The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-08-24
THE JACK POT TEST.
HOW A MEAN GAMBLER SPRUNG "
ON SISTER ABIGAIL.

Opponents at Poker.
Bent but tall, with sparse whiskers
seldom trimmed nearly 10 years old.
Uncle Ufiaa used 90 sit IN the poker
game IN Omaha hiss long thin fingers
tremblingly placing his chips and his
old eyes glittcring as he timorouslv
skinned his hand Pathetically like Lit
tie Nell s grandfather he looked sorae.
times, but he was at no desperate shift
TO obtain stake, for he was the pos.
SCISSOR Of a competence, and he brought
into the game the faving grace Of tho
parsimony to which he had been habit.
uated in his earlier days in New
Hampshire home He never bought
more than 81 worth Of chips at time
These he would for the most part ante
away waiting fo~ aces OF better, and
when he finally did get good hand a
bare cad represented the climax Of his
enterprise.
In those days there was always
game on Sunday afternoons. and Uncle
Uriah, although o devuut Methodist.
could be counted upon to arrive directly
after service and to SIT in until the tiino
for afternoon Sunday school The boys
used 20 joke him az first and ask him IL
he had sueaked his stake out Of tho con-
trihution box. but 20 this question and
TO all others ct similar levity he on.
posed a scared seriousness which showed
that his passion for the game was more
"A weakness than q vice
Uncle Uriah lived with his two sis.
ters-- Abigail, aged 68, and Ann. aged
b5. In New Hampshire they had boen
called the girls hut IN Omaha tho
ireverent, with rude dircctness, referred
to them as Uncle Uriah old maids 4"
IL did not take the boys in the game
long to discover that Uncle Uriah was
in much fear Of Abigail ia general and
In mortal dread that she would discover
his besetting weakness He would al
ways shy at now player, and he fre.
quently held forth 10 the boys on the
impropriety Of talking on the outsida
about the features of the game
81 sh d hate to hev the parson know. "
be used 60 say IL wouldn't keer so
much bout Ann, cause she's easy
| skcered but / wouldn't hey Sister Ahi-
gail know fer the biggest jack pot twas
ever played on this here tablet"
There was never any solution Go the
mystery of how Sister Abigail discover
ed the obliquity ina Uncle Uriah's life.
Some ofliCious ncighbor may have told
Ler, "a IN an excess VI caution Uncle
Uriah himself may have aroused her
definite suspicious. Az 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 tho
game had been provided The negro at
tendant admitted him, and he was soon
enRrossed in the play.
Thore was good jack pot on the ta-
ble Uncle Uriuh was In and was deal.
ing. IL was his last say, and the two
men ahead Of him had bot $40 each He
had drawn ono cnrd, and the play was
up 90 him. IIo had not however, look
ed at his draw when the key turned In
tho snap lock of tho front door, and Sis
ter Abigail, pale with a righteous and
terrible rage strobe into tho room and
up 20 the table.
"Gamhlnr she cried And ON the
Lord y day, with the church bells ringin
vutside and decent people foclfin to his
worship 1 expected 10 find you hero.
! SOU nypocrite 70 she went on, turning
to Unclo Uriah. "You better get on
| your duds right now and come home
81 was comm in a iiffy, the old
mau said, weak with fear Il guess
might as well 90 long with y0u as with
anybody else. He rose and steadied
himself by holding the chair
Seth Coe was the coolest hand Ia the
game Even Sister Abigail had not dis
concerted him He reached over and
turned up Uncle Uriah's hand IL was
flush.
You better stralghten this pot out
before you go, uncle. said Coe. "You
call, Of course. l suppose a flush IL
| goody' Coe asked, turning TO the other
| players, They nodded assent Coo stack
ed up the chips Forty dollars
here, - he said, pushing them toward
/ Uriah.
The old man started instinctively TO.
ward the pot and then remembered Sis
ter Abigail. He stopped and waited
tremblinRly FOR her decision.
It seemed 20 the players. who turned
| from the weak and timid old man 10
the dominant woman. .hat at this cru
cial test something Of her moral rigidity
relaxed. She did not sweep tho chips to
the door. She said nothing about ill
gotten gains With a visible effort sha
oyeroamo a slight nervous construction
Of the throat She grasped her skirts
firmly and swept toward the door
Uriah, she said with great dig
nifty 1 will wait for you Ia tho hall
at th5 foot ~ the stairs. p
After Uncle Uriah had obtained his
sf8 aud departed Seth Goo said IA his
leisurely wav
1.-THE Ola mlu didn't have a tiuHh
slipped iu "a card fu Gli it out for him.
reokoned yau follows wouldn't mind
payin ones 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
Careful.
II is related Of certain clergyman In
Edinburgh that hewas 30 careful OF his
quotations sud zo fearful Of the charge
D q Il.