Evening star., 1899-06-10

poker game was captured long ago by the
iair ones, who proceeded to trim IL mp to
cate according to the prevailing mode In
millinery. "Blazcs' 24-8-s-l0 straights
roodles. "rang-doodles" 'lu-lus'' and
Jokers soon gave the game weird a repu-
tation that husbands and brothers began
running around town OF nights TO keep
away from It. reform was necessary,
and the girls agreed 10 II. one feature,
dearest OF all to their adventurous hearts,
they swore they would not give up. This
was the joker. They would not give up the
joker. 1t must be poker with the Joker or
no poker! IL was on this account a grave
Inlsunderstanding came about one night.
that raised distrust and IN viii out ~ All
volved.
As the packs they usually PLAYED with
had no 1okers in them the ladies' had
agreed 10 let the deuce Of spades-the uftle
casno-stand for that card which Won
may call anything. Long habit had so ac-
customed them TO il that Il was no LONGER
even marked with "A pencil This l. fho
joker. Look out for it, as they aid nj
flrst One night, however. "A girl discovered
that grave injustice was being done To
The three other two-spots IN the pack With
the Joker you could have five queens or
Kings or anything. but you could only have
four deuces. Evidently there ought ~ ba
another deuce. Thereupon they make this
rule; II You have deuce and the iulser in
your hand. you may call any Of the other
cards joker
Naturally these naw features were con-
fusins 20 new men. who had to get along
me best they could with them. 1T euual-
lzed me game. the ladies said. because
you play so much better than we do To
which. obviously, there was no reply The
trouble came with a nard-headeG Britishrr
VINO, mastering the Joker itself with dif-
Iculty' tailed altogether In remembering
the extra virtue of the two-spot.
How the Rule worked.
II was In large jackpot that the thing
happened. sprightiy danlscl Augusta is
her first name. and she is a weIl-known
opera singer. held the deuce Of hearts. the
deuce Of diamonds. the deuce OF clubs. the
deuce Of spades Che jol1er) and the queen
OF hearts. Somebody opened It, The Brit
lsher raised IL. Augusta raised him back
lie raised Augusta. And Augusta came
AT MIN again. Then they drew cards. The
nIhefs mad dropped out. Augusta asked
Tor one. The Britisher draw two. He held
Tour tens. Augusta had drawn "A nine As
each had evidently big hand, there was
some hesitation and joking before they bet
Then. to be tantalizing Miss Augusta said:
See here, III show you two OF my cards"
Nhereupon she laid down the nine OF
spades and the deuce OF hearts Now as
the Englishnan had four tens he argued
mus; We got her beat At most she
can only have four mines or four deucas
III Just give her lesson" So they raised
back ana forth until Il came TO writing due
bllls. There must have been some go in
the pot when he called her out OF pitv
My poor child he said. Il really cannot
allow you to go on. I've got four tens"
But have got five deucesi' she ,x-
piained-and showed them. That is to say
she showed four deuces and the nine spot
ahe other ladies said she was right. They
quoted their well-known rule-the rule be
mad not grasped-"If you have a deuce and
the joker in your hand you may call any
OF the other cards the joker"
No Wonder There Was Trouble.
And l call that nine spot the Joker" she
said. They had to give her reason "A
they say in French. The nine spot being
the joker. it became a fifth deuce for her.
and five deuces beat four tens-in the Ave-
nue d'Antin. The Britisher took 1t better
than might have been expected and ths
game went on. There came another large
Jackpot The EnElishman's face bright.
ened nouCeably. The jackpot being ouru.
cd II was raised. and then he raised back
ms time Augusta dropped bur a ,.rmura
young thing who ought 10 have been In her
bed stayed there and raised him back br.
fore the draw until they came again 10
writing paper. The young thing stood pat
And so did he. He only raised ner twice
then called. He did not wish to Ice ungai-
liant.
Il begin TO see the beauty of that two1
spot rule of yours he remarked pleasant
ly. as he laid down the two Of spades oh.
Jekerl. the :hree, four and five Of spades
and the queen IF diamonds
w hat is that?" they asked.
IL 5 a straight fush,' ne answered 81
have the two, three four and five OF spades
ana L call the queen Of diamonds the Joker
that IS to say, call ii the six Of spades
one two, three. four. five, siXn'
But" they cried. you have no other
two-spot in your handr'
1t was in vain they read the rule to him.
IF you have deuce and the joker in your
hand you may call any of the other cards
the joker" Nor could the other men ex-
piaih II TO him. The game ended sadly.
with a lot Of torn-up due bills II struck
a mortal blow tC poker in that Paris pen
sion. STERLING HEILIG