Page:Melville Davisson Post--The Man of Last Resort.djvu/100

76 to arise with much regularity in the span of a gambler's precarious life. Yet Crawley was not anxious. To the spectator he was sad and unconcerned. He knew quite well that this proposition was Hergan's ultimatum, and he was going to accept, but desired to appear to accept rather as a matter of kindly feeling toward Hergan than by reason of the fact that the inducement had increased.

“Billy,” he said slowly, almost sadly, “me and Martin don't want to make anything off of you, and we will try to fix it any way you want it. If you want to arrange the thing that way, why it suits us—it suits me and Martin.”

“All right,” responded the Secretary of State, getting up from the table. “I 'll go over to the Governor's house and have Al fix the papers. The sooner I get it, the better chance I 'll have to win a stake.”

“Billy,” called the proprietor of the Emporium, as the official of the Commonwealth was passing out through the door, “just make the note payable to Martin.”

The Honorable Ambercrombie Hergan nodded his assent, and departed, leaving the fat