The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-08-10
THE JACK POT TEST.
now A MEAN GAMBLER SPRUNG 1T
ON SISTER ABIGAIL.

u w w ehhuesA
Got IL at tho Expense Of Uncle UrIah's
Opponents at Poker.
Bent, hut tall, with sparse whiskers
seldom trimmed, nearly 20 years old,
Unclo Uriah used to sit in tho poker
game i'll Omaha, his long. thin fingers
tremblingly placing his chips innd his
old eyes glittering as he timerously
skinned his hand. Pathetieally like Lit
tie Nell's grandfather he looked some-
times, but he was mt no desperate shift
to obtain u stake, for no was tho pos
scissor of competence. and he brought
into tho game tho saving grace of tho
parsimony to which he had been habit
uated In his earlier days i'll Now
hampshire home. lio never bought
moro than s. worth of chips ut time.
These he would for tho most part ante
away waiting for aces or better, and
when he finally did get good hand
bare call represented tho climax of his
enterprise
In those days there WAS always
game on Sunday afternoons and Unclo
Uriah, although dcvout Methodist,
could bo counted upon to arrive directly
after service and to sit in until tho time
for afternoon Sunday school Tho boys
used to joke him Mt first and ask him il
he had sneakod his stake out of tho CON
tribution box, but to this question and
to all others Of similar levity ho OPP
posed scared seriousness which showed
that his passion for tho game was moro
weakness than vice.
Uncle Uriah lived with his two sis.
tcrs-Abigail, aged CD, and Ann, aged
90. In New Hampshire they had been
called tho girls, " but i'll Omaha tho
irreyerent, with rude dirootness, referred
to them as "Unclo Uriah's old maids. "
1t did not take tho boys i'll tho game
long to discover that Unclo Uriah was
i'll much fear of Abigail in general and
III mortal dread that she would discover
his besetting weakness He would al
ways shy at new player, and he fro
quently held forth to tho boys ON tho
improprioty of talking ON tho outside
about tho features of tho game.
Il sh'd hate TO hey the parson know"
he used to say II wouldn't keor so
much bout Ann. 'eauso she's easy
slSeered. but | wouldn't hoy Sister Abb
gail know fer tho biggest jack pot twas
ever played ON this here tablet
There was mover any solution to tho
mystery of how Sister Abigail discover.
ed the obliquity in Uncle Urinh's life.
Some ofllcious neighbor may have told
her, or i'll an excess of caution Unclo
Ilplnh hipngnlp hu. L..
definite suspicious. At any rate on n
particular Sunday afternoon he arrived
Mt tho room at tho regular time, but
without tho key with which he, in
common with other participants in tho
game, had boen provided. The negro at
tondant admitted him, and he was soon
engrossed in tho play.
There was good jack pot on tho Ia
BILE. Uncle Uriah was in and was deal
ing Ii was his last say, and tho two
men ahead of him had bet $40 each. Ho
had drawn ono card, and the play was
up to him. 1io had not, however, look
cd Mt his draw when tho key turned in
tho snap lock of tho front door, and Sis
ter Abigail palo with II righteous and
terrible rage, STROBE into the room and
up to tho table
'GamblinP' sho cried. And ON tho
Lord \ day, with tho church bells ringn
outside and decent people hooltin to his
worship. l expected to find you hero,
you hypocritol" she went on, turning
to Unclo Uriah. "You better get on
your buds right now and como home"
II WAS comm in II jiry" tho old
man said, weak with fear II guess
might MS well go long with you AZ with
anybody else. lIo rose and steadiod
himself by holding tho chair.
Seth Coo WAS tho coolest hand III the
game Even Sister Abigail had not dis.
concerted him. llo reached over, and
turned up unclo Uriah's hand 1t was
n flush
You better straighten this pot out
before you 90. uncle. " said Coo. "You
call, of course. / suppose flush is
goodP' Coo asked, turning TO tho other
players. They nodded assent. Coo stack
ed up tho chips Forty three dollars
here no said. pushing them toward
Uriah
The old man started instnotively to-
Naiu tHo pOt anu tneH remembered SIS
ter Abigail. lIo stopped and waited
tremblingly for her decision.
1t seemed to tho players. who turned
from the weak and timid old man TO
tho dominant woman, that at this cru
cial test something Of her moral rigidity
relaxed. She did not sweep tho chips TO
tho floor. She said nothing about i'll
gotten gains. With visible effort sho
overcamo slight nervous construction
Of tho throat. She grasped her skirts
firmly aud swept toward tho door
"Uriah. she said, with great dig
nifty II will wait for you in the hall
at th3 foot Of tho stairs -
After Uncle Uriah had obtained his
24a and departed Seth Coo said In his
leisurcly way:
"Tho old man didn't have flush. |
slipped in card to fiji it out for him.
reckoned you fellows wouldn't mind
payin 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