“How lucky that I have been very careful!” Dick said to himself. “I have twenty-five dollars, and five dollars will easily take me through till next payday. I will go out early in the morning and take mother the money. I can show her my Sing Sing story, too, and I know she’ll be proud of that.” “The game’s getting rather dry,” Dick heard one of the players say as he returned the letter to his pocket. “Let’s moisten it a little;” and the speaker arose and pushed the button. “A Santa Cruz sour will about fit me,” Randall said when the waiter came and the others had ordered various drinks. “What will you take, Sumner?” “I never drink anything, thank you,” Dick answered. He might have added that he had been invited many times to drink since his arrival in New York. “But you need a drop of something to-night, Sumner; you really do. You’re as pale as a ghost. You’re all used up, man, and a sour will be just the thing for you. It’s only a dash of rum in a glass of lemonade, you know.” “I certainly feel pretty tired,” Dick admitted. “If I thought it would give me a little strength, I would take it--as a medicine.” “Of course it will,” Randall laughed; “it would give grace and vivacity to a bronze statue. Make it two sours, waiter.” Dick took his first drink of liquor, not without some misgivings, and in a few minutes he felt much refreshed. He was thinking of starting for his room when one of the players announced that he had a midnight assignment and must go. “Then you take his place, Mr. Sumner,” one of the others said. “It’s only a five-cent game, you know; you can’t lose anything at it, and we can’t well play without five.” Dick was on the point of saying that he did not understand the game, when Randall began to urge him. “Take a hand for a few minutes, to oblige us, Sumner,” he said. “We’ll not play more than half an hour longer.” If it had not been for the liquor, Dick certainly would have refused to gamble. But that one glass of rum not only made him feel stronger, but somehow made him careless of what he did; and he took the vacant place. Gambling games rarely stop at the time appointed, and at the end of an hour Dick was still playing. He had lost several dollars by that time, which was inconvenient, and had taken another Santa Cruz sour, which was worse. He felt strong enough now, and determined to recover his money. Two of the other players had lost far more than he; and they had, as they expressed it, “a mission to get even.” “Well, suppose we raise the limit to a dollar to give the losers a chance,” some one suggested. “I’m willing,” Randall said; “they re entitled to a chance.” All the others were willing, even Dick, who was reckless enough now for most anything, and anxious to win back what he had lost.