Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-06-24
PARTY'S Pepper.

was not sorry TO wash my hands of
America, of its dreadful climate, and of its
dreadful people. | do not want to be I'M
grateful, but the whole of my time in
America had been passed in Fretail can
yon, and the people | met in Firetai can
yon were decidedly dreadful; and when |
turned my back on Firetail canyon and,
metaphorically speaking, shook the dust
of my feet against America, | was de-
lighted; for was tired of the brutal, un-
civilized, sordid life, and the exceedingly
brutal, uncivilized, sordid people whom it
had been my misfortune to have to associ-
ate with in Firetail city
The fact is, ] had been engineer to the
Uncle Dudley silver mine, and having, so
to say-speadng 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, if
possible, and of not returning to America,
firetail canyon nor the Uncle Dudley mine,
if could help it. | carried my little fort
une OF $4,000 on my person in thousand
dollar notes. IL was a stupid thing to do;
did IL TO avoid loss on exchange.
L had four delightful days on the Bithy-
MIA. Ineed 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 riper
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 delicious golden brown
but need not say any more it will save
your time and mine if | state that Par
thenia PersimmOn was a Duck Of Dia-
monds. You know what | mean? Ex-
actly so.
If you ask me how Parthenia and / EN-
ployed our time during those four days |
fear must reply, "In delicious dalliance,"
which Is poetic phrase and expressive.
We had never seen each other in our lives
before, and my Partys 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 dallance "A 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-
glish of his.
was rather sorry to see Party's pepper.
No more moonlight walks on the saloon
deck, | 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 a 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 difficulty 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 "shoddy" about Per
simmon or his daughter The father
sported a three and a half dollar Water
bury and steel guard. That gave me
courage. 81 don't want money" thought
to myself. 81 am desperately in love with
Parthenia, and have $4,000 I'll propose to
her"
did propose TO her.
"You know nothing Of me, Mr. st. John"
she said in establishment She said great
deal more. So did l. The interview ended
by her telling me to see as much of her
down his back" | understood enough of
the American language to know what she
meant
Mr.. Persimmon and grew very friend
ly. We saw a good deal of each other, and
in the evening we went into the smoking
room and we played at poker. When |
say I'VE" | mean that did; for Mr.. Per
simmon declared that he did not know
enough about cards" / confess that
played little higher than | could afford,
with the idea of dazzling Mr.. Persimmon
and so creating n favorable impression,
which is what Parthenia meant by getting
down his back
If had not been so taken up with Par
ty might have discovered in lime that
Colonel Jabez Jackpotts, Senator Pat
Straddle and DR.. Clapperton Fudge were
professional sharpers. On one fatal night
they won fve-sixths of my little fortune,
exactly 81, 900. 1t happened this wise:
The game Of poker stripped Of It's details
Is very much like the old fashioned game
Of brag AS played In the smoking room
of the Bithynia, the first player puts up''
Il E., stakes a small sum; those who de
cline to play throw down their cards, and
the next man to the left exercises his OPP
ton of raising" the stake, or going bet
ter" This goes on adj in6nitum till those
who are betting against the first man de-
cline to 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 higher
one, or puts up" stake so high that the
others refuse to cover It, in which case they
all pay up to him and look az pleasant M
they can. II this takes place, though he
takes the money, he does not show his
cards. His hand may, In fact, contain
nothing; In which case he is said to have
"bluffed the table"
Now, the highest possible hand is what
Is termed straight flush, or Flush Sc
uuence" TO the ace--that Is to say, ace,
king, queen, knave and ten Of one suit.
This hand it is impossible 10 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.
The rules Of the game Of poker are ex-
tremesy strict. All money bet has to
be placed upon the table-rubis sur i'ongle,
az the French have IL
Nou, had "a atraiuht nuah I'm spadea