The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-01-01
A OUEER STORY.
The Last Poker Gam. Of an Infatuated
Player.

Player.
The Washington Republican of recent
date has the following: 81 haven't
gambled for over twelve years. said a
mild old gentleman who n watched
the play of a select party the other even
ing, "and / will never do 1t again.
Gambling was a natural taste with me-,
but any desire ] might have had was
crushed by an incident about the time
mentioned. / was on u fair road at the
time to become a gambler for life. /
neglected my business 10 sit in little
games, and was away from home every
night in the week. My wife, who was
always opposed to gambling. reasoned
| with me, but | was too much infatuated
| with the excitement Of the play to heed
her, and so ] kept on until had n rep
utation rs an Al poker-player. also
had a system for betting faro. II was
ingenious, and cost me lots OF sleepless
nights. but the bank dropped on me
after a while and caught my pile My
business went to pieces, and my wife,
grieved at my willful disregard for good
advice and infatuation for the papers,
became ill. She pleaded again and
again with me, but | wasn't quite my
self then, and laughed at her warnings,
In u year she died, and three months
after my little daughter followed"
The little game had broken up by this
time and everyone was listening to the
old gentleman's story. The latter tossed
off his '.gin and bitters," and, settling
back, resumed his story. 1.-THE death OF
n wife and child in three months is cal
culated to curb the widest fascination
In an ordinary man," he resumed, ''but
while ! grieved their loss, and remained
away from the gambling table w a
month, the ruling passion was too
strong, and | was soon back, playing
all the time. Within six months l had
lost the little sum / had laid by, and,
driven on by q mad desire to get even,
l fixed my books and stole 81 900 from
the firm by which / was employed.
Talk about nights of torture, why. I'll
wager that ! didn't sleep for a month. |
kept away from the cards then and sci
about devislng some scheme to replace
the money | had stolen. The time came
for settling up my books, and don't
believe hades contains n o nor mis-
cradle than | was. l had saved up
800 toward my Indebtedness, but one
night ! had an attack of the old fever,
and set in q game nj one OF the up.
town hotels. Iprayed that | might win
that night, and vowed to myself that il
] were successful ] would gamble no
more,
81 lost 800 Of my stake within an
hour, and then ! caught three queens
Two of the players dropped out aud left
$50 and drew two cards. My opponent
'staid in and took one card. caught
a ten and the deuce of clubs. / was un,
decided whether to bet or lay down, as
my adversary, whose hands were shak
ing slightly, might have tours. The
pack from which he dealt was AT hi,
right hand. ] will bet my life that
did more thinking in n short space o.
time than a drowning man ever did.
didn't want to lose, and somehow in III
instant ! thought of my dead wife, anC
you may not believe me, gentlemen,
am not a %spiritualist, nor do ! believe in
+ it, but my wife appeared to me then
Her form was rs plain rs that bottle
and though she spoke no word, hel
presence encouraged me, ! was in
trance then but remember now that til,
eyes of the apparition We're fixed will
rigid stare on the pack of cards acrOs!
the table. ] saw the cards shake a lit
tie, and then, upon my word, q carr
came Il OF the: pack and seemed 4
glide to the five cards in my hand. /
was the queen of hearts. The hand o
my wife's spirit reached over and took
card from the bunch in my hand. ]
was the deuce, did not need it then
My opponent called me to myself ant
asked me if ] was gOingto bet. ] locke,
at my hand. There were four queen
and a ten. l bet $50. He raised IN
$500, and took my | o u for it. He hat
four jacks. ! stopped playing and wa
a happy Ia that night. | had jus
$1,000. and redeemed, as it were, m
honor.
81 met my opponent the next day am
he said to me: "A funny thing occur
red after the game last night. While
was leaving the oom | found n car
pinned on the wall of the hall. 1t wa
the deuce of clubs, There, gentlemen
is my story, and / swear that it is true.