The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-08
TOO BAD. TOMMY,v

TOO BAD. ToMMYr'
reached home after heavy losses his young
vito said to him, You've been at tho
bank, haven't you, Tom?"
Tom owned up.
And you look rs if you were hit pretty
hard. suppose you wcrc?''
"Middling hard" says Tom.
well, now" Mrs Tom went ON, 81 be-
lievc that you just naturally love to gam
Bile; that you were born that way; that
you have passion for vcnturng your
money just for the excitement, the mental
stimulus of It, Am I right?"
Tom licked the cshes from his cigar in
way that said Yes, " but he kept still
We'll, said she after pause I've got
scheme. Gamble with MOP
Tom thought his wife was delirious
with anxiety, but the plan was so novel
and was so insinuatingly put that no
couldn't reject it, So he said We'll,
Jimmy. I'll have to go you
Well, this couple started their two hand
cd game of draw OH the very next night,
and Tom said that from the very go off he
never had so much fun playing cards in
his life. Not that his wife didn't know
the game. He had taught her the game OF
poker soon after they were married, and
OH his evenings ut home they had often
played quarter limit game for the fun of
the thing. But it was SO queer to be play
ing with his wife for really immense
stakes, as they did in all earncstness play
when the game was well under way, that
this Butte man rclished the play cnor-
mously. He quit tho faro banks altogether
and devoted all of his spare time to the at
tempt TO beat his wife.
The little woman was not loser n dollar
from the very first night they started play.
At the end of n month"; MS Tom snid him
self, it seemed to be no longer question
as to which of the two would come out
ahead ON nights play, but simply a
question as to how much ho would lose.
AT tho end of six months his wife had
$780, worth of his securities in her
compartment of their safe deposit vault
'Losc?" said Tom about this time
Holy smoke, she doesn't know how TO
lose! She'll havo me pauper before |
know where | am. And bluff! Say, she
bluils me out of my own jack pots on eight
or ten high when there are thousands of
dollars i'll tho pot. Then when conclude
TO put stop to this blufIing and raise her
up to the ceiling by betting whole slathers
of money OH really good hands 1 happen
to hold she holds tours or a straight flush
There's no way L know of to get II line on
tho way woman plays poker, but she's
got me so deep in the holo now that I'vo
SoC' w oSS viz t5hiliC tITOuSn.
We'll, at tho end of year this neryv lit
tie woman had not only captured all that
portion of her husbands income that had
formerly helped to enrich tho green cloth
men of Butte, but she had gathered in
about an even half of his capital It was
all his to manipulate and do business with
but it was in her name. 1t took her an
other year to break him, but she made a
mighty slick job of it at the end 1t was
almost exactly two years to n day after
they had started the game when tho inevi-
table night came on which this Butte man
had to sail the sponge and acknowledge
that he was all up. Each of them had on
corner Of the table list of securities
stocks, bonds and other properties, with
the money values noted, that they ndi-
Vldually owned, and they had devised d
system Of checking this list off with q
pencil as tho sccuritics we're wagered in
the progress of the play. Then mt the end
of each week they would have settling
day.
On the night that she broke him fiat she
had been blufling so persistcntly that he
concluded he would call u halt to that sort
or thing as soon rs he got good hand
His opportunity arrived when no payo
himself three jacks and then another jack
on tho draw. His list of securities beside
time, but no thought he had good enough
hand to do double or quits turn, and So
when he saw that his vito was inclined to
raise him in the betting, he just fired tho
whole list in the middle of tho table.
IF haven't got you beaten this time
Jimmy" he said, II might as well go
broke"
We'll, that won't break you, you
know" she replied sweetly. You've got
your diamonds yet, haven't your"
oh, I'm too strong this time to let YOU
bluff me out that way, Jimmy" said he
II will put into the pot everything own
in the world except my duds.''
And the value of what you've got
icft!' she inquired, cool rs cucumber
Well, " said Tom, ~ guess my rings
End pins are worth 100000"
The little woman calmly took tho pencil
and checked of $40, 900 worth of securities
on her list.
81 call you" said She
Tom smiled MS he spread out his hand
Too bad, Jimmy" he said. -Four
jacks"
TOO bad, Tommy, F" said She spreading
out her band -Four queens"