The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-10-07
band q Professional gamblers tibet he'd

| rs ever nelu GOWN Il cldlE on LnlS ere
earth.
Well, our camp come in fur its share
O. this calamity. fur one O them coyotes
settled right down amongst us an COM
menced operations. He was remark
ably slick loollin' chap, more gentle
manlike then the most of his class;
there wasn't tibet flash O gold an jew
els about him that allus makes decent
man tired: though he did wear one big
diamond ring on his little finger tibet
looked like the real stuff an reckon it
was. lie called hisself Jack Custer,
and he had been amongst us only a few
days when we learned somethin' about
him that was very funny fur perfes-
sional gambler; he didn't cheat. No,
sir, he played as far as a parson an
took his losses with his gains But I
will say this fur him tibet although he
didn't cheat, he won a good deal more
n he lost, an when in the course O.
time men began to see it they kinder
dropped off an let him alone. His bust
ness growed small an waverin' like
The men tibet did play with MIN didn't
play reg lar with one eXception-of 81
Rogers. He was as reg'l lar as mealtime;
never failed. Custer seen he he'd vic
tim, an he knowed jest how to work
him. Every night at seven o'clock
they'd sit down to play in the little
room o. the tavern which was kept fur
| tibet purpose an Rogers nd never move
from the table until he got up to stink
home through the darkness with his
bloodshot eyes, throbbin' temples an
with not cent in his pocket But
sometimes he would win. and then he
went on like a crazy man; he would be
so happy that he'd drink an treat all
his winnin's away before he left.
Things was gettin' purity low at his
house: they was almost in need. But
through it all Sue never blamed nor
scolded him.
Try an come home without stoppin',
father" she used to say. An he'G go
off in the mornn' promisin' faithfully
Ito do it." But his road home run
right past the tavern an he Jest he'd to
stop in fur minute, an tibet minute
nd stretch out to nigh next mornin
| Nobody interfered, cause it wasn't no.
body's business.
One night the oil man failed to show
up at the usual time: half-past seven
come; eight; half-past eight. Eyes be-
gan to turn in Clusters direction an he
seemed kinder Uneasy. But jest five
minutes before the clock struck nine
oil 81 Rogers shufflin' step was heard
in the entry. 1t sounded a little quick
er'n usual Custer frightened up all of
a sudden as he heard it an took a step
toward their table. But the minute
the oil man struck the room everybody
could see tibet somethin' was wrong.
His face was haggard an pale an there
vas a skeered look in his eyes.
Boys, says he, in a husky voice, sis
there one of you thet1l lend Teller a
little cash in an emergency" The men
looked up questionin'ly from their
cards. Sues down SICK" he went on,
IAN I'm clear out O money"
Every hand went down into it's own
er's pocket, an silver, gold an bills
come up, but Jack Custer was before
us all. He was at the OF mans side in
about three shakes, and, pressin a roll
O money into his hand, he said" think
| I've got right to help you" The rest
wanted to chip in, but Rogers said he
he'd enough, and we could only hold
him long enough fur him to tell us part
o the story. One O Mike Jasper's kids
met him on his way from work to tell
him that Sue was sick; hurryin' home, he
found her ragin' with fever. Some O.
| the neighbor women was worlin'
x.,sf l,,4 10.
side until he was jest compelled tc go
fur doctor. Thet was why he dropped
| i'll there; cause as the doctor would hev
| to come some distance, he ulipht
want to see the color of his cash before
startin'.
| He left as soon as he told us tibet.
| turrible worked up; an, in fact, he left
us purity much excited, not KNOWN
how bad sick Sue was.
| But it turned out. arter all, tibet il
wasn't nothin' serious. jest light
spell. But | tell you oil man Rogers
was skecred purity bad. He straight
ened up an didn't gamble fur week,
an fur time folks begun to think tibet
he he'd really reformed. So did Custer:
an lie packed up his things to leave.
He was standin at the door one day
| when Sue passed. an he asked who she
was. When he found it was Rogers
| darter Sue, he whistled long an low.
| He took a good look at her when she
come back tibet way. Thet evenin' he
unpaclled his traps an settled himself
to stay. The boys winked their ewes
| an whispered to each other tibet "Cus~
ter was goin' to play fur higher stakes,
| but 'twasn't no use, fur the cards was
stacked agin him dead sure" Custer
jest went right on maxim no secret of
his intentions, but workin' far an
squar'. He began to try and draw Sues
attention, an everybody looked on in
interest.
Jem Mace only laughed very quiet.
He reclloned he'd fixed them cards him
self an knowed Jest what chance the
gambler stood fur DRAWN a flush.
OF 81 Rogers, arter his weeks spell
| o goodness, come back to his table as
| eager as ever an jest about as on
lucky. Thet is, at irst: later on he be-
gan to sorter win.
Clusters luck has changed" some
| one whispered. An thet's the way i.
looked. But them tibet tried 10 take
advantage O. the change soon found
4