The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-11-01
aIsrAKEN ~ nts uaNp.

49, y ~ ~ - -" W
The occurrence to which I refer hap
pened during tho latter part OF the war Of
the rebellion, In New York, where was
stopping at Ihe lime, the guest Of local
politician Of some note. We left my
iriepd's house al about 10 D. m, aud tai.
ing a car, got OF at one OF the up town
cross streets -rweniy.third ihiak aud
aseended thes steps OF fine marble front
dwelling on that street Upon ringing
the bell, colored man came to the door,
and, after cXehaBing certain cahalislic
signs aud passwords with my friend, ush.
cred us up stairs into a spacious, elegant.
ly furnished room.
Four gentlemen were at the table,
playing The fascinating and illusiye game
Of poker. Three OF them nodded TO my
friend, who returned their salUtalions,
and explained TO me, sotto roce, that they
were respectively Wall street operator,
a cotton broker, aud junior partner 10
a wholesale dry goods house, the fourth
party being a stranger TO him, This lat.
Ter was young fellow OF about ~, well
dressed, handsome, and evidently com
parstiye novice at the game
The stakes were high, portentious
stacks Of chips and bank notes were piled
before each player, and the set faces Of
the gamblers betokened that an unusual
ly stiff game was in progress.
Presently, as hand was dealt, aud be.
fore the players had seen the hands, the
young stranger said, with smile and
wave Of the hand, Excuse me, gentlemen
but allow me TO ask five are playing
with the sequence flush; II is customary,
Is II not, to settle that matter, aud we
have not done SO.
Why, said the cotton broker, you have
not got one there, have you llarryp
That remains to be seen, said the boy.
II was agreed that the sequence flush
should be counted in, and the players
took up their hands. saw startled
expression flash across Harry's face as he
looked intently at his cards. lie did not
draw, and when his opportunity came
raised the Wall street operator 800, The
dry goods man dropped out, The cotton
broker raised Harry $500. The Wall
street party, a large boned, yellow skin
ned individual, with no more expression
in his sckly conntensnce than there is IN
brick wall, came IN again and raised
and the thing began to get interesting
The betting grew heavy, Finally the
cotton broker weakened, and laid down,
but Wall street, who fancy thought
Harry was blufiing, took the chances.
There was over $4,000 on the table
when Harry pushed back his chair and
reaching down drew from under his feet
small black bag, from which be took a
package of crisp greenbacks.
Carefully he counted out 80 900, most.
ly in bills Of large denomination, and
pushed them forward. The Wall street
sphinx saw Harry and raised him ali
equal amount.
The boy, pale as ghost, his lip and
fingers twitching with nervous excite
ment, threw down the remainder Of a
package of money and said, prefacing
the words with wild oath:
Five more; call you. What have
you got?
Four kings, said Wall street, without q
tremor, as be laid down bis hand.
A sequence flush, gentlemen, BY all the
gods said the excited boy as be threw
bis cards on the table aud reached for The
spols. A slight almost imperceptable
flush came upon the cheeks OF impassiVe
Wall street; then one eye twilched lit.
tie; then suddenly be leaned forward,
examined Harry's hand, aud said quck-
| y: not SO fast, not SO fast, my young
friend; look at your cards.
Que look was enough. Never in my
| life nave heard more horrible groan
than came from youug llarry'- lips, and
then the words, Oh, God What will
mother sayi seemed to bnrsl out Of bis
mouth, aud then be fell upon tie Il Dor IN
a fit.
The poor yonth had been betting on q
sequence flush that was not a sequence
flush, for by some temporary baIlucina
ton, be bad mistaken the seven Of dia.
monds for an eight, and although be bad
examined his cards time and time again
as | had observed, had been undeeeiyed
as 10 his error. The Wall street man, as
be gathered in the money, glanced at the
wfithing form upon the floor, end said
as be pouched the spoils, with a gamb
ler's pity, Poor devil, aud then took BIZ
bat and walked out, while we were en-
deayoring to revive the poor boy.
have since heard that Harry was th,
trusted confidential clerk OF large New
York contracting firm, and bad intended
starting for Washington on late train
that unlueky evening, 10 transact sons
important business.
have always had prejudice sgains
sequence hushes since that evening il
New York
II il claimed ibsl there Is not laws e