, too,
played recklessly, but was singularly lucky. After three successful
plays Bill exclaimed:

"Let's raise the limit; I'm sick of this monotony."

"I'm game," laughed Levison.

"Naw!" cried Cantel, who had been losing.

"Come on, be a sport," said Brower and Marks in different phrasing.

"Not for mine," replied Cantel; "I quit the game. Maybe Nelsy will sit
in a few hands."

"Sure he will," said Marks, "there's class to him. He's a sport or he
never would have thrown away nine bucks on millionaires like us. Come
on, Nelson, get in the game."

"Yes, come on," coaxed Levison, in syllables impossible to write, "and
if you lose too much we'll give you back something from the pot. It's
only for fun--we want your company."

Without taking into consideration the raising of the limit, for the
reason that he knew he would not need to bet, and figuring that he
could play merely for the fun of it a while at penny losses, Evan gave
in at length.

"Well, I'll try it," he said, ashamed of his stubbornness, "just for
sport."

As luck would have it he raked in a few pots right on the start; then
came odd losses and another succession of gains. His success seemed to
please rather than tease the other boys, and, to repay them for their
consideration, Evan decided it was up to him to make a few bets. He
played rather recklessly after a couple of good winnings, saying to
himself that the game was going to be short-lived; and his recklessness
brought him luck.

How the time flew! Evan looked at his watch and could not believe his
eyes--it was ten minutes to ten. He mentioned the fact to the boys.

"By Jove!" exclaimed Watson, "I must go down and have a swig before the
bars close. Come on, Sid."

In a few minutes the two tipplers returned with what Bill declared to
be a "full house"--three bottles of beer and two flasks of whiskey.
Evan was sorry to see the stuff brought in and told them so.

"Now don't be too hard on us, Nelsy," pleaded Watson, in a drunkenly
comical tone, "we won't ask you to drink."

"No, shir-ee," said Sid, "Nelz all right. Good sport."

Flattered in spite of himself, his blood warming up, Evan played on,
and tolerated the drinks. Toward the close of the game he proceeded
carefully, however, not that he intended to keep the money he had
gained and use it for clothes or board, but that he might hold it over
for other nights and prolong this newly-found form of amusement! He
swore to