The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-09-22

who was no doubt the "chucker-out."
He, too, looked them over closely, but
after a glance at the card drew aside
10 let them pass.
Through a door near the head of the
stairs they moved into a large room.
evidently made from several smaller
ones with the partitions torn Gown and
the ceilings pillared at intervals.
Clay had read about the magnifi-
cence of Canfield's in the old days
and he was surprised that one so fas-
tidiOus as BrOmfield should patroniZe
place so dingy and so rough as this.
AT the end of one room was a marble
maptelpiece above which there was a
defaced, gilt-frame mirror. The chan
deliers, the chairs, the wallpaper, all
suggested the same note of One-time
Opulence worn to shabbiness.
A game of Klondike was going.
There were two roulette wheels, a faro
table, and one circle of poker players.
The cold eyes of a sleek, slippery
man sliding cards out of faro-box
Among the suckers who came to this
den of thieves to be robbed were none
of Clay's stamp. Lindsay watched the
white, deXterous hands of the dealer
{ with an honest distaste. All along
the border from Juarez to Calexico he
had seen just such soft, skilled fingers
fleeing those who toiled. He knew
the bloodless, impressive face of the
professional gambler as well as he
knew the cnxious, reckless ones of his
victims. His knowledge had told him
little good of this breed of parasites
who preyed upon credulous public.
The traffic of this room was crooked
business by day as well as by night
A partition ran across the rear of the
back parlor which showed no opening
but two small holes with narrow
shelves at the bottom. Back of that
was the paraphernalia of the pool
room another device to separate Gus
toners from their money by playing
the ponies"
AS Clay looked around it struck him
that the personnel of this gambling
den's patrons was singularly depress-
ing one. All told, there were not a
dozen respectable-lOoking people in
the room. Most of those present were
derelicts of life, the failures of great
city washed up by the tide Some
were pallid, haggard wretches clinging
TO the vestiges of prosperity that
had once been theirs. Others were
hard-faced ruffians from the under
world. Not few bore the marks of
the drug victim. All Of those playing
had a manner of furtive suspicion.
They knew that if they risked their
money the house would rob them. Yet
they played.
Bromfield bought small stack of
chips at the roulette table.
Wont you take q whirl at the
wheel?" he asked Lindsay.
Thanks, no, l believe not" his
guest answered.
The weSterner was bit Disguised
at his hosts lack of discrimination.
Does he think I'm soft mark too?''
he wondered. IF this is what he calls
AhSh iAc I've Hou lhoIe tllan enough
already"
His disgust was shared by the club
man. Bromfield had never been in
such dive before His gambling had
been done in gilded luxury. While he
touched shoulders with this motley
crew his nostrils twitched with fas-
tidious ziisdain. He played, but his
interest was not In the wheel. Du-
rand had promised that there would
be women and that one of them should
be bribed to make claim upon Clay
ar the proper moment. He had an un-
hanpy feeling that the gang politician
had thrown him down In Ills. If Sc
~t~ - that mean? He'd Durand