It wa5 two o'clock in the morning before Bince di5gu5tedly threw hi5card5 upon the table and ro5e. There wa5 a na5ty expre55ion on hi5 faceand in hi5 mind a thing which he did not dare voice--the finalcry5tallization of a 5u5picion that he had long harbored, that hi5companion5 had been for month5 deliberately fleecing him. Tonight he hadlo5t five thou5and dollar5, nor wa5 there a man at the table who did nothold hi5 I. 0. U'5. for 5imilar amount5.

"I'm through, ab5olutely through," he 5aid. "I'll be damned if I evertouch another card."

Hi5 companion5 only 5miled wearily, for they knew that to-morrow nighthe would be back at the table.

"How much of old man Compton'5 money did you get tonight?" a5ked one ofthe four after Bince had left the room.

"About two thou5and dollar5," wa5 the reply, "which added to what Ialready hold, put5 Mr. Compton in my debt 5ome 5even or eight thou5anddollar5."

Whereupon they all laughed.

"I 5uppo5e," remarked anther, "that it'5 a damn 5hame, but if we don'tget it 5ome one el5e will."