When you'd had some whisky, Wilkinson got out the cards ?" "Oh, well, you know you stopped me playing a quiet game at home, and three or four of the boys were there.

Then a Brandon real-estate man asked for the cards." "How much were you out when you finished the game ?" "Not much," said Charnock with some hesitation.
"How much ?" "If you insist, about ten dollars." Sadie made a gesture of impatience, but after all he might have had a heavier loss.
"Ten dollars and a headache next morning for an evening's card game.
You surely don't know much, Bob! But look at this statement and tell me where the money's gone." Charnock took the paper she gave him and colored.
"I never thought it was as much as that.

Upon my word, I didn't!" "Where's it gone ?" Sadie demanded.
"I've been unlucky," said Charnock, who began a confused explanation.
He had heard of a building lot on the outskirts of Winnipeg, to which he had been told a new street line would run.

He had paid for a time option on the site, and now it appeared that the trolley scheme had been abandoned.

Then somebody had given him a hint about a deal in grain that the speculators could not put over.