River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-08-23

dollars in my pocket, which Jackson
hadn't. / had been bluffing like the
mischief all through the game and
jackson had caught me for a good LOT
on my recklessneSs. bnt 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.
IL was a game without limit. as il
often was in those days, and when |
put down two hundred he saw me to
the extent of one horse. Then J we
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 aud the excitement of the game,
and when ] laid down a tho sand
more he was dazen for a minute. just
then his wife came in. and with a
curse he ordered her out and was
about 10 throw a bottle at her. Sne
hurried away with an appe1 ling look
al me, and jackson sat stupii lily gaz
ing at his hand and at the pile OF
money and contracts for horses on the
table, ana he vas sure / was bluffing
! could see that. but he didn't like 10
take too much of chance. Then all
at once a 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 nodded.
You wanted her once, he ventured
slowly. and nodded again.
BY heavens. he exclaimed. IN put
her against what You have there. Is
it go?'
Once more | nodded.
Gentlemen ] sad TO the judge
and the lawyers, make a note of that
II win, the woman is laine to do as
please with. Is that agreed?
jackson assented with a string OF
oaths, and the lawyers got his sigma.
ture 10 a contract to deliver his wife Ia
me il the game went against HIM, or
words to that effect.
Now! he said in a tone of sup
pressed feeling, what have you got?'
Very quietly. but with some little
fear that ! might miss il 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 tn his wife
we went pell-mcll after him, but he did
not stop anywhere. On he went out
into the night. and we lost min, in the
darkness. 1 thought we might find
him next morning dead somewhere,
but we didn't. When we got back u
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. bv the way. not a
bad hand as hands 90. Is an ace full.
Il never saw JaclS.-on again. He did
not return to the place for two or
three days. and when be did come back
| had gone. and with me 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 it To his wife Sine
went home with me. and in a wear or
so had secured 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 il all. and she acted
always in such a manner that could
no more have fijrted with her than |
could have fiirted with my own sister.
She just wouldn't have il, that was all.
a, said. concluded the old gentle.
man. i 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 a fight over the card table. -
W. J. Hampton. in Detroit Free Press.