The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-08-17
THE JACK POT TEST.
HOW 4 MEAN GAMBLER SPRUNG IT
ON SISTER ABIGAIL.

He Wanted Another Proof of 8 Theory
Concerning Wonanly Weakness and
Got 1t at the Expense of Uncle Uriat's
Opponents at Poker.
Bent, but tall, with sparse whiskers
seldom trimmed, nearly 20 years old,
Uncle Uriah used to sit in the poker
game in Omaha, mis- long. thin fingers
tremblingly placing his chips and his
old eyes glittering as he timorously
skinned his hand. Pathetically like Lit
tie NellFs grandfather he looked some
times, but he was at no desperate shift
to obtain stake, for he was the pos
SCISSOR of a competence, and he brought
into the game the saving grace of the
parsimony to which he had been habit
uated in his earlier days in a New
Hampshire home. He never bought
more than S. worth Of chips at time
These he would for the most part ante
away waiting for aces or better, and
when he finally did get good hand
bare call represented the climax of his
enterprise.
In those days there was always a
game on Sunday afternoons, and Uncle
Uriah, although devout Methodist,
could be counted upon to arrive directly
after service and to sit in until the time
for afternoon Sunday school. The boys
used to joke him at first and ask him if
he had sneaked his stake out of the con-
tribution box, but to this question and
to all others Of similar levity be op-
posed scared seriousness which showed
that his passion for the game was more
weakness than vice.
Uncle Uriah lived with his two sis
ters-Abigail, aged 63, and Ann, aged
55. In New Hampshire they had been
called "the girls" but in Omaha the
irreverent, with rude directness, referred
to them as ''Uncle Uriah's old maids. -
It did not take the boys in the game
long to discover that Uncle Uriah was
in much fear of Abigail in general and
in mortal dread that she would discover
his besetting weakness He would al
ways shy at a new player, and he fre-
quently held forth to the boys on the
impropriety of talking on the outside
about the features of the game.
s'I sh'd hate to hev the parson know, -
he used to sag. ''I wouldn't keer so
much bout Ann, cause she's easy
skeered, but wouldn It hey Sister Abb
gail know fer the biggest jack pot twas
ever played on this here tablet
There was never any solution to the
mystery of how Sister Abigail discover
ed the obliquity in Uncle Criah's life.
Some of6cious neighbor may have told
her, or in an excess of caution Uncle
Uriah himself may have aroused her
definite suspicious. At any rate, On
particular Sunday afternoon he arrived
at the room at the regular time, but
without the key with which ne, in
common with other participants in the
game, had been provided. The negro at
tendant admitted him, and he was soon
engrossed in the play.
There was good jack pot on the ia
ble Uncle Uriah was in and was deal
ing. 1t was his last say, and the two
men ahead of him had bet $40 each. He
had drawn one card, and the play was
up to him. He had not, however, look
ed at his draw when the key turned In
the snap lock of the front door, and Sis
ter Abigail, pale with righteous and
terrible rage, strobe into the room and
up to the table.
"Gamblin!'' she cried. "And on the,
Lords day, with the church bells ringin
outside and decent people fockin to his
worship. I expected to find you here,
you hypocriter' she went on, turning
70 Uncle Uriah ''You better get on
your duds right now and come home. "
II was comm in jify, - the cid
man said, weak with fear. II guess |
might as well go long with you as with
anybody else" He rose and steadied
! himself by holding the chair
Seth Coe was the coolest hand in the
game. Even Sister Abigail had not dis
concerted him. He reached over and
turned up Uncle Uriah's hand. 1t was
flush.
'You better straighten this pot out
before you go, uncle, " said Coe. "4ou
call, of course. suppose flush Is
good?'' Cce asked, turning to the other
players. They nodded assent Gee stack
ed up the chips 'Forty-three dollars
here, - he said, pushing them toward
Uriah.
The old man started instinctively to-
ward the pot and then remembered SIS
ter Abigail He stopped and waited
tremblingly for her decision.
It seemed to the players, who turned
from the weak and timid old man to
the dominant woman, that at this cru
cial test something of her moral rigidlty
relaxed She did not sweep the chips to
the floor. She said nothing about III
gotten gains. With visible effort she
overcame slight nervous construction
of the throat She grasped her skirts
firmly and swept toward the door
"Uriah, she said, with great dig
nity, Il will wait for you in the hall
~ ~, foot ot the stairs -