The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-06-26

party SAID
"Unlucky. suppose"
"Hml Well. I don't exactly know
az you'd call Il that" said the little
man rehectlveiy. Il most always win
when I play. or used to. that u.s. but
I've had some OF the cussedest narrow
esi squeaks In the game that could
easily be imagined. and I made up
my mind some time since that I'd had
enough OF EN-. And as can't play
.arts without getting back into poker.
{ just naturally quit cards"
story about ~" asked the young
nan.
"Y-yeA Sort Of But I'm no story
eller.-
Man won't play cards Ought 20
10 something" This was the young
mans sppcai to the other two. They
aodded
We'll. I don know as mind spin
aing the yarn" said the little man
after a little hesitation. seeing that |
sou don't any Of you know me. and
you won't any Of you be likely 10 see
ne again after we separate az the end
Il the trip. II you knew me wouldn't
are 10 tell Il Just as Il was. and Il
wouldn't be worth telling any other
way. The FIRST narrow escape I had
vas from state prison. and a good deal
worse. A. least ! count Il was worse.
Tor would have taken with me 10
prison the consciousness that de-
served to 90. and according TO my no.
lion the knowledge that you deserve
punishment ls a deal worse than pun
Ilshment itself. The game fascinated
me. a. IL fafeina,es everybody. think.
Who plays Il much. played more and
more. and as generally held my own.
and won more often than lost, got
10 playing harder and harder tll I
was not contented with anything but
a big Eame-the bigger the better. I
have travelled three times all the way
between Chicago and Washington to
get into a game with genuine high
rollers. OF course I couldn't DO that
sort % thing without a good supply
o. ready money and a considerable
amount OF spare time. had both. for
I had a fair cash capital and a busi-
} ness OF my own that paid me well.
And my business was In such a con-
dluon that I could leave u 10 my EN-
ployes for a week AZ a time. one nigh;
! there was a particularly stin game At
the club I frequenied most In New
York. where then lived. The limit
was on. and a raise 10 a thousand wal
made several times during the even.
Ing. had expected hot work. and had
put S50oe In my pocket that afternoon
There vas one man In the game thai
: particularly wanted % beat. partly
because he was a noted player and
had never met him before. ! watched
aim carefully. and twice In the elursl
OF three or four hours play ! was sat
lsfied that he took In a fairly larg,
rot on a bluff. I had nothing In m,
own land either time. and dlnt car,
e. pay to see his cards but felt SUR
that II he had blufied twice success
fully. as was positive he had. h
\ would DO Il again. Presently he trle,
H. OF course could only suspect hin
/. unless I called. but I decided 70 rlsl
: Il. though I had only pair OF seven
when came In after the jackpot va
/, opened. and I hadn't bettered In n
draw. Il had been opened for ave hun
dred. and my antagonist had raised
/, a thousand before the draw. That
\ what made me come In on 30 small
! hand. Tor 7 concluded he was trying .
4 steal the pot. which was big enoug
! TO justify the attempt. for there wa
. over a thousand IN Il before he spokl
\ stood the raise and 30 did the opene
i. who stood pat My man drew tw
q. cards and ! drew three AZ I said.
4 caught nothing The opener bet
= thousand and my man went back I
n him with another thousand. simpl
o made good. but the opener lost HI
i. nerve and laid down a small stralgl
without calling, My man had evident
~ r0ckonod on my dropping out ais
j. but my bet became call when n
I, opener quit. aud he showed down W
. skies. We had some little chan ov'
a a. and the game went on dldn
II know TN next day how near ruin
/ had been Just then. When ! went
a my once In the morning found thI
e my cashier had gone 20 Canada. an
!. that instead OF having seven thousan
u dollars In bank. a. | supposed haI
b my account was overdrawn That dos
n not sound like ruin. | confess. but
. was the trustee Of certain fund
o amounting 20 about $1,000. and WI
v called on for a settlement that Yer
!. day. II Il hadn't been for my \
y nings the night before couldn't han
settled, Ani Il u hadn't heen Tor vii