The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1885-01-17
. WICKED OLD GENTLEMAN.
How He Sang BASS and Basely Tool
i'm the Boys.
Boston Commercial Builetin.I

Boston COln1nerclhl builetlHtl
Nice old gentleman he was; big white
waist coat, low.cut shoes, bald head and
silver-bowed spectacles, He led in the
singing on Sunday evening in the hotel
parlor, and sang that old-fashioned bass
in Coronation" and "China" in that
sonorous up.and-d down style which coun-
try choristers used to practice in accom-
panying the big fiddle, and withal had
the bland, benevolent look of good old
up-country deacon.
He was "looking round the house"
next night, and stepped in where some
of the boys were playing cards-some-
thing where they were talking of "calls"
and ''raises" and Seeing" The boys
looked little disconnected, but the old
man didn't say anything till the hand
was played out, and one of the party,
under pretense of having an engagement,
winked to the others and said he must
90, intending to break up till the old man
had gone away and then resume the
game. But he had scarce turned his
back when the aged visitor remarked:
Il wonder he didn't raise ye with the
hand he held"
'Do you understand the game? ?" asked
one of the party, taking a cigar from his
mouth.
"Wall, leetle; I've seen 'em playin'
on it, and sometimes thort that I'd like
to take hand jes for fun"
''Just so," said another, suppose you
try game or two with us"
"Wall, l don't mind, jes' for the fun
er the thing" SO the old man sat down,
and with a good deal of instruction man
aged to get through with the game, and
won on the penny ante. Thar" he
said, ''if that feller that's gone had been
spunky and put in S. he'd get it instead
of these eight cents, wouldn't he ?"
"Why, certainly" said one of the
young men, certainly; it's your deal
uncle; now, why don't you go in for {
S. ante ~
"Wall, " said the old fellow, THROWN!
round the cards, 81 dono but l WILL bu
han't got nothin' but S20-bill that
drew outen the bank to come here with.
"Well, uncle" said the other, gather
ing up and glancing at his cards, 'l'll 6
yer twenty, and you can put it in tn
missionary box when you win it, if yo
like"
"Sho so ken," said the old man; "
don't think 'twould be gambolin' at a
ef that's the case"
mot at ALL" said the other, winkin
to his companions.
"Wall, then, don't care eff go yc
this ere other tifty-but s'pose you
think Tn doin' on it to skeer ye--bl
our denomination tarnal poor, and b
contribution is jest what they're hanke
in arter."
ooh, no; cover your fifty, uncle; v
ought to be liberal, you know" and
the game went on till finally the old mi
remarked, "Wall, I'd no idee l had tn
ere roll o bills in my pocket-so "
call, do ye?-$50O up!--yes, you hev 6
three picters three queens and a jac
Wall, it's kinder queer l got 10th
queen-haw! haw haw!"
'Yes, I'm sorry for you, but what a
your other cards ?" said the young ma
triumphantly.
''Wall, three on 'em ez kings-wh
darn it all, that ERE pot O moneys mil
young fellern' said he, stretching out
powerful paw and squeezing the bills c
of the hand of the young man, who h
already begun to roll them up, 'P'ra
mister, you'd like to take your ha
again." said he to the other who had
turned meantime; ''they are goin'
sing some sam tunes up stairs before
ing to bed and / promised I'd jine er
There was blank look of amazem,
In that circle as he left, and the thoul
forced itself into more than one mind
the danger of trusting to appearances.