The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-08-27
WOMEN WHO PLAY POKER.
A Dual Life Exposed by the close
Shearing of a Fleecy Lamb.

Strange uudi lie, leu W a sOcitty
woman, which has effectually come TO
an end SO far as Washington is con.
cerned, was in its full tide of prosper
ity a year since. With every comfort
of refined, luxurious taste in her
surroundings, the rather mature
dame occupied handsome house in
the fashionable West End section,
where, after the days attendance of
luncheons, afternoon teas, and dinners
festivities invariably wound up in a
game or two of poker,-played for
amusement, of course-but in which
the fair hostess rarely failed to come
out IN better financial condition than
she started In.
Several evenings of each week invi-
tations would be issued for a select
whist party, to which those invited
were made to feel that an especial
honor had been conferred upon them.
Certainly, in the selections of those
to whom the invitations were sent the
greatest acunen was observed. After
time it began to be pretty generally
understood the friends one met at
those whist parties were each there
because of some special in significance
Or fitness for the occasion. At the
beginning of the season the stakes
were small, but gradually as time
went on the Napoleonic hostess laugh
ingly declared that they had been
engaged in child's play long enough,
and ii was time that a different state
of affairs was inaugurated. So the
stakes rose until it is no exaggeration
to state that the sums which ex-
changed hands across the card table
nightly represented small fortunes.
Then at last came one eventful even
ing when poor, little, unwary lamb
which had been adroitly engineered
into the fold, was submitted to such
a process OF wholesale shearing that
his mournful, indignant bleating
reached the ears of some prominent
neighbors, and the matter became
the topic of the hour at the
clubs. On account of the prominence
of all concerned, however, it was con-
cluded to hush up matters. The
shorn lamb was spirited out of sight,
and about the same time the placard,
"To Let was conspicuously dis
played III the front Of the West End
mansion wherein he had come to
grief financially. The fair dame an
nounced to her friends that a more
braclng climate had been recon-
mended by her physicians, and she
had determined to Did adieu to dear
Washington without futher delay,
and seek the rest and recreation to
he found in travel. So the bubble
burst. leaving no trace behind of It's
existence, save for a time the aroma
at unpleasant criticism at the clubs,
for, strange to stay, not one in a
dozen of the gay society in which the
woman moved guessed at the real
cause of the sudden departure from
Washington. Whist is most truly a
Mecca for adventures, both male
and female.
This latter incident is, however, by
no means so rare as one would think,
for, unfortunately the passion for
card playing among the far sex of
society is sadly on the increase. Al
belt the indulgence therein is gener-
ally sub rosa. Not so many days
since a prominent Wsshingtonian
boosted to the select circle of those
whom she was pleased to term her
friends that all her expenses during
her stay at one of the most expensive
resorts had been covered by the sue
cess attending one evenings play of
poker. At the outset of the game
iuleps were ordered, each PLAYER
Stacking her thirst with the delightful
compound of mint, and ice, and
well-something stronger than water,
all save the lady in question. who de-
clined upon the grounds of indisposi-
ton. At the close of the evening,
however. when the wee small hours
were beginning to broaden out in a
most provoking fashion into the un-i
welcome dawn, the party broke up, j..
in more senses than one. The disciple
of total abstinence arose from her
chair, and, as she gathered in the
amount of her gain,
announced to the impov.
erished company, as she passed
the doorway; "Now / will
take nv julep in my own room."