive the ethics OF
ancient society. Went that prove that
history really does repeat itself?'
"Yes," answered Drace, "but don't
care any more whether history re-
peats herself than do that stam-
mering man repeats himself"
"Now my dear friend soon to be my
master, I hope-I ask you; isn't 1t
something to own companionable
slave?"
Eyes. BY the way, do you know
New Orleans very well?"
"What! Does a bloodhound know
the scent Of a darkey?
"All right, Lib-here's 500. And
I believe that within an hour from
now you'll be my property,
-l.tr go 81! ~ -t&..
7'r' CONTINUED in Next Issuel =
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s1rRscP1REe FOR THES PIONEER