The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-28
QUEER K IN EGYPT.
a FREEzE-0Ur CAME BETWEEN A
HUSBAND IND HIS RIT4L.
beginning and End OF n Village Drama in the
sadde-t Part OF niinois-a FuIi Hand Against
n Flash was supposed to mark the Coneiu-
sion. but the woman uiled Otherwise.

" ftusn WINS Huppostu 70 "nrh tue tonctu-
sion. but the Woman uiIled Otherwise.
FOR my sins, I suppose II must have been. I
lived once in Egypt" said the gray-haired.
young-looking man in the club smoking room,
and IL Egypt on the other side OF the world is
anything like tho southern part OF Illinois, I can
readily understand how the children of Israel
found the wilderness preferable. As remember
the story, though In Pharoah's realm they had
only one plague at a time, whereas, in southern
Ilinois-however, there may be q better condi-
ton OF things there now. so there's nothing TO
gain by recalling our experiences. l sincerely
hope things are better. but 1 scarcely think I
have curiosity enough to 20 back and and out.
I'm our village for l was q part Of 1t, and a
part of 1t was ~mine-about the same conditions
obtained as In all the other small settlements
within q hundred miles. We had a railroad
station and two trains q day. We had a Post
Once and one mail a day. We had a general
store and a blacksmith's shop and q tavern. and
we had a few private residences. II there was
anything else OF Importance. excepting the far
mers' wagons. that came In with loads that were
too heavy for the horses, and too often went back
with loads that burdencd the farmers. the details
have escaped my mind. Il was a typical south
eFn Illinois VILLAGE.
small as 1t was. there were two social sets In
town. The married men lived in their own
houses, and their wives visited one another and
had their small festivities from time to time In
the most serene Indifference to the fact that
there were other human beings around. And
these others-that is. the unmarried men-lived
at the tavern, or hotel as we preferred to cal. IL.
equally Indifferent to the occurrence OF social
functions 70 which we were not hidden. II. as
occasionally happened. one OF the married men
broke loose for a night or two. and spent his
spare time and money at the hotel. be was toll.
Grated, but no more. We felt sorry for him when
we thought Of his return home, but we had no
yearnings toward reciprocity In his effort to
break down the barriers.
In our set there was, It Is true, one married
woman, but she did not count. At least we
thought so till the trouble came. She was the
landlords wife. Old Stein. as we called him,
though he was not over forty. was a placid,
easy going German, who kept the hotel fairly up
TO the standard OF the country. aud I think a
triie above Il, but he hadn't energy enough
apparently TO make any strenuous effort to Inn
prove things What was good enough for his
boarders Was Scod enough for him. and we were
demoralized enough by the climate, or whatever
Il Is that tends TO the deterioration OF mankind
thereabout, TO make no demand for unusual
luxury. As far as we ever noticed he had
no remarkable affection for his wife,
but seemed rather too indifferent to
her very pronounced hunger for admiration.
"She was a born firt, but though she carried
her hirtations with anybody who would firt
with her much nearer 20 the danger line than
would be tolerated in a more straight.laccd COM
munity. Il was the general opinion among the
boariers that there was 10 real evil in her. and.
moreover. that she was fully capable OF taking
care OF herself in almost any emergency. SO.
though she would not have been recognized as
rCapasrraAUA h- anE AFk.r r-a--4AI u..n..- H.
town, a fact tina; troubled her not, she was con.
sidered al right By our set, and we looked upon
her 80 a good fellow rather than as a woman
bound by the ordinary rules OF PROPHECY. she
wasa German by descent, and Stein was Ger
man by birth. but Lena was perhaps 100 thor
ouShly Amer!caniEed in a poor school
Naturally. trouble came OF IL. We were ac-
customed, as the people in most small Western
towns were accustomed some years ago. to recciv.
ing occasionally a visit from what we used 20
call a CROSSROADS gambler These worthless are
perhaps the least useful and most 'ornery' speci-
mems Of humanity % be found in North America.
They are professionals without the skill or nerve
they need 10 enable them 10 ho'l their own
among other professionals. Knowing lust
enough to cheat. but not enough To cheat deity.
they travel about the country, usually alone.
but sometimes in pairs. stopping in the smallest
settlements for a day or n week at a time, look
Ing for victims. No game Is too small Tor them.
though they viii play heavily at times, but they
manage To live on their little skill By wormins
their way into friendly games Of poker. such as
are played all over. the country, but perhaps
NOR openly in the West than in the East.
When D!ck Bradley happened along our
way and stopped over at our town, We had,
though we dig not realize It Immediately. all
the elements Of a drama right at hand. IL was
not long before the drama was enacted. and per.
haps IL was lust as well that we were not a little
further West, FOR there might have been consid-
cradle shooting IN the Last Act A IL waA We
had a duel, but that was fought. with the paste
boards instead OF reyolvers, and the difference
great American game.
Bradley was an ordinary crossroads gam.
bier, and nothing more. He was a little hand.
somer than the usual run OF men, and he dressed
rather better than custom demanded IL that
ssss 2, the Ss %sSuR TiIS S MSreGve,, he had had, a frse,
stock IN trade-that WAS attractive To anybody.
and supr9se especially 50 % woman like
twentyfour hours before there wasa violent
flrtat!on going on bet ween the two. We all con-
Woman s A we law a. We ,hoash; w aed dId kR %e ;hSus sst
no harm OF II At trst. Stein took no notice OF it
Apparently. and as It vas a mattel that concerned
felt called on TO say anything.
Somewhat To our surprise, however, Bradley
regular business that kept him. for though We
played poker every night, as a matter OF course,
In the back room OF the hotel. and though he sot
into the game, equally as Q matter oil, course, he
didn't make enough out Of II to make It an OBJ
ject 20 stay. There we're some o. US who under
stood the game and the ordinary tricks OF
crooked players as well as no did. and ne was
not long IN finding out that he had to play square
II he played at all. 30, as we never played tor
big money, the prospect was Il poor one for him.
SIN he stayed. After a few days we all, except
Ing Stein. began 10 see that he was staying en-
tlrely on Lena's account. He was a bit cautious
az t.rst; more 50 than she WAS, but seeing. that
stein made no objection TO anything she did. but
gave her a perfectly free foot, the gambler grew
holder and bolder, until there was no longer any
possibility OF remaining blind to the fact
that a scandal impended. Some Of US talked IL
over very quietly and carefully, but il was
agreed that no one ought 10 interfere, since Stein
did not see A. 70 DO so.
We had be:un TO think that Stein was abso-
lltely indiffer snt and 20 regard him With CON
siderable contciGpt, when one evening he unde.
ce!Tcd US, ant gave gs a great surprise by his
manner OF doing t.. II was early in the evening.
and. though W. had gat~heTed-perhaps a dozen
OF Us-in the card room, we had not yet begun
playing when elm came In. and, after hdgetting
around iOr q minute or two in a manner quito
unlike hIl gsual ~phIeSmatio way, spoke sud
denly 20 Bradley.
" Look here. bradley he said IN his broken
English, I must settle things with you. | have
talked things With my wife, Lena, already. and
she says she will go away with you. IL she goes
this world is no good 20 me any more. and you