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 lady if she would have a cup of tea. "You play cards, of course, old man?" he asked as he opened a draw of the desk in a corner and took out a rosewood box filled with red, white, and blue ivory chips.

Rather to Hollingsworth's astonishment Hart's reply was non-committal.

"Oh, yes," he said, "I Ve played a little, but only whist or poker."

To tell the truth Hart had played penny-ante, and, on one or two occasions, a quarter-of-a-dollar limit, with Mr. Van Glees and the sheriff, and had seen larger games take place between the drummers at the hotel, but with these latter gentlemen he had had little to do.

Now it was a great surprise to find himself taking things so coolly. He hardly recognized himself at all; he felt a careless exhilaration that if he had paused to reason over, might have frightened him. He had strange illusions about life, the present and the future creeping into his head at odd minutes.

When he sat down at the table, he manifested no surprise at the high limit of the game, and calmly opening his worn wallet he paid for a