Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 149: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WHITE DISHONOR. her. At least he imagined he smiled. Bob Summers called it a leer. ‘Tl raise,” said Natalie. twenty pounds to play.” - Mrs. Montagu and Bluett dropped out. “T’ll double that,” said Wade quietly. Summers felt, holding the cards he did, that he must stay in, but did not care for ‘his position sitting between the two. “How many cards?” the dealer asked Wade. “Tl play these,” said Wade, and—as Summers described him—he looked across at Natalie just like a puff adder about to strike. Summers said if ever he felt sorry for a woman, he did for Natalie then. He guessed she held good cards herself, and it was a cruel moment to find a “ pat ” hand in against her on the pot she hoped to get out on on the right. “How many cards?” The dealer turned to Summers. Bob Summers was leaning forward, his hand held anyhow, as was his way. He always said it didn’t matter who saw what you had before the draw. Actually the only person, as they were sitting, who could have seen what he held was Natalie. He had four to a flush with a queen of the wrong color. He discarded the queen and asked for a card, took one look at it, and threw his hand on the table. A busted flush was going to be no good in that game. “How many?” The dealer turned to Natalie. She hesitated, looking at her hand. Then she showed her cards to Summers. Super- ficially the game was being played in friend- ly fashion. Summers looked at her cards and said nothing. There was nothing he could say. She held three queens and he himself had discarded the fourth. She cer- tainly was not in luck. ‘“ How many cards, please?”’ repeated the dealer. “Two, please. corrected herself. She threw her discard on the table, but did not immediately pick up the card dealt to her. A moment’s silence followed, which Sum- mers broke. “IT make it No, one—sorry,” Natalie 459 ‘““ Does any one smell anything burning?” he asked. ‘“‘ Yes, look, some one’s cigarette is on the carpet by the fireplace.” Looking round, they saw the remains: of a cigarette which somebody had tried to throw into the grate. Bluett got up and stamped it out. . ‘“ Well, who opened this pot?” asked the dealer. ‘J did,” said Wade Caley. “You bet then.” Natalie looked across at him. She was perfectly calm. _~ T’'ll bet what’s on the table,” said Wade carelessly. ‘‘ How much is there?” Mrs. Montagu counted the chips. “About one hundred and twenty-five pounds,” she answered. “T’ll double that,” said Natalie rather quietly. The tense silence that always follows high betting fell upon the room, Ware considered his hand, “I’m sorry. I shall have to double you~ again,” he said. “ How much do I owe you alread via asked Natalie. Wade wondered why she asked the ques- tion. She knew perfectly well the check she had written was for five hundred pounds. However, the table. “Very well, then,” said Natalie. “ We'll call it one thousand pounds or nothing.” — “You double again?” asked Wade, now — for the first time beginning to feel uncom- fortable. Natalie nodded. he made a show of- — taking it from his pocket and placed it on Seeing that she couldn’t pay him in any case if she lost, Wade now judged it was time the betting stopped. “All right, Vl see you,” he said. he got an ace full, eg Noe good, ” said Natalie. “‘ I’ve got four queens.” She spread them on the table. A murmur ran round the table. Wade, looking rather green, handed Natalie back — her check. Summers pushed back his chair. ~ “If you don’t mind, I won’t play any more — 7 to-night,” he announced. The game broke up. Natalie, Mrs. Mon- tagu, and Bluett left the room. Comicboo oO cS (E(@) oS.