The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-09-14

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and she was slowly being tortured to
death. Fortunately she had never had
any children.
1--WE talked the matter over in all it's
aspects, and l asked her, if l could Sc
cure her escape, would she go with me
to my home in the north, for l had
married and settled down like a SEN
sible man; and she agreed to it if it
could be done without making her con-
dition any worse. 1 then began de-
vising ways and means of getting the
poor woman out of this hell on earth
and by night I had my plans ready for
trial. When Jackson came in that
evening he was in better humor, hav-
ing won some money on horse race,
and he was not quite SO ugly drunk as
he had been. He was drunken, per-
haps, but it was not such a 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
room upstairs with a couple of law
yers and judge who were stopping
there over night, and the game began.
as 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 was about as drunk as jackson
was; but l 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 a bad hand as hands went in
those days, and [ had an idea that
jackson hadn't anything to beat it. l
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 bluf1ing like the
mischief all through the game and
Jackson had caught me for good lot
on my recklessness, 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 a game without limit as it
often was in those days, and when l
put down two hundred he saw me to
the extent of one horse. Then | went
five hundred more and he went an
other horse; then / went another five
hundred and he went the third horse.
Of course the man was wild now with
liquor and the excitement of the game
and when I laid down thousand
more he was dazen for a minute. Just
then his wife came in, and with
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
1 could see that, but he didn't like to
take too much of q 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?"
81 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
it a COP
''Once more nodded.
Gentlemen 1 said to the judge
and the lawyers, make note of that
If l win, the woman is mine to do as l
please with. Is that agreed?'
jackson assented with string of
oaths, and the lawyers got his sigma
ture to a contract to deliver his wife to
me if the game went against him, or
words to that effect
"'Nowr he said in tone of sup
pressed feeling, what have you got?'
Very quietly, but with some little
fear that l might miss it at last, laid
my four mines down on the table.
''Jackson looked at the cards sec
ond, then, with a 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. | 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 a 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 q
bad hand as hands go, is an ace full.
81 never saw Jackson again. He did
not return to the place for two or
three days, and when he did come back
l had gone, and with me his wife, to
whom l had explained the situation.
l made arrangements with the Judge
and the lawyers to restore to jackson
his horses, but l kept what money
had won and gave it to his wife. She
vent home with me, and in year or
so mad secured position, and always
as kind aunty to my children she
was the jewel of the family; and the
queer part of it was that, notwith-
standing l had once courted her, and
might be charged with saving hen on
account of the old love, there was not
bit of that in it all, and she acted
always in such manner that could
no more have fiirted with her than l
could have fiirted with my own sister
She Just wouldn't have it, that was all
As said " concluded the old gentle