He nodded, and they commenced their game there alone in Mrs. Huzzard’s most respectable café. Mrs. Huzzard herself did not approve of card playing. No one but Captain Leek had, as yet, been allowed that privilege. His playing she had really begun to look upon as almost moral in its effects, since he pursued it as the most innocent of pastimes, never betting more than a few dimes, and since it secluded him effectually from the roaring lion of iniquity to which so many men fell victims in the lively little settlement. But ’Tana, knowing that card playing by a girl would not be a thing within Mrs. Huzzard’s understanding, glanced warily at the door leading to the second floor of the establishment and comforted herself that the mistress of the domain was yet employed by her toilet for the evening.
’Tana dealt, and did it so deftly that Lyster looked at her in surprise, even irritation. What business had she touching the bits of pasteboard like that—like some old gambler. Such a slight slip of a thing, with all the beauty of early youth in her face, and all the guilelessness 103 of a vestal in the pure white of her garb. He fancied he would have felt different if he had seen her playing cards in that Indian dress; it would not have brought such a discord with it. And it was not merely that she played, but it was the way she played that brought vexation to him—that careless, assured handling of the cards. It seemed almost professional,—it seemed—
“I’ll just take that little five,” remarked his opponent easily, and spread out the cards before him. “I know what you’ve got, and it won’t touch this flush, and if you play again I’d advise you to gather your wits and not play so wild—that is, if you want to win.”
He stared at her in astonishment. It was quite true—while his thoughts had been with her personality and her incongruous occupation, her thoughts had been centered very decidedly on the points of the game. She, at least, had not played “wild.” A doubt even came into his mind, as to whether she played honestly.
“I don’t think I cared about winning,” he answered, “I’d rather have given you the stakes than to have had you play for them that way—yes, ’Tana, double the stakes.”
“Oh, would you?” she asked, with saucy indifference. “Well, I ain’t asking favors. I guess I can win all I want.”
“No doubt you can,” he assented, gravely. “But as young ladies do not generally depend on their skill with cards to earn their pocket money, I’m afraid Overton would have a lecture ready for you, if he learned of your skill.”
“Let him,” she said, recklessly. “I’ve tried to be good, and tried to be nice, and—and even pretty,” she added, touching the dainty sleeve and skirt of her dress, “but 104 what use is it? He just stands off and stares at me, and even speaks sharp as if he’s sorry he ever brought me down here. I didn’t think he’d be like that. He was nicer in Akkomi’s village; and now—”
She hesitated, and, seeing that Lyster’s eyes were watching her attentively, she laughed in a careless way, and curled the five-dollar bill around her finger.
“So I might as well be bad, don’t you see? and I’m going to be, too. I want this five dollars to gamble with, and for nothing else in the world. I’m going to get square with some one.”