The Van Buren press., 1894-08-25
ara by night / had nv plan. re.dy b.,


trial When jackson came in that
evening he WAS in better humor. hav-
ing won some money on horse -ses.,
and he was not quite 50 ugly drunk IS
he had been. He 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 a game Of poker. 1t struck
him just right. and we adjourned TO
room upstairs with 3 couple OF law
scfs and Judge who were stopping
there over night, and the game began.
At first Jackson won right along. and
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 wasn't
At midnight we had reached the
climax. The two lawyers and the
| judge had been raised out and jackson
and were lef. for the finish had four
mines. not 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 | had five thousand
dollars in my pocket, which jackson
hadn't. had been bluffing like the
mischief all through the game ana
jackson had caught ME for good lot
on my fecklessness, 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 !
put down two hundred he saw me to
the extent of one horse. Then went
five hundred more and he went al
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 ga me,
and when | laid down a thousand
more he was dazen for = minute. Just
then his wife came in, and with a
curse he ordered her but aud 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 l was bluffing.
could see that. bnt he didn't like to
take too much of a chance. Then all
at once new thought seemed to come
OHM and he looked squarely into my
face
by the way he said. you used to
know my wife, didn't your
81 nodded cooily. though somewhat
ratified at this unexpect ID re ognition.
land you used TO be in love with
her he went on.
again nodded.
"'You wanted her once, he ventured
slowly, and nodded again.
by heavens. he exclaimed. II put
her against what you have there. Is
it go?
'.Once more l nodded.
Gentlemen l said to the Judge
and the lawyers. make note of that.
II ] win. the woman is mine to do as
please with. Is that agreed9'
jackson assented with a string oi
oaths, and the lawyers got his sigma.
turc to contract TO deliver his wife to
me il the game went against him, OF
words to that effect
Now. he said in tone of sup
nA 70 hat
Very quietly, but with some little
fear that might miss it at last, la;d
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 die
not stop anywhere, On he went oht
into the night, and we lost him in the
darkness. thought we might finG
him next morning dead somewhere
but we didn't. When we got back tt
the room we gathered up his hand an6
found that 1t consisted of three ace.
and pair of tens. one of those hand.
the gamblers of those days, as a mat
ter of sentiment, would bet everything
they had on, and, bv the way, not q
bad hand as hands go, is an ace full.
II 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 me his wife, tc
whom l 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 it to his wife She
went home with me. and in year OF
so had secured a position, and always
as a kind aunty to my children she
was the jewel of the family; and the
queer part of it was that, notwith.
standing had once courted her, and
might be charged with saving her on
account Of the old love, there was not
bit of that in it all, and she acted
always in such a manner that could
no more have firted 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 saw jackson again, but
| heard that with the money he got
for the horses which returned to him
he went to New Orleans and was killed
there in fight over the card table,
w. J. hampton. in Detroit Free Press.
The Pose of Moose's Head.
have just returned from the head
waters of the Penobscot, where ]
fished for four seasons. l wish to call
attention to what / have concluded.