The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-11
PARTY'S Pepper.

come to kinder pail.
was not sorry to wash my hands O
America, of its dreadful climate, and of it
dreadful people do not want to be I'm
grateful, but the whole of my time il
America had been passed in Firetail can
yon, and the people met in Firetail can
yon were decidedly dreadful; and when
turned my back on Firetail canyon and
metaphorically speaking, shook the dus
| off my feet against America, was de
lighted; for l was tired of the brutal, un
| civilized, sordid life, and the exceedingly
| brutal, uncivilized, sordid people whom ii
/ had been my misfortune to have to associ
ate with in Firetail city.
The fact is, had been engineer to tn,
| Uncle Dudley silver mine, and having, sc
to say-speaking in quite an humble way
| you know-made my pile, | was coming
home to England on six months leave
with the intention of lettering myself, il
possible, and of not returning to America
Firetail canyon nor the Uncle Dudley mine
| if l could help it. l carried my little fort
| une of $1,000 on my person in thousand
dollar notes. 1t was stupid thing to do
did il to avoid loss on exchange.
had four delightful days on the Bithy.
MIA. need not describe the Bithynia-you
all know the Bithynia. These four days
were peculiarly delightful, because they
were passed in the society of Parthenia
Persimmon. Parthenia was eighteen; she
had lips ruddier than the cherry and ripper
than the berry-they were arched like
Cupid's bow; and on her cheek the lily and
the rose, and innumerable dear, delightful
dimples struggled for mastery. Her lux
uriant hair was a delicious golden brown
but need not say any more; it will save
your time and mine if l state that Par
thenia Persimmon was Duck of Dia-
monds. You know what | mean? Elk
actly so.
If you ask me how Parthenia and I en-
ployed our time during those four days l
fear must reply, "In delicious dalliance,"
which is a poetic phrase and expressive
We had never seen each other In our lives
before, and my Party's pepper was lying
in his Stateroom very sea sick indeed.
(Parthenia is such mouthful, you know,
and she has hidden me to call her Party on
the third day of dalliance) Pepper al
ways calls me Party" she had observed.
may explain here that pepper is American
for father
AS yet had not seen Party's pepper, but
on the fourth day of dalliance gentleman
of fifty, looking very green, indeed, about
the gills, was introduced to me by Par
thenia as that relative.
Party's pepper was evidently gentle
man. He was very quiet, he dressed I'M
obtrusively, he did not talk politics, and
he spoke particularly well, throwing in an
occasional archaic word or two, which
gave a certain special flavor and pictur-
sequences to that clear, cold, genuine En-
giish of his.
l was rather sorry to see Party's pepper.
No more moonlight walks on the saloon
deck, l thought; the days of dalliance
are over. Perhaps he would ask my inten-
tions. / did not mind that particularly,
for my intentions were strictly honorable,
but-and it was very big but, indeed-I
had no idea in the world of the position
in life of Party or Party's pepper. That is
the Difficult about travelling Americans;
it is impossible to judge Of their position
by their clothes, or their luggage, or their
talk.
OF one thing alone can you be certain
If an American man or woman sports Jew
elry save at a ball or big dinner, then
you may be sure that he or she is 'shoddy."
There was nothing "sheddy" about Per-
simmon or his daughter The father
sported a three and half dollar Water
bury and a steel guard. That gave me
courage. 81 don't want money" thought
to myself. 81 am desperately in love with
Parthenia, and have e6, 600 I'll propose to
ner."
did propose to her.
you know nothing of me, Mr.. St. John"
she said in astonishment. She said great
deal more. So did l. The interview ended
by her telling me to see as much of her
pepper as possible, and to try and ''get
down his back" understood enough of
the American language to know what she
meant.
Mr.. Persimmon and l grew very friend
ly. We saw good deal of each other, and
In the evening we went into the smoking
room and we played at poker. When /
say I'VE" l mean that l did; for Mr.. Per
simmon declared that he did not know
enough about cards" | confess that |
played little higher than L could afford,
with the idea of dazzling Mr.. Persimmon
and so creating a favorable impression,
which is what Parthenia meant by getting
down his back.
If had not been so taken MP with Par
ty might have discovered in time that
Colonel Jabez Jackpotts, Senator Pat
Straddle and DR.. Clapperton Fudge were
professional shsrpers. On one fatal night
they won tive-sixths OF my little fortune,
exactly So, 600 1t happened this wise:
The game Of poker stripped of its details
Is very much Ike the old fashioned game
of brag. As played in the smoking room
of the Bithynia, the first player puts up
i. e, stakes q small sum; those who de-
cline TO play throw down their cards, and
the next man to the left exercises his OBJ
ton OF raising" the stake, or going bet
ter" This goes on sd infinitum sill those
who are betting against the first man de-
cline 10 stake more money, when the other
players show their hands In succession.
and the highest hand WINS everything, I'M
less the original player exhibits q higher
one, or puts up" stake SO high that the
Others refuse to cover il, IN which case they
all pay up TO him and look as pleasant as
they can. Ii this takes place, though he
takes the money, be does not show his
cards his hand may, in fact, contain
nothing; IN which ssse ne Is saln 70 have
"bluffed the table"
Now, the highest possible hand is what
is termed a straight flush, or ''a1sh Sc
Quence TO the ace-that is to saw, ace,
king. queen, knsve and ten of one suit.
This hand 1t Is impossible 20 beat when it
Is held by the person who makes the first
stake, for even should another player have
the extraordinary good luck to hold an
equal hand. ties pay.