etforawhile.”

    "Notreally．IhavetopaymyfriendJamaz’shospitalbillsaellyou,theyareskyhigh!"Richardrofessionalgambler,notadversettopettythieverywhenhewasdownonhisluck，buthehadhisowncodeofhonorandtookcareofthosehesideredhisfriends．HealwayslookedoutforYoko，too，protegherfromwolveswhotriedtotakeadvantageofheryouthandinnoce．Itwastohiscreditthatheriedtotakeanylibertieswithheraedherasayoungersister；andYokoonherpart,alwayshadaotinherheartforthemeagerman．

    "DidyouseeAmaliatoday?"askedYoko

    "Yeah．Shesaysit’sher80-year-oldbirthdaytodayanddrankherselfuhetable．Itookherhome.”

    Shelookedsad-facedasshethoughtofhowfrustratedAmaliamusthavebeenallday，waitingforhertbacktheseedmooeogetbacktoherbelovedgamblingtablesandtryherluher80thbirthday,adayoffelicitythatshewassurewouldturideoftheirretmisfortunes．

    "Shethoughtshecouldtonmeaherdown,”thoughtYokotritely．"Shetookmeinandbroughtmeupasherown，aherspehbirthdayalone，solingherselfwithwine!No，I’tdothat!ButhowIgetholdofsomemoheonlyvaluablethingIhaveismybody.”SheturnedhereyestoRichard’sbulgingpocketsandhadanidea．

    "WoRichard?"

    "Betwhat?"

    "IfIwin,yougiveme10,000．IfIlose,Ilosemyselftoyouforlife．How’sthat?I’mserious.”Thegamblerinhimwasintriguedbythisunusualwagerandherosetothebait．

    "Whatdoyouwanttobet?"

    90页

    "Ihave60left．I’llgoina．IfIlose,Iloseall；butifIwimywinningsandyour10,000.”

    "It’sadeal!"hesaid．Theludicrouscouple,withtheirpreposterousandfarcicalbet，walkedintothegamblinghouse．Itwasnoisyandsmoky．Excitedshoutsofperpetualoptimistsandedcursesofdesperateloserscouldbeheardinallersoftheroom．WalkingtotheDominotable,Yokogedher60tochipsandpcedherbets；butwithinmiheywereallwipedaway．Sheshruggedphilosophicallyandsaid，

    "Ahwell!That’sthat．I’mallyoursnow.”Shedidoobad,asshehadalwayslikedRichard，sothetursweretoherliking．Richard,however,pattedherontheshouldersandsaid，

    "Cheerup!It’sok．Sinceyou’resodesperate,I’llgiveyouthe10,000,eventhoughyoulost．ButIwon’tholdyoutoyourpromiseifyouhavesedthoughts．Idon’tforcemyselfonpeople.”

    "No，I’mgame．It’sfunlosingmyselftoalovablethief"andtheysmiledateachother．

    "Butyou’thaveyourmoneyjustyet．Iheardabigshot，Mr．Kaffee，willbeingtonight，andhe’sloaded．Iwanttotrymyluckagaintonight．Thistimeformyself.”

    "Withyourluaywianother300,000orevenamillion!"saidYokoexcitedly．

    Justthen，asuddensilencereigheroomasallheadsturowardstheentraheowhegamblinghouseandhisstaffhurriedtoweletheirlong-expectedpatron，smilingandbowingobsequiously．Mr．Kaffeecamein,followedbyhisyoungaifulsecretaryIleen,carryingasuitcase．Aretinueofbodyguardscrowdedaroundhim，pushingtheirwayunceremoniouslythroughthecrowd．Heboastedtohisfollowers,saying，

    "Iamrich．Idohemoney．Iejustforthepleasureofseeingtheexpressionofthoseblightedbastardsastheylosetheirshirtstome,cabishee?"TheowhegamblinghouseandhisstaffsmiledwidelyandnoddedinagreementtoallhesaidwhiletheyledhimtotheVIProomwheresomeoftherichestgamblersandmillionaireswerescatteredaroundchattingandsmoking，waitingforhisarrival．AcctoCalifornia

etforawhile.”

