Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-09-06

death. Fortunately she had never had
any children.
I'VE talked the matter over In nil It's
aspects, and asked her, it could &C.
cure her escape, would she 60 with me
tc my home in the north, for had
married and settled down like n sen.
sible man; and she agreed to it il it
could be done without making her con-
dition any worse. then began de-
vising ways and means of getting the
poor woman out Of this hell on earth,
and by night | had my plans ready for
trial. When jackson came in that
evening he was in better humor, hay-
ing won some money on horse race,
and he was not quite so ugly drunk az
he had been. lie was drunken, per-
haps, but it was not such mean drunk
as before. After supper engaged him
in talk, and along about nine o'clock
proposed game OF poker 1t struck
him just right and we adjourned to a
room upstairs with a couple of law
yers and judge who were stopping
there over night, and the game began.
AT first jackson won right along, and
us he won he drank, calling every now
and then for his wife to bring him
more liquor, and whenever she came
into the room and saw me the look
she gave me almost made me kick over
the table and fight the whole crowd
However, that was not my game, and
| let on to her and the rest Of them
that l was about as drunk as jackson
was; but wasn't.
"At midnight we had reached the
climax. The two lawyers and the
judge had been raised out and Jackson
and were left for the finish. had four
mines, not bad hand as hands went in
those days, and l had an idea that
Jackson hadn't anything to beat it.
also had my wits about me and Jack.
son hadn't, and l had five thousand
dollars In my pocket which jackson
hadn't. l had been bluGfing like tho
mischief all through the game and
Jackson had caught me for n good lot
on my recl;lessness, but all he had was
on the table when the other three
passed out. That Is all the money he
had, but he owned three good horses.
1t was q game without limit, as It
often was in those days, and when l
put down two hundred he saw me to
the extent of enc horse. Then went
five hundred moro and he went an
other horse; then went another five
hundred and he went tho third horse.
OF course the man was wild now with
liquor AMI the excitement of the game,
and when ! laid down a thousand
more he was dazen for minnie. Just
then his wife came in, and with q
curse he ordered her out and was
about to throw bottle at her She
hurried away with an appealing look
at me, and Jackson sat stupidity gaz-
ing at his hand and at the pile Of
money and contracts for horses on the
table, and he was sure was bluffing
l could see that, but he didn't like to
take too much of a chance. Then all
at once new thought seemed to come
to him and he looked squarely into my
face.
"'By the way he said, you used to
know my wife, didn't you?"
Il nodded coolly, though somewhat
ratified at this unexpected recognition.
"'And you used to be in love with
her. he went on.
again I nodded.
"'You wanted her once, he ventured
slowly, and | nodded again.
by heavens he exclaimed, I'll put
her against what you have there. Is
1t go?
"Once more I nodded
Gentlemen l said to the Judge
and the lawyers, make note OF that.
II win, the woman Is minc to do as
please with. Is that agreed2'
jackson assented with string OF
oaths, and the lawyers got his sigma
ture to contract to deliver his wife to
me if tho game went against HIM, or
words to that effect
"'Nowp he said in tone Of sup
pressed feeling, what have you got%
every quietly, but with some little
fear that might miss 1t ut last, laid
my four mines down on the table.
jackson looked at the cards Sec
ond, then, with hoarse scream, he
slung his own hand all over the room
and dashed through the door. Fearing
that he might mean harm to his wife
we went pell-mell after him, but he did
not stop anywhere. On he went out
into the night, and we lost him in the
darkness. l thought we might find
him next morning dead somewhere
but we didn't. When we got back to
the room we gathered up his hand and
found that it consisted of three aces
and pair of tens, one OF those hands
the gamblers of those days, as a mat
ter of sentiment would bet everything
they had on, and, by the way, not a
bad hand as hands go, is an ace full.
81 never saw Jackson again. He did
not return to the place for two OF
three days, and when he did come back
had gone. and with mo his wife, to
whom | had explained the situation
| made arrangements with the judge
and the lawyers to restore to jackson
! his horses, but kept what money
had won and gave 1t to his vito. She
went homo with me, and in a year Oh
so had secured q position, and always
as kind aunty to my children she
was the jewel CT the family; and the
queer part of it was that, notwith
standing had once courted her, ant
,, might DO charged with saving her OF
! account OF the old love, there was MOI
a bit of that in it all, and she acted
. always in such mo lner that coult
no more have flirted With her than
could have flirted with my own sister
' She Just wouldn't have it, that was all
As said" concluded the old gentle
man, Il never cav jackson again, bu
: heard that with the money he go
!, for the horses which returned to hin
he went to New Orleans and was killeC
there In q fight over the card table,
! w. ]. hampton, in Detroit Free Press