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Show A ,0000 STORY Tela" at the Expense of the Station at Cache Junction. "I sec" said WillT. Sprowl of Den-' Den-' vcr, who Is registered at the Windsor, "that they have stopped gambling In Salt Lake City and that no one Is permitted to gamblo for money any more. I hopo that this reform movement move-ment will strike Cache Junction, where they play roulette to get their meals." "Back up!" chortled a large gentleman gentle-man with a Henry Clay nose; "you don't mean to say that they arc that "w hard up for money down there, do I " you?" " I mean Just what I say. Before you can get a meal at Cache Junction you have got to be an expert roulette player, or you dont get anything." "Show usl" chorused the crowd. 'It's Just tills way: I had to go to Logan a few days ago on business, but when I got to Cache Junction I found that the train was late and that I would have to bo there a number of hours. I saw a restaurant sign near the depot and, being hungry I went in. There wero several people sitting around the stove, but I saw no signs of a dinner, table or waiters. In the center of tho room there was a table with a wheel pivoting on Its center, and divided into compartments. I couldn't think what tho thing was for, so I sat down by the stove with tho others and waited for dinner to appear. I didn't have to wait long, for a door in the back of tho room opened and a girl came In with a tray on which was a number of large dishes filled with eatables. As she appeared in tho room tho natives left their positions around the stovo and drew up around tho table. Thinking that something had probably happened to I the regular dining table and that they I were using tho roulette wheel arrange-B arrange-B ment for a makeshift, I followed ,suit and fell into tho circle. Then .& before my astonished eyes the girl proceeded to fit each pinto of eatables into a compartment and clamp it in I there. I wanted to ask what it all meant, but tho others didn't seem to see anything out of the ordinary in it, and so I waited for further devclopc- ments. After placing the food tho OT girl picked up a pile of plates and dls- II trlbutcd them around the table. We This done, she grasped a bundle of H forks and, walking Into a gap in tho H circle, said to tho man at her right, K "IIow many?" "Three,' he replied laconically, and handed her 30 cents, receiving a fork H in return. She went the rounds of the table, each man naming three or B four and giving her 10 cents for each number. When she got to me, though H I didn't know what tho game was, i B told her six, and for my 00 cents got a B fork. I noticed that each man had B his fork poised in his right hand and B had an expectant eye fixed on tho H wheel, so I did tho same. Tho girl B having distributed the forks and col-I col-I lected tho money, leaned over tho B tablo and grasped a spindle on top of B the wheel. 'AH ready?' she inquired B in a tired voice. B " 'Yep,' came tho answer, and be- B foro I could see what was coming that R .whecl was flying around, and meat, T Tpotatocs, turnips, bread and butter B went sailing past me in quick succes- B slon. I gasped and looked around, B and there were tho other guests, each B rapidly spearing from the flying wheel B tho eatables they wanted, and tho B Birl was In tho 'lookout' chair seeing B that nobody got moro than ho had B paid for. I was sitting there gazing Bj on tho flying wheel, with my mouth BJ wide open, when tho man next, who BJ had been successful, nudged me. t 'Better sail In, pardncr,' lie said, 'and fljt get the play on your money. Play 10 S cents each on the meat and vegetables BE and a white chip on tho bread and S butter.' In a dazed way I lunged jflj with my fork for tho meat and lost. J Tho same fato pursued mo In my effort jfljj to land tho other eatables, and I was BJ Just going 5-0 try again when tho girl S In tho 'lookout' chair bawled mo out. iflj 'Stranger, you'vo lost your stack,' she BJ said. 'Better buy another if you want Bt to cat. Grub for money and money Iflj for grub. You pays your money and JBj you takes your choice. That's the (Bj; rule of tho house.' Well, do you fl know, I bought another dollar's i;fll Yort'1 an(J Played them in, but didn't flJcM"wvln a thing. Another dollar followed, flf " and then I bought 85 worth. Tho jK other peoplo had finished by this '! time and left mo sitting thc.ro playing away for something to cat. Tho hungrier I got, the more interesting the game. I forgot for-got family, home and friends in the mad excitement of the game. Before my foverlshed eyes there swam a multitude mul-titude of dishes heaped with viands. Talk about Tantalus! I was beginning begin-ning to feel that I could not lift my arm for another attempt when the 'lookout' got out of her chair and stopped tho wheel. 'Time to close tho house,' she announced; 'come again tomorrow.' I staggered to a chair by tho window and looked out. When I had started to play it was high noon and the sun was shining. Now a gray pallor was stealing over tho landscape and the wind whistled mournfully. I felt lonely, also very hungry, and I groaned audibly. The girl engaged in clearing off the cursed table, turned and looked at mo for a moment, doubtfully. Then she spoke. 'It's plumb against the rules,' she said, 'but I guess you are entitled to something on the house.' She handed mo a piece of bread and butter. This unexpected kindness was too much for mo and I broke down and sobbed. 'Don't cry,' said tho girl, sweetly; 'you ain't robbed us. I guess the $7.80 you spent will cover everything.' every-thing.' "Cramming the piece of bread Into my pocket, I rushed out into the darkness. dark-ness. Later on, while waiting for my train, I stealthily ate it". |