Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-07-09
A BLIcHTED LIFE.
h Future Held Nothing Bright %
Promising for this Man.

He was occupying a bench on the
common, his head resting on his hands,
u picture Of despair, says the n. Y.
World. The clustering winds of March
swept across his weather-beaten coun-
tenance and froze the tears as they
coursed down his furrowed cheeks.
A kindly old gentleman in clerical
garb passing 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. Il fear you are not well.
There seems TO be a hectic flush"
Don't say that ERE, stranger" said
the object of the good mans sympa-
thy, stretching forth his hand as if in
protest. "Don't twit a poor devil on
his misfortunes. Tworn't exactly a
hectic flush, though, neither, though
that's a lev name | haven't heard on:
and p'raps you didn't mean bad, after
all"
The clerical gentleman FASTENED to
deny any intention of raking up past
SORROWS, and urged him to explain.
why, yer see, pard. twas this way"
said the other. "Some er the boys
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 Bob Simkins he opened
up a jacker an they all come in er
whoopin'. | had as purity a busted
flush ter draw ter as you ever see, an
thinks | I'll raise him back on the OPEN
in. So / riz him back an they all
stood, game as yer please. When it
come fer the draw Bob b. lowed he
didn't want any, an / took one~pape.
My busted flush was the ten, lack,
queen, king err spades, an III be
darned il didn't draw the ace o that
ERE identical suit. | didn't stop ter
see no more. J had the only hand in
the deck what couldn't be beat. an |
jest closed 'em up on the table an got
ready ter have some fun. An the fun
was thar, too, and don't you make no
mistake. The other fcllcrs 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 q clothes-line. When every
gol darn cent we could raise was in
the pot Bob lowed he'd call. Sez he:
See here, Jim, ] got yer beat, but yer
amt got no more money, an We may
as well show the boys what yer 50 dog
gone proud on
"Sez I: Bob Simpkins, whatever
we've got the swag is L. le. Ye can't
down a straight flush clan up at the
top, an no other inan can't do it
neither
well, stranger, Bob, he had four
Fights, an tell yer he looked mighty
sick. laid down my kyards an got
a good grip on the stakes, when, by
jinks, if they didn't raise a yell fit ter
hist n or them ere motor ears clear
of the track. kinder lifted my fingers
an asked what they was er maxim sech
a dad blarsted rumpus about
He paused, gulped down Il sob, and
continued: stranger, that ere flush
was still busted. The queen was
nuthin' but the dog-goned eight o.
clubs | thought I'd discarded. That
ere queen had just slipped through
my fingers, like the wimmen alters
does, an /"
A heartrending sigh finished the SEN
tence, and for n few minutes the ST.
lence spoke louder than the still. small
voice OF a new infant in the 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
Id be gol darned fool enough TO Law
my hand down for them TO look at if |
knew 'tworn't all right! An | had ter
come out o. there mighty quick, an
CONSISTENTLY amt had no chance fer ter
get even. An ! maintain it amt right
ter treat a teller like that ere when
ae amt done nOthin wrong neither"
My good fellow" said the kind old
gentleman, you have my sympathy,
but this seems 20 me to be a fitting op-
portunity to point out 10 you the evils
OF gam"
stranger" interrupted the other,
"don't go M further. | appreciate
yer kindness, an all that, but thar
only one thing yer kin do for me.
If you'll take an kick me from here
TO that ere gate yonder an back
again you'll do a poor sulrerin' creeter
a heap er good. There amt nothin'
else yer kin do; nuthin' at all"
"But, my good fellow" demonstrated
the other, Il"
~Thar's nuthin' else, stranger.
nuthin' else. / amt got no further
use fer anythin' else but that"
His head sank forward again on his
chest, and despair seemed to cast q
melancholy tinge on the very air that
surrounded him. Realizing that such
sorrow was too deep to be alleviated
by human sympathy, the clerical gem
tleman sighed and PASSED on.
A Man I'm the House.