The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-03
O1TBoEE BY AN ACTOR.

cans, tool, passage on board one Of those hoat
fng palaces to be found on the Mississippi A.
tairo We took aboard party that was not hqppy
r. see, not bit OF t. don't like suags walking
bout on two legs. The party consisted Of q
lnung man Of thirty or thrty-fvc years Old with
k!s wife and young baby, and his mother The
foung man was what should cal hard char
cter. lie wore a grey coat and pants, and pur-
le velvet vest, with mls.iya gold, or is might
se gold plated chain, across tho breast. His long
Riack hair was cured and shiny, and smelt like q
tarbers shop. lie had red uItIr face, aud his
fyes we're black aud wicked. lie mad Ocsu what
any people call good lOoliug-good, I do not
INK he could have been with such q mother
tbe was tall and stately woman--quite as tail
Rs her son, aud about half century old. She
tore false front, aud her forehead was shaved
Y make It look more expansive and intellectual.
ftan't answer for kcr age very accurately, for
fhe was made up in the most elaborate fashion,
pa was dressed, even on the steamb Jat in tho
fchest MORE antique and the costliest lace.
fhere IL not sin Of the civilized world that was
Tot written on that woman's ia C. ! have seen a
Ueat many women with little enough that was
uomanly about them, but / mover saw one VINO
femed TO me 50 bad as the glmbier's mother.
Inc TACT is, is was party OF gamblers. Tue
4Dor little wife was trained stool pigeon, and
en- the pretty little baby was dressed 60 attract
bd lead tO acquaintance. rhC wife was very
actty, but struck me as q Strange compound. She
Hemed lovely and gentle Gs ] dtre say she might
kye been under O.ber circumstances She was
Aessed too wei, and wore too much iewery
khis l afterwards found was not her fault She
nas made to play her part ia attracting her hus-
knds victims The cOquetry of her 1npearaoce
II not correspond with the expression Of her
Ece. There was sad look in II that made me
tty her. They had come from Canada, they
pc, and were going to New Orleans. | kept nay
los on them; aud so, found, did the expert
N.I,a IL Il
70 long not to knew such customers first sight
1AmOng the other occupants Of the great ClBin,
There society gets about as well mingled as you
Der find 1t In this world was young man, a Mr..
bhn Greene, master carpenter from Chicago,
ping to Memphis. He was simple, honest, aud
4 yeTdant as his name. lie got acquaint d with
Herybody, and tod Of his means, intentions,
8d prospects, Us if he thought everybody as
Innocent as himself Roddcn made a set at
keene as soon a. ho heard that be had money,
Vlt not by making the first advances. The old
fdy talked TO him in the most mothery way
bout his home, his prospects, and sweethearts.
Pc young wife, who seemed at times b scOTn
ferything about her, smiled on him sweetly,
Id gave him the baby TO hold. Whoever she
Ny have feared or hated, she loved the baby.
was, believe, the bond that held her to the
Nmbler and his mother, ana made her do their in
{rral bidding But for the baOy, she might have
kmped into the river to escape a tyranny thai
tcame more and more apparent ID me, as l
4ched the drama playing before me.
kiodden, of course, had made up his mind to
4under the young carpenter, and il had to be
Fne before we got 10 Memphis. Tuey had
Nayed in a little family party ut whist aud
4chre for candies and sherry cObolers, or cham
Ngne. Greene generally won, and was confident
Il his luck and little proud of his skill. He
= fascinated with the pretty woman who could
IND him round her fingers. Tnen he tried his
end with Rodden alone, and won thirty dollars,
he boastcd TO Brown, at half dollar game.
VWas Of no use TO advise him. lie was US con-
Hed as he was honest. Like many very green
4rsOns, he believed himself an excellent Judge of
&,raCter and as sharp as a needle.