    "Notreally．IhavetopaymyfriendJamaz’shospitalbillsaellyou,theyareskyhigh!"Richardrofessionalgambler,notadversettopettythieverywhenhewasdownonhisluck，buthehadhisowncodeofhonorandtookcareofthosehesideredhisfriends．HealwayslookedoutforYoko，too，protegherfromwolveswhotriedtotakeadvantageofheryouthandinnoce．Itwastohiscreditthatheriedtotakeanylibertieswithheraedherasayoungersister；andYokoonherpart,alwayshadaotinherheartforthemeagerman．

    "DidyouseeAmaliatoday?"askedYoko

    "Yeah．Shesaysit’sher80-year-oldbirthdaytodayanddrankherselfuhetable．Itookherhome.”

    Shelookedsad-facedasshethoughtofhowfrustratedAmaliamusthavebeenallday，waitingforhertbacktheseedmooeogetbacktoherbelovedgamblingtablesandtryherluher80thbirthday,adayoffelicitythatshewassurewouldturideoftheirretmisfortunes．

    "Shethoughtshecouldtonmeaherdown,”thoughtYokotritely．"Shetookmeinandbroughtmeupasherown，aherspehbirthdayalone，solingherselfwithwine!No，I’tdothat!ButhowIgetholdofsomemoheonlyvaluablethingIhaveismybody.”SheturnedhereyestoRichard’sbulgingpocketsandhadanidea．

    "WoRichard?"

    "Betwhat?"

    "IfIwin,yougiveme10,000．IfIlose,Ilosemyselftoyouforlife．How’sthat?I’mserious.”Thegamblerinhimwasintriguedbythisunusualwagerandherosetothebait．

    "Whatdoyouwanttobet?"

    90页

    "Ihave60left．I’llgoina．IfIlose,Iloseall；butifIwimywinningsandyour10,000.”

    "It’sadeal!"hesaid．Theludicrouscouple,withtheirpreposterousandfarcicalbet，walkedintothegamblinghouse．Itwasnoisyandsmoky．Excitedshoutsofperpetualoptimistsandedcursesofdesperateloserscouldbeheardinallersoftheroom．WalkingtotheDominotable,Yokogedher60tochipsandpcedherbets；butwithinmiheywereallwipedaway．Sheshruggedphilosophicallyandsaid，

    "Ahwell!That’sthat．I’mallyoursnow.”Shedidoobad,asshehadalwayslikedRichard，sothetursweretoherliking．Richard,however,pattedherontheshouldersandsaid，

    "Cheerup!It’sok．Sinceyou’resodesperate,I’llgiveyouthe10,000,eventhoughyoulost．ButIwon’tholdyoutoyourpromiseifyouhavesedthoughts．Idon’tforcemyselfonpeople.”

    "No，I’mgame．It’sfunlosingmyselftoalovablethief"andtheysmiledateachother．

    "Butyou’thaveyourmoneyjustyet．Iheardabigshot，Mr．Kaffee，willbeingtonight，andhe’sloaded．Iwanttotrymyluckagaintonight．Thistimeformyself.”

    "Withyourluaywianother300,000orevenamillion!"saidYokoexcitedly．

    Justthen，asuddensilencereigheroomasallheadsturowardstheentraheowhegamblinghouseandhisstaffhurriedtoweletheirlong-expectedpatron，smilingandbowingobsequiously．Mr．Kaffeecamein,followedbyhisyoungaifulsecretaryIleen,carryingasuitcase．Aretinueofbodyguardscrowdedaroundhim，pushingtheirwayunceremoniouslythroughthecrowd．Heboastedtohisfollowers,saying，

    "Iamrich．Idohemoney．Iejustforthepleasureofseeingtheexpressionofthoseblightedbastardsastheylosetheirshirtstome,cabishee?"TheowhegamblinghouseandhisstaffsmiledwidelyandnoddedinagreementtoallhesaidwhiletheyledhimtotheVIProomwheresomeoftherichestgamblersandmillionaireswerescatteredaroundchattingandsmoking，waitingforhisarrival．AcctoCalifornia