The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-10-05
THE JACK POT TEST.
HOW A MEAN GAMBLER ssRuso IT
ON SISTER ABIGAIL

TOW = MEAN 0r-MD-~" y F's>~t-~ =
ON SISTER ABIGAIL
He waated Another Proof Of Theory
Concerning $ womsuly weakness and
Got Il at the Expense Of Uncle uriah's
opponent. At Poker
Bent, hut tall, with sparse whiskers
seldom trimmed. nearly 20 years old,
Uncle Uriah used TO sit in the poker
game in Omaha. his long. thin fingers
tremblingly placing bis chips and his
cid eyes glittering as be timorously
skinned his hand. Pafhetically like Lit
tie Nell's grandfather he looked some-
times. but be was at no desperate shift
70 obtain a stake, for he was the pos
SCISSOR Of a competence, and be brought
into the game the caving grace of the
parsimony TO which be had been habit
mated In his earlier days in a New
Hampshire home. He never bought
more than 50 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 1and a
bare call represented the 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
be had sneaked his stake out Of the con-
tribGtion box. but TO this question and
to all others Of similar leyity he op-
posed 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 6S, and Ann, aged
55 In New Hampshire they had been
called 1.-THE girls, - but in Omaha the
irreverent, with rude directness, referred
70 them as "Uncle Uriah's old maids. F"
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 he fire.
quentiy held forth TO the boys on the
impropriety 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. but wouldn't hev Sister Abi-
gail know fer the biggest jack pot twas
ever played on this here tablet
There was never any s6Iution to the
mystery Of how Sister Abigail discover
ed the obliquity in Uncle Uriah's life.
Some offieious 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 be arrived
at the room at the regular time. but
without the key with which be. 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 a good jack pot on the ia
BILE Uncle Uriah was in and was deal
ing Ii was his last say. and the two
men ahead of him had bet $40 each. He
had drawn enc card, and the play was
up to him. He had not, however. lock
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 p she cried "And on the
Lord $ day, with the church bells ringin
outside and decent people tlockin to his
worship. expected to find you here,
you hypocriter' she went ON, turning
10 Uncle Uriah. "You better get on
your duds right now and come home. "
Il was comm in 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 It was
flush.
lyon better straighten this pot out
before you go, uncle. said Coe. "You
call. Of coarse. l suppose a flush is
goOds'' Coe asked, turning 20 the other
players. They nodded assent Coe stack
ed up the chips "Forty-three dollar,
here, be said. pushing them toward
Uriah-
The old man started iDstinctively to
ward the pot AID then remembered Sis
ter Abigail He stopped and waited
tremblingly for her decision.
1t seemed to the players, who turned
from the weak and timid old man &c
the dominant woman. that at this cru
cial test something Of her moral rigidity
relaxed. She did not sweep the chips &c
the floor. She said nothing about III
gotten gains. With visible effort she
overcame 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 thu foot of the stairs. /"
After Uncle Uriah had obtained his
$43 and departed Seth Coe said in his
leisurely way:
THE old man didn' have flush.
slipped in card to fill it out for him
! reckoned you fellows wouldn't mind
payin once more for positive proof that
40 matter what kind of woman she is
she's always in with your play when
Won win the pot New York Sun.