Ehc night before We were TO reach Memphis
tddcn and Greene were playing, and Greene
T. flushed with his luck, and drinking more
4n usual. Browne watched them till he was
&d, and turned in about IL o'clock. Then
Vdden and Greene drank more, or stronger
Ynks than usual, and they played for higher
tkes. II was the old stOry-inmtua.ion, mad.
kss and OF course, the loss OF the last dollar
' fecne had in the world. Then came another
Hsnty, worse than that Of the druuklId and
" gamDer-lho insanity Of despair. Instead of
1Dg to his beuh, he assembled to the hurricane
itk. Then be took off his coat and vest, aud
tote on scrap Of paper the following scarcely
tibe note -
n To the Captain OF this Boat: -Rodleu has
q cd me, when l was drunk, Of three thousand
Wars, all have in the world. | am going 10
twu myself Please thank MIR. BrogHe for mc,
I'D tell linn am sorry l did not hear to hm.
" "JOHS GREENE.'
b lrhis paper he pinned 10 his vest, and thou
n ietly Jumped iltO the river. But he was not
a b. 10 be dro yned-nOt that time, anyhow.
Here was a cry from the watch on deck Of man
krboard. Now always take my dog Muster
: In me when / travel; hes us 20 ID as Il bowie
tife and q six shooter any day; so, hearing the
ih, | sprGug ont Of tho SNtc-rOOm with Muster.
g TH6ve him, MuSterP sail l. The dog didn't
d Ned another invitation, and he caught him anl
d I'D .him up, until the steamers boat TOOK them
lth in and brought them on board again.
fIhe captain came down on RoddCn, but Il Id
IN drew a owie-kniie and showed tight. The
d. Bat had touched nc Memphis, and before any
Ttng could be- done, he had broken aYav and
Cks clear. His mother, elegant aud imperturba-
! as ever, had their baggage taken ashore aud
|" were soon on our way, like the river, aud lie,
= NJ all that sort of thing, and | forgot all about
Il adventure. New Orleans was a city at that
Dc full OF wealth aud beauty, lylng purple
Epe, in the sun, full OF luscious pulp and sweet
-ts. Well, il is iusr like q grape skin now,
fked and thrown under foot 10 be trodlcn on
KID wCll adjourn that subject.
u bn the 9Th OF May, having got through my
.e elsinCss l left New Orleans 70 return North, l
7 snt on board that palace Of boat, Black H1'ot,
+ 3 almost the first person / saw was Roddens
Nher. There she was, with the same stately
J Sence, the same shayen forehead and false
ht the same rich lace and MORE antique, 10
IL kch were now added flashing jewels and there
h the pretty little woman, with her baby, now
4 hr old, both dressed in the same shoWy man
Z band presently saw the hard-faced gambler,
Mden The young mother and her baby looked
and i'll; the old mother and her hopeful
ekcd flushed and eager for prey.
j paid so much attention TO those people, and
fught SO much Of what they had probably been
ling all winter in New Orleans, that / rather
II, tlectcd the other passengers; but the day after
IN started, observed particularly green-lOok-
ADJ individual, with light hlXen hair "a aWl.
lT1d souched hat, blue homespun pantaloOns,
y ~ butternut-colOred coat, which seemed %
M both hOmespun and home e-madej he had old
IN gloves on, which he never removed, except
ID but on some old leather or kid ones. watched
y j gambler, for 1t had somehow transplred that
sa,s gawky hOmespun individual had been 20
pebw Orleans with considerable cargo Of bacon
Id cheese. / thought of poor Greene and his
kee thousand dollars. One day / saw Rodden
j Ia the strAnger-"Ike," SO he called himself
as,tether.
aoi No matter about my name mister" said he,
hll me Ike; I'll answer % that till the cows
letme home. YOu can't come il over me calling
y i mister. How do l know but you are one OF
bm fellers that plays poker and allui wins Z"
I never played butthree games Of poker in my
ssIT said Rodden; "but I'll play euchre with You
,s 1 the drinks"
hNo you don't, Look o. here, mister" pulling
vi Rn the lower eyelash, "do you see anything
Den there p
III see that you have cut your eye teeth" said
Hidden. al wouldn't undertake 20 che lt you n
Rating was my trade, wAi'h, i am happy to say,
not"