A Useful Opponent.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXI, Issue 3570, 26 June 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Useful Opponent.

•' ByEmily Bartone.

My husband was d gambler; a member of a prbihißent. clnb,; iNigkk after , nighV.l was left alone, while be pursued his calling” at the club, presumably a gentleman, yet ®nly; ihtbnt upbff winning the money •This'acquaintances. • ■ Tims ifter -timei l had urged him. to.give Mp hib despicable!'business, but he turned my; entreaties' aaitle by offering excuses which wer« not-; all ’ satisfactory: “Ws -life. well,” h« said, ‘‘and 1 need money to pay out expenses. Ton are well awarw that when T married you » bad ho visible 1 mesfns of support although yoitr parents; were labouring under the moat delightful'.delusion thht l' wns a- millionaire and chttb ih the matrimonial market wertk more than passing attention. Therefore, ’When ; :if came 1 to, setting up a kouis I- had bet-make And money I made by playing cards, which is* easy •nough'. when- you . know——” •A peculiar expression' flitted across - his face and settled thcr*.- - “ ‘When you know how,’ I supposed you were £oing to Say, wondering why a,sentence should hare been begun only to be left nSfiriished- • \ “Tee,’’’'he 4 said, “in all games which combine chance fith skill the skill is bound to t«B‘ in the- long riiu. With a cool hand and a level head thA Odds are in your favour, especially when you are playing against moil with more money than brains and whp like whisky better than soda., “My luck, as you have good reason to know,. Ijasbeen, phen’ojncna I. It , accounts for the pretty dresses you wear; ft accounts for the horses; drive; it. accounts ' for ali ’this luxurious furniture;it .aeqounts- for my -balance at tkp bank. If hds'caiabled ,4re yon- in the best society,' in thb -fashibnablc circJcs which, surrounded jyou Ayheit. yoif, were bprn^—flqsfined itd.-mariy', £ millionaire, or the sqsivpf a .gqliirdl, at -;lcaft : ,; <ifj it. not, been for 'adT.enturci-- .sth6 mad.o i.outj 'his gpodlTOks ; .and charpiin^.majpicts^i—J’r,.r >. v t i = “Good Mpqkij’ and-cliar.nviiig -ipannornin-* d,- tHumping ‘hiin-,on - the. shonl- >• y, - V'iVoliv'Shd wba.t is thqru fo -pidTeut; you froth 1 iwTing i off, noiv, .without -tempting providence any futthcrJ” ' -.- “(food : grßcionq, . Child-he ; skid, quite angrily',, “.dofc’t'.'yoh /see?; The .mci) 'at the chibv expect at least ; i .chance 0f.,, getting tonic’uf- theip money back- iThey. i.V. • - f X .dbu’t see ’ the gemd-qf- -winning* at all if ye'lt Jecl hbiuicl.-tq.gd on playing Till'yon lose.'’ ' ■ * ! - -,

‘I “Fflbs't inte.rid'.to lose, h# sikU];rfuiKlTi “WiaHihy - backv.mnhdy-'is- the piost; exppn-•ite-gamp- W gambler,- plays. It, makes him denibrklisiid, ind-reckless; :\lJo&}dcs, people grow - - Bf/ppicious'loi.-'a man. who',gives up play ’befbrh *play' gives him up. Society would' 1 lure nothing - to do with *ns were tke’ghostof- U suspicion cast on my honesty by some evil-minded fellow at tlie club.' ••. The J-W . of .-society’s smile - Sroulii b« nothing tp we; Phut to- you—— ; NOtJiipjp to him', -iUdced! .: “Horace——j ” '

