The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-26
Rcnding Room Tnlls.

The heavy, florid man didn't look like a
dyspeptic. but he certainly was worried
about something, and the other travellers
in the reading room began to console with
him.
NO" he said, II don't care anything
about tho money / lost, but il aggrayat.s
me to have mistakes happen when no one
in particular is at fault. If ! could nave
had some good, reasonable excuse for call
ing him purblind fool. I'd feel better.
Three of us on the train coming down want
ed TO get up a game OF whist. aud he as
called in to make up the fourth hand. The
thirteen cards had been dealt around, and
1t so happened that hearts We're trump.
He picked up the hand opposite me and
asked, HeartsT He threw away King in
the first trick, then followed that up With
the jack and ten spot, and when the otht
fellows captured every blessed card, he
fairly Rugged himself / thought that he
was trying to make the best of Il bad
thing, and didn't murmur. But the next
deal went the same way and the third time
when he put the king OF hearts on an OPP
ponents ace, and backed that up with the
jack on the queen, which let them have six
points more, he was almost hysterical with
joy and jumped up and down on the seat.
"'You driveling IDIOT, i howled, what
in thunder are you trying to do" and he
could hardly stop laughing long enough to
shout, oh, the buffers! Thirteen hearts"
and he almost rolled off the seat Why IN
thunder do you impose yourself on people
as a whist playerT | raved and he an
swered: Whist! I've been playing the
best game OF hearts l knew how! +"
I'm gamble you aren't half mad as
| was up in Toronto one Sunday last sum
| mer," said the husky-yolced, rosy-nosed
man. II had an awful thirst, and OF course
c1,, eli doll fntn
| the clerks hand and said: I'm SO Gy
| that I'm afraid will crumble into dust and
| blow away. II you know of any way by
| which | can be moistened so that viii
| hold together until get out OF town
wish you would point II out. There is a
| bar connected With the hotel on week days,
isrt there? II any enc calls to see me
shall be in my room for the next hour.
| Then | went to my room and waited. BY
and by there was a tinlid knock on the
| door. and the clerk entered. He carried a
| yalise, whifh he thrust into my hands,
! exclaiming in loud voice. Beg pardon,
sir but you lett this in the Office Then
he added soto voce: Throw 1t under the
bed after you're through with It,.
thrust ancther dollar into the clerks hand,
pushed bin ont OF the room. sat down en-
the bed and opened the thing 1t contained
two bottles Of Pop"
Talking about hard luck" said the man
from Maine 81 had an experience iast
spring that forever set me against corpora
lions and monopolies. | wanted 10 reasn
town that was three miles from raj
road station. and telegraphed ahead 10 the
hotel keeper to meet me at ne slatioh
with team. When / got of the ira n.
II was nearly dark. There was ave inches
OF mud in the highway. and no one TO meet
me set ont. II war good thing ,hal
it was raining. That kept me eooier. ,
And before had gone rod the station
agent called after me: Say. IL YOU ara
Going TO the hotel, just take this dispatch
with vnu will your 1t was my message
IN the hotel man The Boston Record gol
hold of the story and published ~, aho
a few days later the paper printed the fol-
lowing communication: ,o.
".A few months since sent n dispatcl
, from New Haven, Conn. to Somerylile a.
II m. and left New Haven al u 40 fo'
, poston where ! arrived at $3.50 p m.
, then went to Someryille, and at Old p. m
, received and receipted for my own teie
gram Of II a. m, and I live but ten min
utes' walk from the offlce. HOW Is ina
,, for quick communication? There Is no.h
! ing like electricity, especiaiy whsA s1p
!, plemented by messenger service. >.
az was pretty badly roasted up In
Nav england town last winter, said IN
drassv particular man. II saw lot
: winter wraps, gloves. lap robes ana ONE
y things out in front OF general stoIe
0 md The nile was labeled 'Killlng Costumes
o." 1T was none o, my business Of a, course rn
,,+ s,onned to examine the SUM- an
o the proprietor. cheerful sort OF a SOU
? came out to see me. ,hare for1
i what you got that on mere LOT
I. said I, pointing to the caro-. .,.rs
r q. Cause that's what ought 10 DC sns''
said he, smiling .,
!" nut II oughtn't,' said !.
: why oughtn't ~ "a
Z .simply because killing IN me Sense ~