The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-01-02
A Queer Story

A Queer Story.
The Washington Republican OF re-
cent date has thefollowing: II haven't
gambled for over twelve years" said
a mild old gentleman who had watched
the play OF a select party the other
evening, "and l will never do it 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 a fair road
at the time to become a gambler for
life. | neglected my business to sit in
little games, and was away from home
every night In the week. Nv wife, who
was always opposed to gambling. rea-
soned with me, but was too much in
fatuated with the excitment OF the
play to heed her, and so | kept on I'M
til had reputation as an Al poker
player. ! also had a system for beat
ing faro. 1t was ingenious, and cost
me lots OF sleepless nights, but the
banks dropped on me after a time,
and caught my pile My business
went to pieces, and my wife, grieved at
my wlllful disregard for good advice
and infatuation for the papers, be
came Ill. She pleaded again and again
with me, but | wasn't quite myself
then, and laughed at her warnings. In
a 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 wife and child in three
months is calculated to curb the Wild
est fascination in an ordinary man."
he resumed, "but while | grieved their
loss, and remained away from the
gambling table over a month, the rul-
ing passion was too strong, and | was
soon back, playing all the time With
in six months | had lost the little sum
| had laid by, and, driven on by a
mad desire to get even, | fixed my
books and stole 81, 900 from the finn
by which twas employed. Talk about
nights OF torture, why, I'll wager that
| didn't sleep for q month. | kept
away from the cards then and set
about devising some scheme to re-
place the money | had stolen. The
time came for settling up my books,
and / don't believe hades contains q
soul more miserable than | was. |
had saved up $500 toward my in
debtedneSs, but one night | had an at
tack OF the old fever, and sat in a
game at one of the uptown hotels. |
prayed that / might win that night,
and vowed to myself that if | were
successful would gamble no more.
II lost 500 of my stake within
an hour, and then / canght three
queens. Two of the players dropped
out and left another man and myself
| wagered $50 and drew two cards
Ny opponent 'staid in and took one
card. | caught a ten and the deuce Of
clubs. | was undecided whetherto bet
or lay down, as my adversary, whose
hands were shaking slightly, might
have tours. The pack from which he
had dealt was at his right hand.
viii bet my life that | did more think
ing in short space OF time than q
drOwningman ever did. | didn't want
to lose, and somehow in an instant /
thought OF my dead wife, and you
may not believe me, gentlemen, and |
am not a spiritualist, nor do believe
IN it, but my wife appeared to me
then. Her form was as plain as that
bottle, and though she spoke no word
her presence encouraged me. | was in
a trance then but remember now that
the eyes OF the apparitiOn were fixed
with rigid stare on the pack OF cards
across the table. | saw the cards
shake q little, and then, upon my
word, Il card came out of the pack and
seemed to glide to the five cards in my
hand. It was the queen of hearts
The hand of my wife's spirit reached
over and took a card from the bunch
in my hand. 1t was the deuce. | did
not need it then. My opponent called
me to myself, and asked me if / was
going to bet. | looked at my hand.
There were four queens and a ten. |
bet $3.50. He raised me $500, and
took my / o for it, and | called He
had four jacks. [ stopped playing
and was a happy man that night. l
had Just 81 900, and redeemed, as it
were, my honor.
Il met my opponent the next day
and he said to me: a funny thing oc-
Cured after the game last night.
While | was leaving the room found
a card pinned on the wall OF the hall.
1t was the deuce of clubs There, gen
tlemen, is my story, and | swear that
it is true"