Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-29

but. Phil. be advised Consider your nat
ural aversion to a pipe: ii you proceed with
me on this, you'll be compelled to smoke a
pipe practically until your retirement. This
time. you are not alone twenty miles away;
you are 10000, 10000, 600, miles in the dis
lance, and you really can't traverse the
ground. Cali me-
'Conkling, replied Little PHIL with
those two red fighting spots of his burning
brightly on his cheekbones, you're a stu
pendous buffer. and I'll see you dangling
from that sour apple tree of yours first
] raise you the limit.
In that case said Conkling, stuffing
his hand into the deck. the pots yours
not that haven't got you beat, Of course,
but
And Conkling, caught red-handed In one
of his Brobdignagian bluffs, took with the
greatest good nature the long laugh that
We all gave him.
A Memorable Contest.
II was in the game one night during the
winter Of 10 when both Conkling and
Sheridan were players. 1t was a four
hand game, and John Chamberlin was
the other player. This game at Chamber
Inns was always for So limit at first, with
the understanding that along toward
morning. after couple of hours of warm
ing up, anybody could suggest the removal
OF the limit II he wanted to. The way
Conkling and Sheridan bluffed each other
that night was a caution. Both men SEEM
ed to strike out luck altogether as an ele-
II ent IN their good-natured play against
each other, and, as both of them caught
fine lands occasionally when engaged in
this tug-of-war of bluffing neither of them
could get an exact line on the other and it
was better than play to study their faces
at the show-downs. Conkling was having
all OF the success during the latter part of
the night. and 1t was fun to hear Little
fhiI softly utter dark and woolly things
under his breath when, time after time
Conkling would show hand consisting of
nothing at allRfter having scared Sheridan
out, or produce a gorgeous set of fours or
full hand at such times as Sheridan, decid-
ing that the senator was blufhng, would
call him.
Bite him. Sheridan Chamberlin would
say. amusedly. these occasions and
Sheridan would tell Chamberlin to 60 to
the dickens, and call for another deck of
cards.
Memorable Game.
I'VE started the last round of jackpots
with new deck. Sheridan dealt the first
mess himself, and. after it had gone around
and none of the three of us could open it,
Sheridan opened it himself. Neither Cham
berlin nor 1 had any right to stay on our
hands. and so it was left between Sheridan
and Conkling, who stayed. Conkling took
thre cards. and turned his little pair into
threes Sheridan dished himself out three
cards, and bit his cigar hard when he saw
his hand. He made IS bet to draw Conk-
ling out. and the senator raised him S25.
1t passed between them with these S25
bets until there was nearly $500 in the Dot.
both men scrutiniZing each other pretty
carefully at each bet.
don't know so much about you, this
time, said Conkling finally, and 1 think
I'll just call you for safety
Both laid their hands down at the same
time Conkling had three mines, and he
looked at Sheridan strangely when he saw
the color of Sheridan's three aces. Both
Chamberl1n and myself also saw what was
wrong at the same instant but we only
smiled and let the two men have it out
Sheridan had broad grin on his face, and
was just about to rake in the pot. Conk-
ling was gazing at the little man of iron
with a puzzled look in his eyes.
oh. l say, there. Phil just wait min
ute, said he. DO you really think that pot
belongs to your
" Belongs to me?' said Sheridan We'll
1T does If the nose on my face belongs to
me and again he reached over to hoe
in the pot.
"Conkling ran his hand through his hair,
and again stopped Sheridan with gesture
" i don't remember ever having seen that
PHIL?
See what sort of thing before? salu
about, Conkling?'
For reply. Conkling put one finger upon
one of Sheridan's aces and then pointed
to another one of the aces.
i never saw jackpot won with three
aces. two of which happened to be aces OF
diamonds, said Conkling, smiling
Sheridan looked at his hand lying face
up on the table before him, and his face
became merry red. The CONSERVATION on his
countenance was really funny.
why said he, after minute, blamed
IL don't believe I'm nothing better than
an Involuntary swindler. That other ace
you see, Is a club. l opened the pot on
pair OF red aces, and they were of course
these aces of diamonds. Chamberlain.
turning to the amused boniface, turn ma
out OF doors as fraud and short card
player, will you?
And have the army fire a yollev over
the ruins Of my house? replied Chamber
lin. Hardly Anyhow. I'd rather see Won
ana Conklfng engage in rough-snd-
tumble fight over the thing. Go ahead, the
pair or you. Wen see fair play turning
to NE.
"Of course, the extra ace of diamonds
had slipped into the deck accidentally be-
fore 1t left the manufacturers hands: but
Sheridan, when he had in a measure re-
covered from the surprise of the revela-
ton. made a humorous pretension that he
had known thu whole thing all along. and
ccnvulsed the three of us by feelingly ap-
Dealing to Conkling to refrain from expos
ing him to the world, for the sake of his
family. and all that kind of thing. The
hand being foul, the pot was, Of course,
divided.
COnklInE's Generosity.
"ConkiinS was peculiarly generous
poker player. One night, when Senator
Zach Chandler was one of the players,
Conkling was the beneficiary of a miracle
that does not often happen to a man even
once in a lifetime. Chandler dealt him q
pat royal flush 1t was Jackpot. Meth
er Wade Hampton. who was the other
player. nor myself caught anything that
would justify us in drawing cards, and SO
the thing was between Conkling and the
senator from Michigan. Conkling, of
course. stood pat, and Chandler. drawing
two cards, filled. and had four tens on
which he began his betting He bet $780,
F." Pat or no pat, Conkling, said he in
making the bet. I've got that miserable,
skiniint straight of yours walloped this
time-even If you've got it. Come at me-
"Conkling folded up his hand and looked
Chandler in the eye.
You're pretty rich man. Zach, are
d" said 10