Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-11-13
A JACK OF CLUBS-A DUCE OF
TRICK.

| hlNN'
He was welI-dressed, and said he came
from Cincinnati. He looked like drum
m for prosperous dry-goods house, ex-
cept that the diamond pin he wore was
bigger and was more pretentiously dis
PLAYED even than is the custom CT those
perpatetic gentry. And. besides, he did mt
seem more than half-witted anyhow, for
all the good clothes and the diamond pin
and the latest fall style white hat he wore.
To the loafers and others who stood around
the bar-and good many s'regulars'' who
were hanging around on the sidewalk had
ounged in when they heard the loud talk
he seemed like young fellow on his first
spree, who had more money than he knew
what to do with.
| He WASH t very drunk when ne first came
in, but he was mighty loud with his talk.
He asked everybody up to take drink,
| and the loafers did't need one Of them that
didn't take a drink. Theirs were big
drinks; but the Cincinnati eman's wasn't
more than one finger, and he left some Of
/ that in the bottom Of the glass. But it
seemed to fly to his head Notwithstanding.
| 1t was an uptown saloon, and at the
beginning of the pork-packing season,
when the hog-raisers We're driving in their
yrunters. There were three or four Of 'em
ii, the saloon at the time, taking a little
Robertson county in a group by them
selves. They didn't drink with the Gin
| cinnati man, but the stock raiser who was
treating his party paid for their drinks and
| showed welI-illed pocket-book as he did
it, After that the Cincinnati man was
inclined to be friendly with the hog
llrovers, but he didn't neglect the loafers
| for all that. He wanted everybody in the
room to drink with him again. The regu
lars stepped up promptly. but the coun-
trymen declined. The Cincinnati man
pressed them to drink with him. He had
dead loads Of money about him. de was
on a little tare, and damn the expense. So
they must drink with him.
He was so polite and liberal and seemed
so a;xious that the drovers each took a
drink. The regulars had each poured out
theirs, and had gulped them down while
the talk was going on. TIE countrymen
each took the usual horn, but the Cincin-
natl man poured out two fingers this time,
and didn't drink more than half Of that
But he seemed to b. getting drunk fast.
Then he treated all around again, and
though his drink was very small, it began
| to thicken up his talk little
LESS take mother glass, gen lemen, y
said he, and h. dove down in another
| pocket, and drew out a big roll Of bills
''There's 'nu.f money to treat whole town
an id if l amt goin' spend all it fore
get through
| So they all drank around with him again.
and his tongue was getting surprisingly
thick, seeing that he hadn't taken enough
| liquor to make cat drunk-that is to saw
Kentucky cat, which is supposed to be
used to it. But then he Was a.smple sort
of fellow, whose head didn t seem to be of
the strongest. AS for the loafers, they
were not faxed in the least, and no more
| were the countrymen.
CHOW. gentlemen, less have mother
drink, anil show you trick with cards.
Say, bar-keeper, han out deck cards.
| The gentlemen behind the bar took
d Hn q pack Of cards and gave it to the
| Cincinnatian, whose big roll Of money still;
lay on the counter.
en'lemen," said the stranger, who by
this time was getting drunk very fast.
''gen lemen, I'll bet twenty dollars can do
trick with cards none of you can fin out.
But less take mother drink first.n So
they all drank 70 Ind with him again, and
the loafers and countrymen gathered
about him as he clumsily Snuff a the
pasteboards, nodding sleepily towards the
counter every once and while. Then he
tried to do several tricks with the cards,
| which were very transparent, indeed. AS
each of his tricks was successfully detected
by loafers and countrymen, he began to
get mad
CD f [ can't do one thing" said he at
last, "none of you can fin out l can cut
any card III pack you name, N not half try.
Bet ten dollars can cut any card IN pack, y
he repeated. and drew ten dollar bill
from the big roll on the counter. It was
evident that he was very drunk.
Then the loafers gathered by themselves
in a corner and there was hurried com
pairing of finances, but there wasn't as
much as ten dollars in the crowd.
''Bet twenty dollars can cut any card in
pack" but nobody saw the raise The
loafers looked longingly towards the pile
and then started for the door as if by q
sudden impulse.
Somehow, although he was very drunk
the Cincinnati man addressed himself al
together to the drovers, and especially tt
the one who had already exhibited the
portly pocket-book. If he hadn't been SC
drunk and so innocent-looking, a SHARP
one might think he was making a dead-set
at that green countryman.
"What is it you want to bet?n said thai
Individual.
"Wanner bet fiji dollars can cut any
card in pack replied the light-heade6
man from Cincinnati.
"Any keeard [ choose to pick out?'
asked the drover.
Eyes" any card in pack" reiterated
the well-dressed man from Cincinnati, an'
AN acute and unpre,uniced looker-Ol