'A. neat maid opfcrt.-cd 'the'door .hud brottght ;iii m -note okr aV tsay.- -It-was .«»>• usual fob note* '.to rarriv« , :it three m’elo'ck in the rn’orniug. but-: ■ Hoyaco, Xfuler did mot .lh'e; leastread; >it. •’ through" quickly, then ibr’6 it into, fragments, and put: them ekrefally, '■very carefully, iiitoi the; fire. H«£ hatched, the Baines leap a pop then*, he "iriitiihed the blackened pieces- of paper curl »«d brekk into a .thousand pieties. . Heaven "’ 'he said. TVea-.he drew a-deep breath of relief. ; “I?'sit all have, to ’go . out tdf ' half -an heurV’ he remarked, getting up’ and holding out hw- 'edat' fbr , uu'e‘ to put on. He turned as life reached the door and 'kissed his hand, an 6i?ushally serious expression an his face. “Perhaps I shall manage to -taVfe'-Vovr sdvic I *",' after ’all;” lie Said, with a forced Ut terbpt to tninlc, “only you must jite me lime." I wy‘ he was gone. The* my pent-up feelings found" an ontWt, and I cti,ed a Uttle .to myself, wonderiTiV 'at tkje, secret trouble -whkdt was gnawing at- my husband’s heart . That looXbh Jiir^face 1 ' haunted ; me all night akd ’for ’raany . a lorig’day .after. '■■■ • i '‘- 'U‘; -

' Laiirfeifci eushrabrej “7. husband’s frferid, told «ie afterwards tie end of thy stoftr ttiough lio never guessed the, truth. .have pawled siiiec that xpctu'imal’couversatio'n ywitli, ray husband;, and was stiiidiiig iiir the window if ' Jf'ohparHl ’ Clilb' talking with mjr “ brotKtriiac7- :; " '■ /V V" : V'■' v'' : you ’ don’t know :who. the; fellow vik .'t'tri sure nobody clse . does,” he *aid.''l>Ser had a fcputateiqri for everybody’ iri flie city. “I: can’t imagine how he ever eanie to be elected, or rather, why -Wfe n’ercr blackballed'him. There was a tiibc when we' were select at the Nonparcfl Glirb; at" all events.” •“He plays a confoundedly good game of cards," said my brother. Hif Itad*' art intense admiration for anyone who could-make money. “So much the worae,” said Cusluuorc, turning hia pockets inside out with a comic gesture of despair. “He cleaned me out last night. One does not mind losing money to a fellow like Horace Linlcy, that lucky brother-in-law of yours, but •when it: comes to an interloper like this man Balsam, or whatever the fellow’s name is, it—well, you know what I mean. He's so confoundedly confident about bis luck 'too. : Drags 'about it all the time. By Jove! I would give anything to sec him fleeced—not that I have much loft that is worth having, even as a gift.” "Horace is the only man who could prorr a match for him,” “And Linley : won’t play with the brute. small blame to him, either ” “Linley is going to play with him to-

night.” Doth the men turned, and found Jack Henderson lit their elbow. “Don’t yon believe it.” said Lacy, help-

iug lumself to » cigar from .the - new-' comer’s'case., •> ■. “It's ». fact. They ara to play poker—ten pounds ante., .and betting unlimited.” Cushmoxc whistled, 1

• “Horace, refused to -have anything to do with him last night ;; whereupon Balsam. remarked: ‘And just as well, too. if be wants .to, keep his reputation as t the. best, player in the club,’ which, brought linley'. up to : the scratch like the thoroughbred he is.”

“Ton don’t mean to say the follow hadthe check to say that?”

Lacy was Tremendously shocked. He could ‘not understand anyone' being rndt, ’even:- '■ ' v ’. ”

“He did, though. Now for dinner at (jatti’s, and then back here to sec them 1 ... And the three young men, casting a-look of , unutterable disgust in the direction of the gfcat leather chair in which the new 'member-of the club sat reading his evening paper, went blit into the roar of Piccadilly. '

The chief caldroom of the Nonpareil Club was crowded ns it never had been' before that night. The neWa of the' great contest Had spread abroad, and prominent actors and men about town were there to see the contest octwcen Horace Lhilcy.and the comparatively new member of the club, James Balsam.

Lacy and! a group of his intimate friends stood just behind my husband« chair, aiid Cush more was on the' opposite, side of the table.

