The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-30
He QUIT.
w ny He Play
ed No More.
A THRILLING GAME.
The Ruling Passion Strong
in Death.
(From The New York sun.)

= road trains, even with friends, for the
past seven years" said Joe Pinckney,
the Boston travelling man who sells
bridges and trestles in every land, at a
Washington hotel the other night "and
it's more than certain that, for the re-
mainder of my string, | shall never
again sit into a train game, whether
it's old maid casino, whist or draw
especially draw. / used to play cards
most of the time when | was on the
road just to relieve the monotony of
travelling. | don't recall that it ever
cost me much, for ] generally broke
even and often a little ahead on a
years play. / very rarely sat into a
game in which all of the other players
were strangers to me, especially when
the game was draw or something else
at so much corner, and so never got
done out of a cent.
Il know so many travelling men that
a drummer friend of mine has an even
money bet with me that l won't be able
to board single train, anywhere in
this country, for the space of year,
without my being greeted by some
travelling chap with whom / am ac-
quainted, and he wins up to date,
though the bet was made more than
eight months ago. So that, when I used
the trains, | always had some fellow or
fellows or the other side of the table
that | knew to be on the level. But I
had an experience on a western train
seven years ago that sort o. soured me
on the train game; in fact that expe-
rience knocked a good deal of the poker
enthusiasm out of me, and since then,
whenever I've got into a game with
friends or acquaintance in a hotel
fxrn eis1a
fully to see if they were all robust men.
Maybe you don't understand what pos
,sible connection there can be between
physical robustness and the game of
American draw just now, but you'll
understand it when I tell you of this
experience.
In the spring of 1891 I got aboard
the night train of the O.. Chicago to
Denver The train left Chicago at 8
o'clock at that time. When was seven
years younger than l am now ] never
sought a sleeper bunk until / or ,
in the morning, and when I found that
there wasn't a man on this sleeper
with whom I had even a bowling ac~
~quaintance, ! felt bit lonesome. I
started through the train to hunt up
the candy butcher to get from him .
bunch of travelling literature, and in
the car ahead of me I found Tom Dam
travelling pal of mine. | sat down to
have a talk with Tom when along
came George Dunwoody. the Chicago
perfumery man, who had also parai-
leled me a lot of times in trips Inside
OF four minutes l had pulled both of
EN- back to my car and we had a game
OF cut-throat draw Under way in the
smoking compartment. We started in
at quarter ante and dollar limit buzz
l1Nfl Id
1hem within an hour or so, and they
struck for dollar ante and five-dollar
limit, l was agreeable.
I'VE were plugging along at this
game, all three of us going pretty slow.
ana both Of them gradually getting
back the money I had won in the
smaller game, when a tall very thin
and very gaunt-loolling young fellow
of about thirty entered the smoking
compartment and dropped into a seat
with the air of very tired man l
sat facing the entrance to the conn
partment and l thought when / saw
the mans emaciated condition and the
Two bright spots on his cheekbone.
Old man, you've pretty nearly arrived
at your finish, and if you're making
Tor Denver now | think you're a bit too
late My two friends didn't see the
consumptiye when he entered the room,
the
door, but when, while was dealing the
cards, the new arrival put his hand
to his mouth and gave a couple OF
snort, hacking coughs Dunwoody
turned around suddenly and looked at
him.
Why, hello, there, Fatty exclaisn.
ed Dunwoody, holding out his hand Il
me emaciated man. where you going.
Denver? Why, i thought YOU weT,
al
fail to go there or Arizona for the win.
ter? Dye mean to say you've been il
Chicago all winter with that half a llne
and that bark O yours? How are Vol
now, anyhow. Fat?'
The enlaciated man smiled the wear,
smile Of the consumptive.
Oh, I'm all right, George, he said
sort o hanging on to Dunwoody's hand
Going out to Denver to croak this trim
/ guess Didn't want to 60 but M
people got after me, and they're chas
ing me out there. l wanted them (,
let me stay in Chicago and make tn
finish there, but they wouldn't stan,
for it, My mother and one Of my sis
tiers are coming along after me mex
week
Finish? What are YOU giving Us
Fatty?' asked Dunwoody, good
naturally, but not with a great amour
Of belief in his own words, | imagine
You'll be selling terra Gotta tiles whel
the rest of us'll be wearing skull cap
and cloth shoes Cut out the finish talk
You look pretty husky, all right
Oh, I'm husky all right said tn
consumptive, with another weary smile
and then he had another coughing
spell. When that was over Dunwood
introduced him to US
Ed, alias Fatty, Crowhurst, wa
Dunwoodys way Of introducing. him
Sells tiles, watefworl1s pipes and con
Quits. Called Fatty because he's near
~ six and a half feet high, mas neye
weighed more than 81 pounds (giV
or take few and has never sine
any one knew him had nore-n half
lung. Thinks he's sick, and has lai
himself on the shelf for over q yea
past No scker than } am Used t
have the record west of the Alleghenie
for cigarette smoking. You've cut til
cigarettes out, haven't YOU, rat?
For reply the consumptive pulle
out a gold cigarette case. extracted
cigarette therefrom, and lit it, II wa
a queer thing to see a man IN his stat
of health smoking a cigarette. Dun
woody's eyes stuck out over ii.
Wen, if you amt a case OF. peraIn
bulating lingering suicide, Fatty.
never saw one said he to his friend.
It's all one was the reply. IT'S to-
much punishment to give EN- up. an,
il wouldn't make any difference. any
how
II had meanwhile dished the hand
out, and after my two friends ha,
drawn cards and 1 made a small bet
they threw up their hands
. DrawA eh? said the emaciate,
man. addressing Dunwoody Hoy
about making II four handed?
" OH. you'd better take It out ii
sleeping. Fat replied Dunwoody
You look just q bit tired. and we're go
ing to make night Of it, most likely
WITH whiskey trimmings You cam
dS Mat very well without hurting your