The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-02-24
Kansas Bill's Last Game.

gamblers are not generally of cha
acter to recommend that class OF pc
sons IS desirable acqusintances. br
1 with all their recklessness of life an
daredevil ways, many of them hav
a record as staunch true men, VIII
never, in their own vernaculal
went back on their word" Such
one was Kansas Bill, q noted gam
bier whose reputation was that of
daring man in the midst Of darinl
men. The following story of his to
tai abandonment of his old habits
1 told of him:
! In one of the g hells,'' as they ar
commonly called, there sat about tn
table three men, whose dress did no
indicate the most prosperous times
and whose conversation was not sucl
as they themselves had used in 9th
er days and better days. One wa.
shufiing a deck of cards that wa'
worn and had seen many q night
carousal.
"Whar's Bill tonight" queried
one of them, as he leaned. over the
table. with his hand under his chin.
II dunno" replied another; shes
been keepin' mighty low here lately.
and looks as though he's been con.
verted."
''Struck on some Sunday School
scholar. I reckon said the party,
who had just finished shufiing. and
pushed the deck over to one of the
trio.
"Well. Bill was a good un. He
never went back on an old friend.
you bet, and he alters stood in 18th
the boys" said one mechanically, as
he dealt all around.
"That's the kind of q man he was,
l know" chimed in another as he
looked at his hand. "but he didn't
quite play a square game goin' of
like he did and never settin' 'em up.
'Taint like his way of doin' things, i,
At this moment the door SWING
open, and in walked Bill, better
dressed than he had ever appeared
IN that place before.
"Hello, by the 'ternal, here he
is p Where did you get that rig?'
" Had a new dealt Who'd We
bounce?' were few of the expires.
sions which greeted Bill as he stood
before them. After refusal to take
a hand or have anything" Bill re
piled:
Boys, want to tell you how it
is; will you listen?" And they prop
ped their feet upon the table as an
affirmative answer as Bill told his
story.
"Pve been along the raod with all
of you, and have been pulled as many
times as the next one. IF I ever
played anything but square game
l want the man who says it to get up
and go down stairs little while and
I'll convince him he is liar, and
that | am a better man than he is.
I've known better days than the
ones when yoa knew me. Somehow
] got ont of the way that leads up to
the little church with the spire on it,
and / kept goin', boys, until / lost
the sound of the bell that used to
call us away. About a month ago
as you know, l left you rather sud-
den-like. l went back to the place
I'd left there was nothin' there like
it was when went away. l never
stopped till went up to the garret
where an old woman lay, half asleep.
She knew me. but / hope to be blow
ed if I'd known her if she hadn't call
ed me by name. She said never q
word, boys. about my being a bad
boy or what l had been doin'. She
told me to look in an old trunk and
get package. and | dun it. She
opened it. and there lay before me q
pile of greenbacks, boys; and says
she, Bill. they're yours. / worked
for 'em for you; take them with you,
and be good boy She kissed the
check of her truant boy. and held
his head close to her good old heart.
until heard it beat its last beat.--
And then the little church bell rung.
away up on the hill, and they laid
her away among lot Of little snow
hills. Boys. I've got nothin' agin
any Of you. / amt come to preach
or give advice. You do as You please,
and I'll stake you when you can't
pan ont nc the game. / only ask Of
you not to say anything light when
go in with you or point me out to
the boys" His hand wentup to his |
eyes as if the light hurt them, and
the clock on the wall went ticking
sway louder than they ever heard |
before. s-And when they meet Bill |
To-day they take him by the hand |
and ask him if he still hears the ring
ing of the bell in the spire on the lit |
lie church. And that he does is eY-
dent from his daily walk.