From the very fc’rst Balsam was a winnar. He had the most astonishing, luck in drawing. If lie needed a King, or an afe’e, ; br'a. Jack, ho was almost certain to ill * ; ■ The bets rah high—good hands were the rule: -but' Lihley was in hard‘ luck. After anFlto-ijr's ‘ pjayr- ho ■ had Ibst at •• least four thoiisan'd: pbuiidsl ’

Whiqh- madeXlUsUmorc iaisd his eyebrows. He .iopk«d : ' ; hcrosh ‘tb Lacy; Jack Henderson’, 1 ' who was hu excced in gly nerrbuK, m ail. f thes -:fodih.”l ; *: - ’ 1 "

Baitoni 'lia’d 130011. detected vUcaling. - - ■ -'With 'lirs-' 'laeC.- 'dtokch'etF by. ! ah- angry ffoww; pushed •bite'k 'Kis'.Clfiiir. : ;; ‘'ThVsJ'cards firfe mafkod,”"hb said, ivory tpi ii-tV; ’’They • niu«t' ha vo > born ■ i>n! 11 ggl’ctl into ,thfe Vclub with, the connivancii of "one bi'-'-tht kemtnts——” ■;'. ■ •

’Titi .looked'aro'uhd the room. hoping; tp ■ find '«a» bnfppprt ahum£"• 'flic mcmbcYs; and li'ndiftg/ none, he made, n• sudden movement towards 'the door. ' •' ‘ "XotYruh fast; iri.j frieiidj'' he said, - ’ ”' v ' T.iwfy sent a waiter ’ lev a’policeman, hint toy- hrubuud’calietTtW mam buck. •. : VlJpft’t-mate-ak)asß of yourself," he said“wlwtcTer- happeus.-Tot us avoid a scandal , v Thrbi’hs Vutfied to 1 his opponent. V ‘■'Tlieto's the’ door,” he said, pointing' with his fiujjbf• “Go.’’ ' . The . Other put his hand in his pocket, •drew forth a 1 huge roll of notes, and laid his winnings 'oik the table,'.feeling like A whipped dug. , " . Ifor-ace, tenioved ; a few of the notes... 'pfb&ibij: a ■'luihdi'ed pounds...and 'handed them to-'JlklsOnf Without ». wirtrl. •

C‘A’khunhur’-of approbation at his gone ixwil-y?ran ’round: v...e 'room. ■ ' ' Ttjjen the; dttof. was closed upon Balsanr. andv those .who-’ had. wht-ifesscd the cpisodV -hatl rve'.ui-ncU-to . the cardroohi, ■my bus bind -begged-' to- be allowed to* say a. wort jhlhsicly“ . • • 1 ;*• "Gentlemen,-” • hesaid, : ‘T ani- going tf Sct ; «m •' From this moiheut, aho In' your presence, 1 swear solemnly neve:' to touch, a card' again forthc remainder of my'lifc.- i Whether lam a'fool for-my pain? orvndl 1 . will probably be a matter of dis .'{Wlfij l>t»V ‘lay min’d 'is made up. , I am fin palled", to flic..course I am about to take and,! take it for. certain that I shall- hay«. at least your sympathy.” ' '■ " There were! murmurs. -of applause. whirl ■were drowned m louder, murriiius 6f sur ■prise; ana’several men said opciUy thei' they, considered Horace' an idiot. However it -era3 admitted ou all sides that my Inis band had conducted ImusfeA' adlnirab’v.,

■ I‘never knew./until the day of my hu» band's death 1 lie. truth of the matter. ,A» ■he lay dying; mourned by hundreds o acquaintances, 'and abive.ail, by memberoi the Noil pared Club; he called me to bar anti told me -the secret of his life. Ah how shall-I. teir tlic mt ? . ,

'-My Horace; the, Ifusbartd whom; I lover! who- waa : more to me. than all the world Wh Alrc.Anosl auccrSufiil card'-shiirpev- o this; orvany, other agc.:;:llalsam' was hi ac-gomplice, -- and' ho;,used ■ liim most hi geijiously "to’ co.vb r- his retreat 'from the- cito tallies',' ;qiter.hc’.:l’ud ’become'?;? rmilllb'ttatrc Not 5 a soiil (mSgected .' him, ’or giics»ef' the srtcret' of lus;mysterious- opponent; ;•

vase?”