The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-03
THREE-FINGERED JACK.

from the present period of grace, q
party of somewhat disconsolate spirits
were gathered around my, trust, not
inhospitable hearth. 1t had been a
disastrous week. Fortune had, from
the beginning to the end, steadily set
her face against that portion of the
racing community which sporting writ
ers delight presume in irony-to al
Jude to as "the TALENT" and, though 1
had sought to beguile them of their
melancholy with such delicacies as the
establishment of bachelor, whose
means were limited and whose credit
had seen better days, could at a short
notice provide, the hearts of my guests
were still heavy. When the dinner had
come to an end-and | must say that
misfortune did not appear to have ma
terially affected my friends appetites
various proposals were submitted for
the tightening of the hours that had
still to be got rid of before custom, or
fashion, would permit of the universal
refuge of bed. But my chairs and my
tobacco were felt to be present pleasures
which no wise man-and in theory my
friends were among the wisest of their
kind-would be willing to exchange,
while change could be deferred, for the
uncertainties of the future A deaf
ear was therefore turned to the elo-
4uent appeals of the youngest of the
company in favor of a new star, lately
arisen in the murky armament of the
music hall-a young person literally
gifted alike in lung and limb, who was
then nightly delighting the intellect of
1,N1 - 81,
normal dullness and improperly.
Cards, too, had been interdicted on the
rational grounds that, with the pros
pect of "black Monday" already i'm
minent, to WOO still further the pro-
miscuous smiles of fortune would be
but the vainest invention of the most
foolish mind.
But though cards, as a pastime were
prohibited, they were found to furnish
an agreeable and salutary subject of
conversation. For some little time we
Instructed each other with various tales
of our triumphs and reverses, with
marvellous histories of fortunes that
should have been won and might have
been lost. of audacity that would have
become D'Artagnan, or impassihility
that would not have disgraced an
Athos.
1t was in one of the pauses of this in
tellectual talk that youth, Familiarity
known in society of greater or less pol
iteness as Tommy-the same who had
pleaded the cause of the music hall
was observed to be i'll labor of an idea.
The process was watched with some
curiosity, as one with which familiarity
had not yet bred contempt Since the
rejection of his original proposition he
had indeed, maintained an unbroken
silence, which might, however, have
been dictated as much by petulance as
discretion. At length he spoke.
This conversation has been particu-
larry entertaining and instructive to one
of my small experience and limited in
telligence; and I'll tell you what I'll do
Hn return, if you'll let me. will tell
you a story. l don't know that it will
prove very amusing; but l do know it to
he true. 1t won't be very long, L
tthink; but if so, l dare say one of you
will be so obliging as to tell me when
you've had enough. "
Assuring him of our unalterable de-
termination to abide by this generous
proposal, we settled ourselves to our
tobacco, and our friend began
The scene of my story is laid at Ok
ford, and the time toward the close of
the first year of the not very arduous
course of study pursued at that dis
tinguished seat of learning. / was
still, according to undergraduate law,
freshman, but, of course, painting to be
quit of that ignominous, if theoretical,
state of bondage. We were rather q
lively lot at st. Dunstan's in those
days, and not, perhaps, over sensible.
Cards were much in fashion among
many other practices not included in
the written law of a university educa-
tion; and, though at that time / knew
mo more of cards than hedgehog
knows of The binomial theorem, | had,
] fancy, some ridiculous idea that con-
slant attendance on the changes and
chances of unlimited loo, even though
the stakes were confined to shillings,
would have the effect, in the eyes of my
seniors, of prematurely effacing the
brand of freshness, from my youthful
brow. At any rate, the college could
boast no more ardent votary of that ex-
hilarating, but variable, pastime than
your humble servant. Nor was in any
wise restrained by scruples of conscience
arising from promise given to a ven
cradle uncle that / would engage in no
games of chance when money was on
tho board; the said promise having
been given under pressure of fearful
picture of the gamblers fate, drawn by
my esteemed relative, as / have since
had reason to believe, from the fertile
sources of his imagination, and not, as
he then asserted, from his own exper-
dences of the Cocoa Tree and Crock
ford's. For my father, he contented
himself with making, not extorting, a
promise to the effect that any losses /
might incur in my pursuit of the blind
goddess would have to be made good,
mot out of his pocket, but my own. A
statement which impressed me greatly
at the time, but to which subsequent
reflection induced me to attribute more
sound than sense, for reasons which, on
Caaturer consideration. would probably