High Miller and I were playing monte one night on the first _J. M.
White_, and had a good game, and made some money. We were about
to close up, when a lady and gentleman passed by and saw High
throwing the little tempters. They stopped and watched him. I
saw they were interested, so I stepped up and lost $100. Then they
came back and asked High what kind of a game he was playing. He
told them it was the pawn-shop game. The lady wanted to know why
he called it pawn-shop? "Because I have two chances to your one,"
said High. They laughed, and were starting away, when they noticed
me turn up a corner on one of the cards. The lady nudged her
husband. I made a bet of $500, and won it. The gentleman dropped
the lady's arm, got out his money, and put up $100. High told him
that he would not bet less than $500; but the gentleman did not
want but $100 worth. Then his help-mate tempted him, saying, "It
is good." So the man hearkened unto the voice of his wife, put up
the $500, turned a card and lost. While High was putting away the
money, I grabbed up the right card and turned up the corner again.
Then I offered to bet him $1,000 that I could turn the winner.
While this was going on the lady was giving her better half a piece
of her mind. She was telling him that he was a fool; that he could
not see anything, and that she could turn the right card every
time. She got out her purse, took out $80 in gold, and asked him
how much money he had left. He told her $70. She said, "Give it
to me, and I will show you that a woman can beat a man every time."
I was counting out my money to put up, when the lady asked me if
I would not let her bet first. I said, "Certainly;" for I knew a
man never lost anything by being polite to the ladies, and in this
particular case I could see we were going to gain $150. High told
her he never bet with ladies, but if she would hand the money to
her husband he would bet with him. "Him!" says she, "He can't see
as well now as when he picked me out for a wife. No, no; he shan't
bet any of my money." "All right," says High. So she put up the
money. High put up the same amount, and she watched him as though
she was afraid he was not going to put up the full $150. After
mixing them up a little, High said, "Ready!" The woman took up
the card, turned it over, saw it, and then threw it down, instead
of giving it to her husband that he also could see. She then took
her husband's arm and said, "Come away; _my eyes are open_; if we
stay here that man will win you next, and I don't want to lose you
if you are a fool, and can't see as well now as when we were
married."
We had a good laugh, took something, and then High said, "George,
that woman's a game one; what do you say to giving her back the
gold?" "All right," says I. So he offered me the $80, and wanted
me to return it. I told him I was not afraid of any man, but, said
I, "That woman has got her eyes open, and she may think I am your
partner." "No, George," says he, "You closed her eyes when you
were putting up that $1,000, and gave way to accommodate a lady;
she knows you are a gentleman, and would not have anything to do
with gamblers, except to do them the favor of returning money they
had won from suckers." His fine words lured me into the trap, so
I took the gold and found the lady. I told her that the gambler
was sorry he had allowed her to bet, and had requested me to return
the money. She looked at me a moment, with her eyes wide open,
and said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow by refusing to accept
the money, and may it be a sorrow to you gamblers all the days of
your lives."