Page:The plastic age, (IA plasticage00mark).pdf/259

At times there was more than five hundred dolrs in a pot, and five times out of seven when the )t was big, Allen won it. Win or lose, he connued cool and calm, at times smoking a pipe, other mes puffing nonchalantly at a cigarette. The acrid smoke cut Hugh's eyes; they smarted id pained, but he continued to light cigarette after ^arette, drawing the smoke deep into his lungs, trdly aware of the fact that they hurt. He won and lost, won and lost, but gradually he on back the twenty-five dollars and a little more, he college clock struck eleven. He knew that he ight to go, but he wondered if he could quit with >nor when he was ahead. “I ought to go,” he said hesitatingly. “I told eorge when I said that I’d sit in that I’d have to ive at eleven. I’ve got an eccy quiz to-morrow at I Ve got to study for.” “Oh, don’t leave now,” one of the men said exedly. “Why, hell, man, the game’s just getting irm.” “I know,” Hugh agreed, “and I hate like hell to it, but I Ve really got to beat it. Besides, the ikes are too big for me. I can’t afford a game e this.” “You can afford it as well as I can,” Mandel said itably. “I’m over two hundred berries in the le right now, and you can goddamn well bet that m not going to leave until I get them back.”