Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-08-18
THE JACK POT TEST.
HOW A MEAN GAMBLER SPRUNG IT
ON SISTER ABIGAIL

He Wanted Another Proof Of . Theory
Concerning a Womanly Weakness and
Got 1t at the Expense of Uncle Uriah's
Opponents at Poker.
Bent, but tall, with sparse whiskers
seldom trimmed, nearly 70 years old,
Uncle Uriah used to sit in the poker
game in Omaha, his long. thin fingers
tremblingIy placing his chips and his
old eyes glittering as he timorously
skinned his hand. Pathetically like Lit
tie Ne1l's grandfather he looked some
times, but he was at no desperate shift
to obtain a stake, for he was the pos
SCISSOR of 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 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 a 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 II
he had sneaked his stake out OF the con-
tribution box, but to this question and
to all others of similar levity he OPP
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 So, and Ann, aged
55. In New Hampshire they had been
called "the girls" but in Omaha the
| irreverent, with rude directness, referred
l 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 new player, and he fire.
quently held forth to the boys on the
Improperly of talking on the outside
about the features of the game.
81 sh'd hate to hev the parson know, !"
he used to say. II wouldn't keer SO
much bout Ann, cause she's easy
skeered, but I wouldn't hev Sister Abb
gail know fer the biggest jack pot twas
ever played on this here tablet"
il There was never any solution to the
mystery of how Sister Abigail discover
ed the obliquity in Uncle Uriah's life.
Some officious 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 he, in
common with other participants in the
/ game, had been provided. The negro at.
! tendant admitted him, and he was soor
= engrossed in the play.
!, There was good jack pot ON the ta
BILE. Uncle Eriah was in and was deal
. ing. It was his last say, and the two
. men ahead of him had bet $40 each. HI
, had drawn one card, and the play wa'
q up to him. He had not, however, look
: ed at his draw when the key turned il
a the snapfock of the front door, and Sis
ter Abigail, pale with a righteous ant
Z terrible rage, strobe into the room ant
! up to the table.
"Gamblinp' she cried. "And on tn
). Lord S day, with the church bells ringil
n outside and decent people fockin to hi
. worship. I expected to find you here
O you hypocrite!" she went on, turning
= to Uncle Uriah. "You better get Of
n your buds right now and come home.
It 81 was comm in a jiffy, )" the oil
o man said, weak with fear. 1T guess
might as well go long with you as wit
q anybody else." He rose and steadie
a himself by holding the chair.
a Seth Coe was the coolest hand in tn
d game. Even Sister Abigail had not dis
q concerted him. He reached over an
turned up Uncle Uriah's hand. 1t wa
% a flush.
"You better straighten this pot OF
o before you go, uncle" said Coe. "Yo
"a call, of course. I suppose flush
"a good?" Coe asked, turning to the othe
is players. They nodded assent. Coe stacl
!. ed up the chips. "Forty-three dollal
% here" he said, pushing them towa1
Uriah.
The old man started instinctively t.
a ward the pot and then remembered ST.
"a ter Abigail. He stopped and waite
d tremblingly for her decision.
n It seemed to the players, who turne
" from the weak and timid old man
r. the dominant woman, that at this crl
r. cial test something of her moral rigidit
,r relaxed. She did not sweep the chips
m the floor. She said nothing about
m gotten gains. With visible effort 81
is overcame slight nervous constrictie
~ of the throat. She grasped her Skin
q. firmly and swept toward the door.
ar "Uriah," she said, with great di
10 nifty, 81 will wait for you in the ha
in at tho foot Of the stairs.
p. After Uncle Uriah had obtained b
Is $43 and departed Seth Coo said in b
leisurely way:
at "The old man didn't have flush.
ar slipped in card to fill it out for hir
is I reckoned you fellows wouldn't mil
is payin once more for positive proof tina
ID no matter what kind of woman she
re- she's always in with your play wit
to you win the pot. New York Sun.
= Cretaceous Sea Serpents.
In the latter part of the mesozoic a,