On Vandover’s very first deal around, the Dummy “stood” on the second card, for twelve chips; Ellis bet twenty-five on his first card, and, as he got the second, turned both of them face up.  He had two jacks.  “Twenty-five on each of these,” he said.  “I’ll draw to each one.”  Vandover looked at his own card; it was a ten-spot.  All at once he grew reckless, and seized with a sudden folly, resolved to attempt a great coup.  “Double up!” he ordered.  The Dummy set out twelve more chips, and Ellis another fifty, making his bet an even hundred.  Vandover began to deal to Ellis.  On the first jack Ellis drew eighteen and stood at that; the first card that fell to the second jack was an ace.  “Van John,” he remarked quietly.  The Dummy drew three cards and stood on nineteen.  Vandover turned up his own card and began to deal for himself.  He already had a ten; now he drew a seven-spot and king in succession.

“The bank pays,” he exclaimed.  He paid the Dummy twenty-four chips.  He gave Ellis fifty for the eighteen he had drawn on his first jack, and one hundred for the Van John upon the second, since the latter combination called for double the amount wagered; besides this, the bank was lost to him.  Including the forty that he had paid for the bank, he had lost in all two hundred and fourteen dollars.

Never in his life had Vandover played so high a game, never before had he won or lost more than fifty dollars at a sitting.  But he was content to have it thus.  Here at last was the new pleasure for which he had longed, the fresh violent excitement that alone could rouse his jaded nerves, the one thing that could amuse him.  However, the failure of his coup had left him without chips; he was out of the game.  He decided that he would stop; more than half of his five hundred dollars was gone already.  He drank off a glass of soda, the dregs of one of the siphon bottles, and got up yawning, shivering a little and stretching his arms high above.  The other two played on steadily.  The Dummy began to gain slowly upon Ellis, playing very cautiously, betting only upon face cards, aces, and ten-spots.  Twice Ellis offered to sell him the bank, but he refused, fearful lest it should change his luck.

Vandover sat behind the Dummy’s chair, watching his game, but at length, worn out, he began to drop off to sleep, waking every now and then with a sudden leap and recoil of all his nerves.  An hour later the persistent scratching of a match awoke him.  Ellis and the Dummy were still playing, and the Dummy was once more relighting the stump of his cigar.  Ellis continued to deal, winning at almost every play; a great pile of chips and money lay at his elbow.  For a few minutes Vandover watched the Dummy’s game, leaning forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees.  But it was evident that the Dummy had lost his nerve.  Ellis’ continued winnings had at length demoralized him.  At one time he would bet heavily on worthless cards, and at another