The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-22
CHAPTER IX-Continued
10


him; and all that had gone before
was only preliminary to what was
now In hand. From the moment Sell
wood had sat into the play the night
before, he had done little more than
to study Roper's game. Roper liked
the two-handed game-Selwood meant
that he should-meant that his conf
dence should be firmly established.
The general continued to win until
within half an hour of breakfast,
when bad streak cost him heavily.
Over-confidence led him for just a
little while too far afield; that mys-
terious agency of chance. poker luck.
momentarily deserted him. In a fit of
pique, the general tried to discipline
ito drag it rudely back to his aid
with the notifying result that in half
a dozen hands he lost every dollar he
had made In the early morning hours.
Selwood was showing his teeth.
Nor was the strategy he made use
of altogether in the monotonous turn
of the cards and the nerve-wearing
bet against the unseen. He reasoned
that before General Roper would lose
his winnings he must first lose his
emper; this the six disastrous hands
had cost him. But now the general
like a prudent soldier, retreated. He
drew into his shell, silent and grabbed,
and Selwood saw that something was
necessary to encourage him. He or
dered breakfast, and while it was
being prepared the general won some
consolation pots.
The meal was brought to the door
by the housekeeper, Margaret Hyde.
pale, silent. emotionless. The better
part Of the pot Of strong coffee was
conceded by Selwood, who took only
cupful to Roper. The general light
ed fresh cigar from the big box,
tilted back in his flimsy chair, and
looked his opponent carefully over.
Selwood, calm under the inspection,
only toyed. thoughtfully-while Gen.
eral Roper smoked-with the cards on
the table before him. When Roper
was ready to resume he, himself, drew
a sealed pack Of new cards from his
pocket. Lets have a fresh deck,
young man." he said indifferently-
or with an air Of indifference-as he
produced them. 1T seems as if can't
remember your name"
1T ought not to be hard for you to
remember" was all that Selwood re-
torted. But the remark was unnOticed,
as Selwood meant 1t to be. When
Roper brought out his own cards, Sell
wood without comment took the cards
they had been playing with all night,
threw them in corner, and opened
Roper's pack. The play went on.
Within an hour Selwood had his
game where he thought he could man.
age 1t. When Roper played for safety.
Selwood was patient; when the gen.
eral dashed at him headlong. Selwood
stopped the charge and exacted his
pound Of flesh. By ten o'clock that
morning Roper realized he had found
man his superior in nerve and his
equal in strategy. and his anger was
the anger Of that master Of fence who
realizes that his skill has been
matched and his rapier outpointed.
Butt general lacked the, caution
to profit by his discernment. Egged
on by that arch enemy Of US all, van
sty, he pressed his enemy.
Selwood recognized the symptoms
as the beginning of the end. Roper's
recklessness was stimulated designed
ly by minor successes, and his hopes
were repeatedly dashed by staggering
losses. He was gently decoyed into
D0ldness and brutally punished for his
temerity.s His discontinue was studied
and his feelings trodden underfoot. In
no other possible way could his pride
have been so Inundated and his pre-
tentious autocracy abashed. He rose
from the table at noon-although
Selwood offered to play longer If he
wished = exhausted physically. his
eyes on fire. his voice shrunken to a
rasping treble. a beaten man. 1t was
not the money lost-though he had
been completely cleaned OUTPUT he