Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-07-15
ut DON'T care to play" said the quiet
SGG6SSSG GGGGGGsG'

at DON'T care to play" said the quiet
little man in the smoking COM
partment on the first evening of the
trip eastward from San Francisco. There
were only four men on the car who had
thus far shown signs of being COM
panionable, and he was one of the four.
They had dined and were enjoying their
cigars together. The talk was desultory
md amounted to little. One proposed
q game of cards, and two of the others
were ready, but the little man declined.
The pause that followed was little
awkward. They did not even know one
another by name, and the wording of
the refusal seemed curt. The little man
seemed to realize this, for after q mo-
ment of silence he continued:
Nothing would have given me great
er pleasure year ago than to join you
In a game Of poker. In fact, nothing
would give me greater pleasure now,
but I am done with cards, and believe
anyone Of you would refuse, as do, If
cards had cost you what they have me"
The others spoke o few polite moth
ings, to the general effect that it was
free country and nobody was obliged
to play anything he didn't want to play
and one-the youngest in the party
said;
"Unlucky, suppose"
"H'm! Well, 1 don't exactly know as
you'd call it that" said the little man,
rcAectively. 81 most always win when l
play, or used to, that's; butI've hadsome
of the cussedest, narrowest squeaks
in the game that could easily be i'm
agined, and 1 made up my mind some
time since that I'd had enough of EN-.
And as I can't play cards without get
ting back into poker, just naturally
quit cards."
STORY about it?" asked the young
man.
"Y-yes. Sort of. But I'm no story
teller"
"Nlan won't play cards. Ought to do
something" This was the young mans
appeal to the other two. They nodded.
"Well, don't know as mind spin
ming the yarn" said the little man after
little hesitation, seeing that you don't
any Of you know me, and you won't
any of you be likely to see me again
after we separate at the end of the trip.
Ii you knew me wouldn't care to tell
it just as it was, and it wouldn't be
worth telling any other way. The
first narrow escape l had was from
state prison, and good deal worse. AT
least I count it was worse, for I would
have taken with me to prison the con-
seriousness that I deserved to 60, and
according to my notion the knowledge
that you deserve punishment is deal
worse than the punishment itself.
1.-THE game fascinated me, as it fns-
cinates everybody, 1 think, who plays
it much. I played more and more, and
as generally held my own, and won
more often than lost, I got to playing
harder and harder till was not con-
tented with anything but big game
the bigger the better. 1 have travelled
three times all the way between Chi
cago md Washington to get into game
with genuine high rollers. Of course
1 couldn't do that sort of thing without
good supply of ready money and o
considerable amount of spare time. I
had both, for I had q fair cash capital
and business of my own that paid me
we'll. And my business was in such q
condition that 1 could leave it to my en-
ployes for O week at time.
"Onc night there was particularly
stiff game at the club I frequented most
in New York, where I then lived. The
limit was off, and raise of thousand
was made several times during the even
Ing. I had expected hot work, and had
put SIS 900 in my pocket that afternoon.
There was one man in the game that !
particularly wanted to beat, partly be-
cause he was noted player and 1 had
never met him before. 1 watched him
carefully, and twice In the course OF
three or four hours play was satisfied
that he took in q fairly large pot on a
bluff. 1 had nothing in my own hand
either time, and didn't care to pay to
see his cards, but felt sure that II he
had blufPed twice successfully, as was
positive he had, he would do it again.
Presently he tried it. OF course l
could only suspect him unless called,
but 1 decided to risk it, though l had
only pair of sevens when 1 came in
after the jackpot was open, and hadn't
bettered in the draw. 1t had been
opened for $500, and my antagonist had
raised it a thousand before the draw.
That's what made mo come in on SO
small a hand, for concluded he was
trying to steal the pot, which was big
enough to justify the attempt, for there
was over q thousand in it before he
spoke.
81 stood the raise and so did the
opener, who stood pat. My man drew
two cards and I drew three. AS said,
[ caught nothing. The opener bet a
thousand and my man went back at
him with another thousand. simply
made good, but the opener lost his
nerve and laid down small straight
without calling. My man had evident
ly reckoped on my dropping out also
but nv bet became call when the