Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-04-27
A BllGHTED LIFE.
The Future Held Nothing Bright or
Promising for This Man.

He was occupying bench on the COM
mon, mis- head resting on his hands,
picture of despair The clustering winds
of March swept across his weather
beaten countenance and froze the tears
as they coursed down his furrowed
cheeks.
A kindly old gentleman in clerical
garb Easing by paused. His heart was
touched by the sad sight, and he laid a
sympathetic hand upon the poor fellows
shoulder.
What is the matter, my friend?" he
said kindly, II fear you are not well.
There seems to be hectic fush"-
Don't say that ere, stranger" said
the object of the good mans sympathy,
stretching forth his hand as if in protest.
Don't twit poor devil on his misfor-
tunes. Tworn't exactly hectic flush,
though, neither, 'thout that's a new
name haven't heard on; and p'raps you
don't mean bad arter all"
The clerical gentleman FASTENED to
deny any intention of raking up past
sorrows and urged him to explain.
"Wby, yer see, pard. twas this way"
said the other Some er the bows was
just gittin interested in the game, an
they kinder axed me ter set in. | sot in,
an things went along sort er quiet like
till Boil Simpkins he opened up jacker
an they all come in er whoopin. had
as purry busted flush ter draw ter as
ever you see, an, thinks |, I'll raise him
back Oh the openin. SO riz him back
an they all stood, game as yer please
When it come ter the draw Bob he
lowed ne didn't want any, an | took one
pape. My busted flush was the ten,
jack, queen, king er spades, an I'll be
darned if didn't draw the ace o. that
ere identical suit. didn't stop ter see
no more. | had the only hand in the
deck what couldn't be beat, an l Jest
closed en- up on the table an got ready
| ter have some fun.
"Au the fun was thar, too, an don't you
make no mistake. The other fellers all
went out mighty quick when they see
me an Bob was in it fer blood, an we Jest
had it back an forth like two tomcats
hung over clothes line. When every
gol darned cent we could raise was in
the pot Bob lowed he'd call. SEE he:
See here, Jim, got yer beat, but yer
amt got no more money, an We may as
well show the boys what yer so doggone
proud on
''Sez l: Bob Simpkins, whatever we've
got, the swag is mine. Ye can't down a
straight flush clean up at the top, an no
other man can't do it neither
We'll, stranger, Bob, he had four
Fights, an l tell We he looked mighty
sick. laid down my kyards an got a
| good grip on the stakes, when, by jinks,
if they didn't raise yell fit ter hist one
er them ere motor cars clean off the
track! ! kinder lifted my fingers an
axed what they was er maxim sech dad
| blarsted rumpus about"
He paused, gulped down sob and con-
tinued: Stranger, that ere flush was
still busted. The queen was nuthin but
the dogeoned eight o clubs thought
I'd discarded. That ere queen had just
slipped through my fingers like the
wimmen alters does, an r
A heartrending sigh finished the SEN
tence, AMI for few minutes the silence
spoke louder than the still, small voice
of a new infant int night. He sadly
took up the narrative once more, and
said: The boys they wouldn't believe
I'd discarded wrong. They thought it
war a put up job, just like I'd be gol
darned fool enough to lay my hand
down for them ter look at if knew
'twornt al right! An | had ter come
out o there mighty quick, an consekent-
ly amt had no chance ter get even. An
| maintain it Amt right ter treat felier
like that ere when he amt done nothin
wrong, neither"
my good fellow" said the kind old
gentleman, you have my sympathy
but this seems to me to be fitting op-
portunity to point out to you the evils of
GAM
Stranger" interrupted the other,
don't go no further. appreciate yer
kindness an all that, but thar amt only
one thing yer kin do fer me. If you'll
take an kick me from here over to that
ere gate yonder an back again you'll do
poor sufferin creeter a heap er good
There ain'5 nothin else yer kin do; nuth-
in at all"
But my good fellow" demonstrated
the other, "T'-
"Thar's nuthin else, stranger, nuthin
else. | amt got no further use fer any
thin else bat that"
His head sank forward again on his
chest and despair seemed to cast mel
ancholy tinge on the very air that sur
rounded hun. Realizing that such sor-
row was too deep to be alleviated by
any human sympathy, the clerical gen.
tleman sighed and passed on.-New
York World
| Not Charade.