The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-12-02
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49, Rex BieIa a.

ing: then abruptly she turned away.
'Polcon's big hand closed over
hers; III a voice too low. for any but
her cars he said "Somcting is kill
dc song III your heart, no petite. /
give my lie for max YOU happy.
Som c,am you care for tell nc, meb-
be can hep i'll bit
The girl suddenly bowed her head !:
her struggling tears overlooked re-
luctantly; III a weary. hcartsick mur-
mur she confessed:
I'm the most miserable girl in the
world. I'm so--unhappy."
Some instinct OF delicacy prompted
the woodsman to refrain from speak
ing. In the same listless monotone
Rouletta continued:
I've always been 4 lucky gam
bier. but--the cards have turned
against me. I've been playing my
own stakes and I've lost
You been playing de bank" he
queried, III some bcwilderment.
mo, a gambler never plays his
own game. He always bucks the
S other fellows. I've been playing
'Polcon's grasp upon her hand
frightened. Il See" he said "W'al.
bad luck is boun' to change"
III Roulctta's eyes, when she
looked up, was vision Of some
glory far beyond the woodsman',
sight. Her lips had parted. her tears
had dried. Il wonder she
brcathcd. feathers luck Away,
turned. Don't weaken: be thor
oughbrcdr That's what he used to
tell me. He'd be ashamed of me
now. wouldn't he? I've told YOU my
troubles. 'Poleon. because you're all
| have left. Forgive me, please, big
brother"
Forgive? Mon Dien!" said he. d.
Their midnight meal was set out !:
to them it was tastclcss, and neither
one made more than silent pre-
tense of eating it. They were abb
sorbcd in their own thoughts when
the sound of high voices. I commo-
ton of some sort at the front OF the
saloon, attracted their attention.
Ro'llrtta's ears were the first to
catch it; she turned. then uttered a
hrcathlcss exclamation. The next
instant she had slid down from her
perch and was hurryinc away. Pol
con strobe after her; he was at her
back when she paused on the out
skirts Of a group which had assem-
bled near the cashiers cage.
Pierce Phillips had left his post
behind the scales; he. Count Cour-
tcau, and Ben Miller, the proprietor,
were arguing hotly Rock, the Po-
lice lieutenant. was listening to first
one then another The Count was
deeply intoxicated: nevertheless, nc
managed to carry himself with some
thing OF al air. and at the moment he
was making himself heard with con-
siderable vchcmcncc.
II have been drinking, to be sure
he ACKNOWLEDGED. hut am I drunk?
No. Damnation! There is the, evil
dcncc." In his hand he was loldin.
small gold-sack, aud this he shook
dehantlv under tho officers nose.
DO you call that eight hundred dol
lars? ask YOU Weigh i! \Vc;eh
itw -
Rock tool; TIE little leather bag in
his fingers: then he agreed cts
lot short of eight hundred, for
fact, but"
IN strong voice Phillips cried:
II don't know what he had. That's
all there was in the sack when he
paid his chec!I;."
The Count lurched forward. his
face purple with Indignation. For
shame" he cried "Nou thought l
was blind. You thought I was like
these othcr-cattle. But | know to q
dollar" He turned to the crowd.
Here! I will prove what l say
Nc Caskey. bear me out"
With a show Of some reluctance
Frank, the younger and the smaller
of the two brothers. nodded to the
Police lieutenant. Hes giving YOU
the straight goods He had eight
hundred and something on him when
he went up to the cage"
Rock eyed the speaker sharply.
How do YOU know" said he.
Joe and ! was with him for the
last hour and a half. Amt that
right, JOE" Joe verified this state
ment. Understand. this amt any
Of our doings. We don't want to
mix UP in it. bit the Count hid
thousand dollars, tI1st much I'll
swear to-. lie lost about hundred
and forty up the street and he bought
two rounds of drinks aftcrward. !
amt quick at figures"
Pierce uttered threatening cry.
lie moved toward the speaker. but
Rock laid a band on his arm and
in tone of authority exclaimed:
None of that, Phillips. I'll do all
the fighting"
Ben Miller. who likewise had be-
stirred himself to forcstall violence,
now spoke up. I'm not. boosting for
the house. said he. but I want
more proof than this kind of chatter.
Pierce has been weighing here since
last fall, and nobody ever saw him
go south witt, a color. If he split
this poke he must have the stuff on
him Let Rock searcl, YOU, Pierce"
Phillips agreed readily enough to
this suggestion, and assisted the Of
6cers search of his pockets, a pro-
cedure which yielded nothing.
dat boys no t'icf," 'Poleon whis-
pered to Rouletta. "M'ieu' le
Comte has been frisk' b. somebody
The girl did not answer. She was
intent!y watching the little drama be-
fore her. 4.
During the searcl, Miller forced
his way out of the ring of spectators,
unlocked the gate. Of the, cashiers
cage, and passed inside. "We@keep
our takin's in one pile, and,Yll lay q
little eight to Ave that they'll balance
up with the checks to pcnnyweight,"
said he. "'Just wait till. I add up
the sfggcrs and weigh He paused;
he stopped; then he roes with some
thing he had picked up from the floor
beneath his feet. eN