The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-10-27

They rode on in silence.
"You said back. there a ways you
had a guess as to what's behind all
this. Mind tellin' me? I'm about
as. interested in this as youS are, :"
Rosy said finally. ~
"Mind tellin' yot.g You won't be
here very long befpre you begin
guessin' the same thing. I'm one of
these hOmbres that's careful with his
guess. -
When they reached the Mile High,
Jackson refined up. 'sHave drink"
Rosy shook his head. ''I've got
some business. Later, if see you
around"
"Sure, I'm gittin' drunk. You'll
see me all right, but if I can't see
you and don't remember it, Board
man wanted me to ask Turner for
the loan of a man day after tomor-
row."
He thought he saw smile start
on the smaller mans face, then dis
appear. Jackson nodded and swung
off his horse. Rosy watched him
dismount, stretch and swagger into
the Mile High. Rosy urged his horse
on thoughtfully. He swung down
before the Free Throw. He hadn't
seen Quinn for while. Maybe the
gambler would have supper with
him.
AS he shouldered he saw that the
gambling was slack, but there was
small crowd around Quinn's table.
He saw Rosy and motioned him
over.
"Can Winters afford to lose
thousand dollars at poker?" he
asked irrelevantly. Rosy looked
quicl ly at him, wondering what he
was driving at.
NO." he answered.
Quinn drew an envelope from his
pocket and handed it to Rosy, who
could feel the limpness of well-worn
bills.
keep. it." Quinn said.
Rosey looked at him. cts yours.
If Winters can't take care of him
self, he shouldn't gamble"
Quinn laughed quietly. "Be sens
ible man. That money wasn't hon
estly come by"
"You mean you used cold deck?"
Rosy asked slowly.
Quinn nodded. II figured he
couldn't afford to lose it. You see
I'd heard about his wife"
81 used marked cards." Quinn
went on casually. II figured I'd
clean him and then talk to you. II
he could afford it, all right. I'd let
him win it back and then play him
on the level. If he couldn't, it went
back to his wife. It's better than
lettin' him lose it at the other sa-
loon, isn't it?"
II reckon" Rosy said.
Ever since I got in town two
weeks ago." Quinn continued, "Win-
tiers has been ridin' me. reckon he
thought I was a tin-horn." He
laughed. Hes wasted a lot of
money findin' out I wasn't"
How'll you get it back Dave?
He won't take it,
Quinn frowned in thought. He
drew a clean slip of paper from his
pocket and wrote on it. Finished, he
handed it to Rosy, who said:
"Dick Turner staked me once
when I didn't have dime. It's
taken twenty-five years to pay it
back. Here it is. I can't give my
name, because I'm hiding, but the
munny's clean. Good luck.
a friend"
Quinn took the paper, slipped it
in the envelope with the money and
addressed the envelope to Mrs.
Ted Winters.
"They can't question that" Quinn
said.
Rosy nodded. 'When did Winters
lose it,"
Last night, early. He came IN
late in the afternoon and wouldn't
play with the house men. I'm deal
in faro, but when things are slack
can sit on a poker game. He wait
ed for me-
early last night, you say? What
time did he leave?"
'Eight-thirty or So"
"Uh-huh. Why?"
"Nothin'."
Quinn had to be back at the faro
label at seven-thirty, so Rosy left
him and walked up the street to the
hotel which was three doors past
the Mile High. He engaged room,
went upstairs and washed. Winters
kept forcing himself into his mind.