Year: 1871

/


line for decanter labelled whisky pour
ed out generous portion into glass, and
drank it off as if it had been so much wa
ter, then quietly walked out of the room.
| A whole moral lesson against gambling
could not have had more effect upon me at
the time, than these few quaint words. 1
recognized their point at once, and resolved
that 1 would put down nothing. Parks ap-
peared very much chagrined at this de-
termination upon my part, though was at
loss to understand why it should trouble
him, as my losses or gains would not effect
his pocket; yet that it did trouble him was
quite apparent even to my unsophisticated
eyes.


Finding that was resolutely bent upon
abstaining from the game, and that Walter
was of the same inclination, under some
pretext or other he got us out of the gam
bling house and into Broadway again.


Our next stopping place was in some
private supper rooms down a basement
We had stopped at several saloons on the
way, and drank in each. My brain was
reeling under the effects of these%numerous
potations, and, literally speaking, 1 was
full of the sold Harry Il did not care a
tinker's old saucepan whether "school
kept or not" Like great many other
young men, fresh to city life, was in for a
"high old time"-and had it.


At the supper rooms Parks found a
friend, a small, dapper-loolking man, with
curly brown hair, and splendid moustache
i'm fact a splendid-lool1ing fellow, with
jovial manner, and rakish appearance al
together-a man that, if had been per-
fectly sober, should have avoided as q
dangerous character--one of those elegant
human panthers who are always ready to
pounce upon verdant young men from the
country. l took him for jolly good fell
low on that occasion, and fraternized with
him at once. Parks introduced him to
us under the name of Shirley, and whis-
pered confdentially in my ear that he ''was
one of the bloods"--belonged to one of the
first families in tho city. felt rather proud
of the honor Of knowing this young man.
1 We exchanged tokens of mutual esteem
before we parted


Parks had been badgering me all the
evening about my timidity in refusing to
play at "faro," and asked me If could
play Everlasting" in that sarcastic, taun-
ting manner so extremely annoying to
young men just taking their first expert
ence of life, and who wish to be thought
very worldly wise. I told him that could
not only play Everlasting" but that ]
would bet him fifty dollars that l could
beat him three out Of five games of ''eu-
chre." He accepted at once, and we all
sat down to cards in private room--which
appeared to have been expressly arranged
for the purpose-Walter and / partners
against Parks and Shirley.


More liquor was ordered, and we COM
menced the game. Shirley dealt, and was
sober enough to see that he manipulated
the cards with his dainty white fingers in a
very dexterous and sldllful manner. He
was evidently an old hand at the business.
We lost the first hand dealt for the sec
ond, and we won it. Parks dealt next,
and I observed that he handled the cards
in precisely the same manner chat Shirley
did, and on the little finger Of his right
hand, as he threw Off the cards, glistened
the peculiar seal ring he wore--a large
stone of blood color, with some device
carved upon it. bent over, with a strange
curiosity for which / cannot account) and
glanced at the device upon the stone. He
drew his hand quickly away, with an an
CRY look, and turned the stone TO the palm
of his hand, as he had done once before ;
but my eyes had been too quick for him.
had deciphered the inscription 1t was an
initial formed by the two capital letters A
and twisted curiously together. ui
I"What does A B stand forS" asked,
) rather enjoying his annoyance, and deter
mined to let him know that had seen the
inscription despite his precautions. Io


"ANY BoDr r. he answered, shortly.
Every body laughed, and the game pro.
ceeded but could see that Parks would
have been been better pleased II had not
read the letters engraved upon his ring
The game proceeded, but II was just like
open and shut when we dealt we won,
only there was this difference when we
dealt they had some trick cards in their
hands but when they dealt we never took
trick at all. As they had the lead in
, dealing, they won every fifth game, and


unfortunately forus, that was the game on
which tho stakes depended. Before hard
ly knew what was about, had lost three