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Show i - . ; : Penny Ante 2 : v : : : ; ! By LEETE STONE i ;; V ::;;!"'""""";; ( by McClure New-ipaoer Syndicate.) I WNU Service) GRANGER was a small town way up near the Canadian border where winters were still winters. There was a series of little hatcheted notches on one of the big trees tha, bordered the state highway which ran through Granger. The highest of these cuts was four and a half feet about the level of the sidewalk. It was the high-point high-point of Granger's snowline. The state road was plowed, of course; but the plowing never uncovered uncov-ered the concrete from December to March, The winters were taken as a matter of course by the fathers and mothers of Granger. The fathers read and toasted slippered feet in the evening. The mothers sewed ; or also read ; both retired early and rose early to face another an-other bright clear duy of below zero temperature. Very dilTerent was the feeling among the few youngsters. In summer they could drive to Lakeside and Jackman, see movies, dance, canoe, play tennis, fish and generally enjoy life. So the long winter was nothing less than anathema to them. Five of them, three boys and two girls, had formed a little unollicial clique that braved the bitter wind and snow once a week, Saturday night, to talk and chatter of the summer's games and pleasures, at their respective respec-tive houses. It was pretty dull, but It was belter than nothing. In February, this particular winter, Gloria Ames returned from school In the East. There had been a fire in the school's big dormitory and the pupils were temporarily released for a few weeks until restoration could be effected. Gloria was different She was pretty, charming, vivacious the life of any party. She had gone to country coun-try school with all the little cliques of boys and girls. She noticed with a flush of pleasure that Harry Hanson, who had always carried her books, and been most devoted, had turned out to be tall, handsome and intelligent. The first Saturday night after her return the group gathered at Gloria's house. They found a big round table in the living room, surrounded by six chairs; with a pack of cards in the center, and a little cylindrical roll, paper covered, which had on It In black letters, "50 cents." "Folks, hurry and gather round. We're going to play penny ante poker. The stakes are my treat this time. When anyone loses the fifty cents they drop out. When anyone wins fifty they drop out. The limit bet Is two cents. I had quite a time converting Dad and Mother; but I finally showed them it was the same as if we paid fifty cents to go to a movie or a dance or for a boat to fish a couple of hours. . . . Now sit down I Anyone that doesn't know the value of the hands will find It on this piece of paper." Gloria laid a slip of paper that was a slice of Hoyle itself in the center of the table. Harry Hanson had played many a game of penny ante in the back room of the store ; but despite all his knowledge knowl-edge of human nature, drawing, and all the elements of poker, he lost his fifty cents in an hour; quietly dropped out and pulled his.chair around behind Gloria, who seemed to be the consistent con-sistent winner. According to Gloria's specifications the game was over at ten thirty; and every one, losers and winners, win-ners, wore a smile, seemed to be livened up. Harry beckoned Gloria into the hall as the others were in animated conversation conver-sation over their losses and winnings. "I've got Dolly's son Dan hitched to the blue cutter tonight. Gloria. Yon remember Dolly. Come, Gloria I" "I'll come. Harry," Gloria whispered. Crisp snow bathed in moonlight ; the musical tinkle-tinkle of tiny cutter bells; the muffled boofbeats of a swift horse and the swish of bright steel runners all contributed sweetly to this north country romance. "Gloria, dear Gloria," Harry murmured mur-mured as they sped into the radiant beauty of the four corners. "Please say you'll marry me." "Oh, Harry, this is preposterously sudden. Can't we make courtship last longer? Tell you what! Let's play penny ante every Saturday night until one or the other of us holds a royal flush. Then I'll answer you." "Say," said Harry a trifle bitterly, "d'ynu know how often a royal, flush turns up a lifetime?" All of which explains the tense moment mo-ment in the group game the following Saturday night. Gloria had opened with Jacks or better. All but Harry Hanson had dropped out when he raised the openers a penny before seeing see-ing cards. Harry drew one card. Gloria drew two. "Up to you!" Harry said with a queer look in his eyes. "Two cents !" Gloria promptly contributed. con-tributed. "And two more!" "And two more!" "I'll call you Just to save your money; because it's the first time in my life I've held the unbeatable hand. Read 'em and weep ; or better still, remember re-member your promise!" Harry laid his cards down in front of Gloria one at a time. "I drew the queen," he whispered a little awed. They read, from top to bottom, the ace, king, queen, jack and ten spot of diamonds a royal flush ! Gloria chucked her three aces and two kings into the discard and smiled into Harry Hanson's eyes in a way that made him strangely hilarious. |