The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-07-19
FEMININE ABILITY WASTED.
1,hc ,rnI,inc OF = Good Poker Player.
F0o1ing u SemrSiElitcd Man.

The Making OF u 'Cou IokeF I'AN!e"'
Pooling u NemrsiEhted Man.
"It has long been !; pet theory OF
mine that woman is naturally bet
ter pokcr player than man. said Colo
mol Ziuc. .'and as a. devoted atmiHr
of both the sex and the game feel
tbat am qualified 10 express this
on;nicn. | AIN aware that most poker
nlaycrs allcge that it is rs difficult Tor
/, woman to play poker rs to throw !;
stone. can recall! two women who
could bluff nc to Il standstill and hcF-
o.. wink an cyeli1. Men are not i'll 1t
whom if comes to blutiins with 4 wo-
man. 1t is natural in her and acquired
in us. Let me tell YOU about my friend
Mrs. Smith.
"Shc would make crlckajack poker
nlayer if she would only try the game.
Shc illustrates what have said about
h,nffinc. because she is an innocent lit
tie thing, hardly 20 years old, and she
hasn't had time to acquire anything
except husband. I knew her fatner
when he was in my regiment. ana
have kept track Of her ever since she
was ) wears oil. Her father WAS our
surgeon major, and a fine fellow. with
leaning toward botany and such
filings. In recent years he has grown
ncorsightcd. He will do anything Tor
his daughter. and she works him beau
+ifnlly. He and 1 were dining with the
Smiths after their marriage last Win
ter. and the major said:
..A1y dear, that fern which you have
on the table is Il disgrace. Why don't
Won get something really good?
cant afford it just now,' said Mrs.
Smith suggcstiycly.
".Wcll, | will get it for yon.' said
the major
"A1rs. Smith then told Of beautiful
fern which she had seen ut Blank $
hothouse 10 be sold for So. l don't
know anything about those things, but
when she described the fern to the ma
ior he said it was just what she should
have. and he gave her the money to
buy it. When lie dined with the Smiths
again. the fern was in the center of the
table, and the major peered at 1t
through his glasses and told her that
she had bargain. Before he left the
table Mrs. Smith put n tablespoonful
Of water on the fern, and the major
poured on little more from his glass.
"sNot too much water, you know,
and the fern will thrive he said.
"Eycry night when we dined at the
Smiths the major took delight in pour-
inc d little water on his fern, as he
called it. and one night last week he
said casually:
.It is odd that that fern hasn't
grown since you got it. 1t looks healthy,
and it should have thrown out new
leaf or two
ooh it has grown Il lot said Mrs.
Smith, and if had not caughs sus-
picion Of smile on her husbands face
I would not have noticed the remark.
It set me thinking don't know any
thing about ferns, but have pretty
good eyes. looked closely at this one,
and as we left the table felt Of 1T.
When had an opportunity, said to
Mrs. Smith:
"I've called your bluff.
"sWhat bluff colonel" she said, look
ing as if she had never heard the word
before.
"'The fcSn.' said I. It's artificial
and it isn't Il good make believe. either
Letting your poor old father put water
on ii. too What are you going to dc
about it%
"She showed her hand ut this call
The artificial fern cost her 81. and with
the other $11 she bought gloves.
".Don't give me away. she said. anG
|. father will not know the difference
''What will yon do to persuade him
that it is growing
"'1Ml buy Il little larger one in Il few
weeks
I'VE dined there last night again
and as Mrs. Smith and the major each
generously put little water on this ar
tificial fern 1 thought to myself What
great poker player that girl might
become, hate 20 see such ability
wasted on fooling nearsighted man
but perhaps Mrs. Smith wouldn't be as
interesting if she did play poker. How
ever, she illustrates my theory, ant
there are othcrs."-New York Sun.
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