Omaha daily bee., 1888-04-30
THE KNIGHTS OF THE GRIP.
Stories Told at the Expense of Com
mercial Travellers.
AN OMAHA MANS eREATscHEME.
He Wants to Organize Travelling
Mans Colony-Three Drummers
Fleeced-Pickcd Up About
the Hotel Iobbies.
She Drew Three Jacks.

A drummer who visited Taunton recently,
says the Gazette, tells the following story at
the expense of himself and two comrades who
were stalled on a passenger train near
Springfield during the great snow storm:
The three drummers had seats in the parlor
car and wanted to get up a game of whist,
but oil of the males in the car were averse to
playing, owing 10 other attractions, and they
were about to give the project up, when O
well dressed lady arose and offered to take
hand If nobody else would volunteer They
gladly accepted her services, and soon the
four were deep in the intricacies of the game,
The lady showed herself TO be a good player,
with remarkable memory, and the quartette
was really enjoying ITSELF when, in an evil
moment, one held up his hand and made the
simple remark that he held a pretty good
poker hand. She smiled across the table and,
after looking at her cards, innocently said
she thought she had good poker hand, too.
drummers. "Yes,n was the quiet answer,
as she scooped in a trick with the ace of
trumps. "What's the matter then" said
another, ''with throwing up whist and trying
poker a whilel TIN be more excitng.n The
trio looked at the lady, as If to get her con-
sent, and the consent came quite readily.
''I'll break up some matches for chips" said
one. 20, no you needn't" said the lady. 81
have something here which will answer the
purpose much better" She reached into her
satchel and pulled out box of the genuine
article and threw them down before the as
tonished drummers. They began to think
they had caught a tartar and to wish they
hadn't done it, but they were in for it, and,
besides, the woman was quite evidently
lady, even if she did know how to play poker.
They started on the game and the conse-
quence was that the lady came out ahead and
one of the drummers had to borrow enough
from one of his friends to carry him through
to Providence AT the end of the game she
smiled just as pleasantly as when she offered
her services to help the poor lads out of
their scrape, but she tucked her gains away
in her pocketbook with n decided air of
business. Then she took the seat which she
had vacated, and presently one of the dunn
mers ventured to take a seat near by her and
to converse with her after the style of these
festive creatures until she was forced to call
him to order. And this is what she said (:
my dear sir, we are here in sad predca-
ment; let us enjoy ourselves as best as we
can But please don't make mistake abont
me. 1 have given you cause to think badly
of me because l played poker, but did it
with all the innocence in this world, and only
because L was willing to aid you in passing
away the time in as pleasant manner as
possible. / am going on to JOIN Nat Good
wins company, but it needn't matter to YOU
what my name is. Wouldn't it be as we'll If
you joined your friends in the smoker, nowa
l have no use at present; you may take them
with you' The fellow arose, speechless,
took the cigaretts and left the car in daze.
The trio didn't play cards any more that trip,
nor did they bother the unknown female
again.