""Play Or Pay: A Novelette"" is a short story written by Hawley Smart and first published in 1878. The story follows the protagonist, Frank Merton, a young man who is addicted to gambling and constantly in debt. He is given an ultimatum by his wealthy uncle to either give up his gambling habits or lose his inheritance. Desperate to keep his fortune, Frank tries to quit gambling but finds it difficult to resist the temptation. He meets a woman named...