"It's no worse for me than it is for you and—well, do you suppose I would play with any one else? Maybe you think I can't play well enough to make it interesting for you," she said gayly. "Is that it? I can soon show you, Condy Rivers—never mind when I learned how."
"But, Blix, you don't know how often we play, those men and I. Why, it is almost every—you don't know how often we play."
"Condy, whenever you want to play, and will play with ME, no matter what I've got in hand, I'll stop everything and play with you."
"But why?"
"Because I think, Condy, that THIS way perhaps you won't play quite so often at first; and then little by little perhaps—perhaps—well, never mind that now. I want to play; put it that way. But I want you to promise me never to play with any one else—say for six months."
And in the end, whipped by a sense of shame, Condy made her the promise. They became very gay upon the instant.
"Hoh!" exclaimed Condy; "what do YOU know of poker? I think we had best play old sledge or cassino."
Blix had dealt a hand and partitioned the chips.
"Straights and flushes BEFORE the draw," she announced calmly.
Condy started and stared; then, looking at her askance, picked up his hand.