Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-11-15

with not q 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 1t all Sue never blamed nor
scolded him.
''rry an come home without stoppin',
father" she used 10 say. An he'd go
off in the mornin' promisin' faithfully
"to do It." But his road home run
right past the tavern an he jest he'd to
stop in fur a minute. an tibet minute
'ud stretch out to nigh next mornin'.
Nobody interfered, cause IL wasn't no.
body's business
One night tho 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 Ave
minutes before the clock struck nine
oil 81 Rogers shufflin' step was heard
in the entry. 1t sounded little quick
erin usual. Custer frightened up all Of
q sudden as he beard it an took 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
was skeered look in his eyes.
Boys" says he, in a husky voice, lis
there one of you thetll lend fellero
little cash in an emergency" The men
looked up questioninly from their
cards. 'Sue's down sick" he went on,
IAN I'm clear out o. money"
Every hand went down into its own.
er's pocket, an silver, gold an bills
come up, but Jack Custer was before
us all He was at the oil mans side in
about three shakes. and, pressin' roll
o. money into his hand he said" think
I've got q 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 q workin'
with her, but he wouldn't leave her
side until he was jest compelled to go
fur doctor Thet was why he dropped
in there; cause as the doctor would hev
to come some distance, he might
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 1t turned cut, arter all, tibet II
wasn't nothin' serious, jest a light
spell. But I tell you OIL man Rogers
was skeered 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 he 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 O good look at her when she
come back tibet way. Thet evenin' he
unpacl1ed his traps an settled himself
to stay. The boys winked their eyes
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 reckoned 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 tirst; later on no be.
gan to sorter win.
Clusters luck has changed" some
one whispered. An thet's the way II
looked. Bat them tibet tried 10 take
advantage o. the change soon found
tibet somehow he didn't lose to nobody
but oil man Rogers. 1t got clearer,
though, one night, when, arter the OIL
man he'd made a big wnnin' Custer
leaned across the table and said: I'll
be down to yore house afore long.
want to talk over some business with
you" O. course Rogers couldn't re.
fuse, an Clusters game showed out
plain: He'd been buytn' the OF mans favor.
A good deal of advice was whispered
to Jem Mace, but he wasn't sksered,
an said tibet he wouldn't interfere as
long as things went on straight an
honest. An they seemed to be goin'
on tibet way to very bad endin' for
pore Jem.
Clusters business with OIL Rogers
must "a turned out mighty satisfac.
tory, cause he kept goin'
In the meantime he n the OIL man
he'd kinder quit playin' SO regular. but
one night when they'd been talkin' to.
gether earnest like fur long time the
oil man got so excited tibet he jest
bawled out without thinkin': mol ]
won't try to persuade her TO do nothin'
she don't want & do"
They both shut up right away. but IL
looked like the gambler was tryin' TO
get oil Rogers to persuade Sue to mar.
ry him, an every body looked at Jem
Mace. He was perfectly cool. Custer
went up to him an said, "Ef O man
kin win the girl he loves, all far an
squar'. why shouldn't hep"
"Why shouldn't hep" says Jem.
"Hev you any objections to bein' cut
out in an honest way2"
wall, no."
We all began to look at Jem an
wondered eff he hedn't got spliced on
the sly, but eff anything uncommon
was up he didn't show IL.
AFTER tibet talk Jack Custer got more
desperate. He commenced drinkin'
harder an drawed the Oh man back
again into the same oil ruts, drinkin'
an losin' his money. But IL was oil
brought TO a sudden hold-up one night
long toward the end Of August.
1t was one o. them creepy, quiet
summer nights tibet a man feels away
down an all over; there wasn't much
noise in the little gamblin' room o. the
tavern except the Hip-flap O. the cards.
the occasional shuffiin' o. feet as some
man changed his position fur luck. an
now an then an oath thet told tibet
somebody was busted.