Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-05-21

chorlster till lately, but the failure Of his
organ had unfrocked him
Red plays upon white" he squeaked
out in shrill treble "Yellow's his
player" ne added in a gruff base.
Red was Captain Woodwall, who bal
anced himself on his leg of flesh, while
the timber one stuck out stiff1y behind
him. and dribbled his ball up to the white
with that care which the commencement
of every enterprise demands
"Yellow on red" (bass). Screen his
player" (treble)
The owner of green was the doctor, six
foot two in his stockings thin as an eel,
and very short-sighted He adjusted his
spectacles, blew his nose, placed himself
about two yards from the table on which
he almost lay, and looked along his cue
as if it had been gun, as he made his
stroke.
Mr.. Long played next. "Tut, tut, dear
me-" he said, when the ball had ceased
rolling. 81 have left you tight under the
cushion, doctor. [ am so sorry. | did
not do 1t on purpose, [ assure you. [ have
left my ball safe" he added to me, who
played next-"quite unintentional, ] as
sure you: and green is such a bad color
to play OIL dislike being on it very
much myself"
" | think there's double" said I.
No." cried Mr.. Rice, g it's as safe as a
church,
" An Irish church, thenn cried Rictus,
as the ball rolled into a basket-not the
one | had in view though Some of us
tried smile, but it was forced-Rictus
had made that joke so often.
So the game went on, the best PLAYER
being Colonel Rayner, who, however,
rarely touched pool, as he always played
for hazards and never for safety Indeed,
he evidently liked to be killed out, be-
cause then he could sit up by Mr.. Rice
and chat with him about county business
uninterruptedly. Not but what conversa-
ton was an important item with every
body-the proceedings often being sus-
pended for several minutes while some
subject of general interest was being dis
cussed; and what with that and DR..
Keane's elaborate rubbing of his specta-
cles and Mr. Rictus' jokes, and Captain
Woodwall's habit of taking pinch of
snuff before he played, and the general
custom Of going round the table TO inspect
the ball to be aimed at as narrowly as if
it were the apple which William Tell did
not shoot off the parting of his sons hair,
we did not get through many pools in the
afternoon.
This first game, however, was termi-
mated at last, and Joe was collecting the
balls in his wicker bottle, preparatory to
giving them out afresh, when the door of
the room opened, and the eyes of all turn
ed upon that rare phenomenon, stranger.
He was a man who, [ suppose, must be
called good looking for his features were
Ppu ha;r 10 u 4
his figure well set up. He was dressed as
1t for wedding, with shining hat and
boots, and a flower in a button-hole, and
gloves that fitted like lady's. He had
a very small umbrella in his hand, and a
very large cigar in his mouth and al
though we all gIared coldly upon him, he
was not abashed one jot, but strolled care
lessly up to the cue-rack, and observed as
as possible, I" Marker, I will take
a ball.
Well, why not? 1t was public room,
though we aCere in the habit of appropri-
ating it. The stranger was in his rights.
Have you no other cues than these,
boy? Why, they are as crooked as rams
horns. Never mind this is pretty straight;
think it was originally a punt hole; still,
it will do'
1t cid do; if the tool was bad the work
man was good, and he slaughtered us all
around in a brilliant manner. He was
welcome to do that, but did not like the
airs he gave himself When he found that
the value of a life was but sixpence, he
smiled superciliously When he had to
pay one, Mr.. Long having fiuked him, he
pulled out a handful Of gold to search for
the modest coin; when that gentleman re-
marked that his success was the result of
an accident he begged him not to apollo
gize; and when, shortly afterward, the
same Mr.. Long missed putting him into
an easy pocket, and explained that it was
III consequence of there being no chalk on
his cue, he told him that there was still
less cause for excuse, and he forgave him
entirely. He also asserted that the table.
of which we were proud, was a "beast.''
Worse still, he silenced our wit He was
Just about to play upon Mr.. Ricktus, when
some one called the markers attention to
the fact that the fire was going out.
lis it? Lock the door, then, quickp'
cried our joker.
II say" says the stranger, rising from
his contemplated stroke, and looking The
culprit gravely in the face, ''before dinner,
you knoWr'
Il am aware of DR.. Johnson's opinion,n
SdIu hlCkJuS, rather d1SCOm1ted land |
suppose you agree with him, that the man
who would make pun would pick a
pocket" -..
HE will have to pick ball out of one,"
said the stranger, and pumped him in
Mr.. Long was somewhat hypochondri-
acal, and felt the need sometimes of a little
but, as he could do nothing
without an apology, he always carried
glass in his pocket, and measured
his brandy out by it. He went through
that performance on the afternoon in
question; the brandy brought him by the
waiter was, as usual, an ordinary wine
glassfll, and it exactly fitted his measure,
but he poured it from the little "go'' into
the graduated medicine glass with the ut
most gravity, mixed it with water in a
tumbler, and made face as he swallowed
the first gulp.
''Ah, thanks for reminding me'' cried
the stranger; ''it is my medicine time, too.
Waiter, bring me a peg, double shotted.'
'Yessir," said the waiter; 'but rather
think we are hout of it.n
''What! No soda water?o
ooh, yessir."
II see; you don't understand civilized
English here. Put two glasses of brandy
to one bottle Of soda and bring it. Is that
,Ioi