The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-08-29
THE JACK POT TEST.
HOW A MEAN GAMBLER SPRUNG II
ON SISTER ABIGAIL.


Got II at the Expense Of Uncle Uriah's
Opponents at Poker.
Bent. but tall with sparse whiskers
seldom trimmed, nearly 10 years old,
Uncle Uriah used to sit in the poker
game in Omaha, his long, thin fingers
tremblingly placing his chips and his
old eyes glittering as he 1norously
skinned his hand. Pathetically like Lit
tie Nell's grandfather he looked some
times, but he was at no desperate shift
to obtain stake, for be was the DOS
SCISSOR Of competence, and ne brought
into the game the Eaving grace of the
persimony 10 which he had been habit.
uated in his earlier days ia New
Hampshire home He never bought
more than 80 worth of chips at "A time.
These he would for the most part ante
away waiting for aces OF better, and
when he finally did get "a good hand
bare call represented tue climax Of his
enterprise.
In those days there was always q
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 ont Of the CON
tribution box, bat TO this question and
70 all others Of similar levity he op-
posed a scared seriousness which showed
that his passion for the game was more
a weakness than a vice.
Uncle Uriah lived with his two sis.
ters-Abigail, aged SO, and Ann, aged
b5. In New Hampshire they had been
called 1.-THE girls " but in Omaha the
irreverent, with rude directness, referred
to them as Uncle Uriah's old maids "
1t 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 ho sre-
quently held forth to the boys ON the
improperly of talking on the outside
about the features Of the game.
II sh d hate to hev the parson know, "
he used to say. IL wouldn't keer so
much bout Ann, cause she's easy
skeered, bat | wouldn't hev Sister Abb
gail know fer the biggest jack pot twas
ever played on this here tabler'
There was never any solution 10 the
mystery Of how Sister Abigail discover
ed the obliquity in Uncle Uriah's life
Some otiicious neighbor may have told
her, or in an excess Of caution Uncle
Uriah himself may have aroused her
definite suspicious At any rate, on a
particular Sunday afternoon he arrived
at the room at the regular time, but
without the key with which he, in
common with other participants In the
game, had been provided. The negro at
tendant admitted him, and he was soon
sngrossed in the play
There was a good jack pot on the Ia
bla 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 a righteous and
terrible rage strobe into the room and
up to the table.
"Gamblin" she cried. "And on the
Lord 8 day with the church bells ringin
Vutside and decent people fiockin to his
Uorship. | expected 70 find you here,
you hypocrite ~ she went on, turning
TO Uncle Uriah. you better get on
your duds right now and come home. >"
- l was comm in a jiffy," the old
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
a flush
"You better straighten this pot out
before you go, uncle. said Coe. "You
call, of course. l suppose flush is
goodY' Coe asked, turning TO the other
players They nodded assent. Coe stack
cd up the chips Forty three dollars
here, he said, pushing them toward
Uriah
The old man started instinetively to-
ward the pot and then remembered Sis
tVi AblshlA- no htOppcu anu MolicO
tremblingly for her decision.
1t seemed to the players, VINO turned
from the weak and timid old man TO
the dominang woman, that at this cru
cial test something Of her moral rigidity
relaxed, She did not sweep the chips TO
the hoor, She said nothing aboat i'll
gotten gains With visible effort she
overoame a slight nervous construction
Of the throat She grasped her skirts
firmly and swept toward the door.
Uriah. she said. with great dig
nifty, II will wait for you In the hall
at ths foot of the stairs
After Uncle Uriah had obtained his
cas- and departed Seth Coe said In his
leisurely way;
THE old man didn't have a flush.
slipped in card TO fll it out for him.
reokoned you fellows wouldn't mind
psyin once more for positive proof that,
no matter what kind OF woman she is,
she's always IN with your play when
you win the pot New York Sun.