The Secrets of the Great City: A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices, the Mysteries, Miseries and Crimes of New York CityMcCabe, James Dabney
History
The Secrets of the Great City: A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices, the Mysteries, Miseries and Crimes of New York City
McCabe, James Dabney
New York (N.Y.) -- Description and travel; New York (N.Y.) -- History
For some weeks past, one of the most fashionable Broadway gambling
houses had been honored with the presence of a dashing young man,
apparently not more than nineteen or twenty years of age. The gentleman
gave his name as Dick Harley, and professed to hail from New Orleans.
As he displayed a well-filled pocketbook, he was welcomed, of course.
In play he was remarkably lucky, for a time, at least. This attracted
additional attention, and not only made him an object of envy, but of
jealousy. Many of the most expert resorted to all the known arts of the
game in order to pluck the youngster, but were themselves sold.
During all these visits, young Harley appeared to feel an especial
interest in one of the visitors, who was known to hold a responsible
position in a down-town banking house. This person was nearly always a
loser, and his manner plainly told the fact that those losses greatly
affected him. He was always uneasy, his eyes inflamed, and his hand
trembling, while he would often start to his feet, and walk up and down
the apartment, in a manner bordering on frenzy. It soon began to be
whispered around that the man was utterly ruined--that there would soon
be another bank defalcation sensation, and perhaps a suicide.
[Illustration: Scene in a gambling saloon.]
For some time, young Harley had made efforts to gain the exclusive
attention of the bank officer, but had failed to do so. At length,
however, he was successful, and the New Orleans buck and the ruined
gamester sat down together.
Fortune now appeared to change. Harley had fifty thousand dollars in
his possession, which he had won. But he began to lose now, and the
bank officer was the winner. The game continued, and still Harley lost.
He remained perfectly calm in the mean time, while the winner became
even more excited than while he was unfortunate.
At length the fifty thousand dollars changed hands, and the banker
asked,
'Shall we continue the game, sir?
'No,' replied Harley.
'But you want a chance for revenge?
'No, I will play no more with you. However, I would like to make one
condition.'
'What is it?'
'Step aside with me, and you shall know.'
Harley and the winner stepped a little apart, when the former
whispered.
'Sir, your manner has spoken only too plainly that your losses were
about to involve you in trouble. Those losses have but just commenced;
but if you continue your play, they will soon be very great, and
yourself and family will be crushed. You have won sufficient to-night
to save your honor, have you not?
'Thank God, yes,' was the earnest reply.
'Then the condition I would make is this: leave this place and never
enter it again.'
'I'll do it,' was the almost frantic response, and the banker turned
to leave the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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