University of Oregon monthly., April 01, 1908, Image 20

U n iv er sity o f O r e g o n M o n t h l y
23
But the old man almost took my breath away .when he raised ft.
five hundred. I saw the chance of a life, time and raised him five
hundred more. I knew if he went any further he would go his
lim it.and .he had.now gone “too-iar to back-Out.
In the heat of the play, I had forgotten my former pity for the
old man, but now, whent^ suddenly pictured in my mind'his coming
remorse and self condemnation, I heartily wished, myself elsewhere.
I Saw him Staggering to h-is home,, (flow his- no longer) to-Tis re­
proachful wife and his//sorrowing family, there to begin aneW the,
desperate; struggle pf his early l'ifej,,fading in this, I saw-his attem pt;
to gain a -scant ■ livelihood amid the snares and wickedne&sk’pf a great
"cify;. and, looking ¿further, I saw* his’ApWi hopeless life in the crim­
inal crowds and paupers, vyhp.musf end their days in prison-or the
pöpr/höiish. I
‘ 'All tW and mofe^J’/s^w.as he blindly staked his last, cent on the
altar öf the d-evil and askedJto see my hand4"A^|pread-ouf fmy .four
old maids and, hardly f a r in g tp^^pk him in the face, reached out
to rake in th e^ile. But hete, I .was fiiostjgrieviously surprised.,.,, $ly
hana^y w 'arrested as I saw th a t’(feeble old man rise boldly Ä /h-is
feet, all signs of awkwardness now vanished, thrbw down four, aces,
and .take in the money/;
I sat frozen to my chair while he said deliberately, “Well, I
played hard, but that’s how I make my living. / Gentlemen, I am
a-gambler,” and he. turned to go:
I looked at Charley. He was still gazing at his victim. Then
he turned and glared a t me; ’ ,1 never.could stand that look and now
I arose and skulked o p t of the side entranpe^A s I reached the street,
I saw' out erstwhile' farmer, now straight and sprightly, his beard
and wig gone,-walking rapidly tow ard'the .railroad station:
S W. C. Nicholas.