The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-04-01

T accuse this man of cheating; he's a low-down common card- sharp. He's been cheating from the start, I believe"
 Teddy smiled at him pleasantly and patiently. You are quite wrong" he explained q did not begin to cheat until after you did. But when you started, started, and as I am a better cheat than you, am the winner, naturally
 They stared at him blankly.
 "Guml" gasped one of the men, with rather sickly sort of smile. So you are one of us?"
 Teddy re-lighted his cigar, T confess I fail to understand you" he remarked.
 You are a card-sharp, same as we are?"
 Not at all" replied Teddy. You misunderstood me entirely. learned this sort of thing for a hobby, to amuse myself with in my spare moments-I only cheated you to save myself from being cheated by you. I have never won penny dishonesty from honest players
 The other man shrugged his shoulders. Tt amounts to the same thing" he said, with an attempt at bluffness. You admit you have been a card-sharper for the time being, so you are no better than we are. The laugh is on us all right, and you're not a bad sort. There's only one thing to be done. You hand back the spells and we all shake hands, and the incident is closed"
 Not so," replied Teddy. T don't agree with you. The incident is already closed You took the same risks as I did. I shall therefore retain it for my personal use and profit. I have the honor to thank you for very pleasant and amus- ing evening"
 With a quick movement Teddy crumpled the pile of notes and rammed them into his pockets, Then he stood up and backed to- ward the door.
 There was a Short tense silence. One of the men was breathing in a curious hissing way. It sounded like an escape of gas. Teddy Mon trose was still smiling, and the stump of his cigar had not gone out. But the three card-sharpers were desperate. It would never do for him to get away with all that money. A headlong rush would certainly have come but for a re- markable interruption.
 Somewhere outside the flat there arose a sudden terrific hubbub and commotion. Crashl Bang g!-Bang l-Bangl
 A thin, high scream-a pounding of feet-hoarse shouting-a shrill chorus of police whistles repeated again and again. A terrific smash ing of glass; women's thin scream ] ing and the shouts of men. l The little drama in the flat came to an abrupt stop. The faces ot the three sharpers went white, and for moment they appeared to for get about Teddy Montrose. Teddy was. for his part, much too interested in the uproar out side. to take the opportunity of making his escape, as he could easily have done.
 Then one of three men laughed harshly-a laugh which was ac- companied by an audible sigh of re- lief.
 Its a raid" he said. "A police raid"
 Raid! Who are they raiding?' demanded one of his companions.
 "Circo's night club next door. There's quite a gambling joint run there on the quiet. Nothing lol us to worry about"
 Then the double windows of the room opened. They opened With crash, which was like an echo ot that larger crash next door, where 1 the police cordon was closing in on fashionably dressed crow d or merrymakers. The crimson plush curtains were swept aside, and a girl in a white silk evening gown, with a big tear in it, swung herself into the room from the iron fire staircase outside.
 Copyright, 1880, Richard Starr)
 Teddy proves the days of
 chivalry are not passed In
 thrilling installment tomorrow.