Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-17

ana sister eighteen years and you don't
amt to disturb the relationship" And
Uncle Samuel paused warily.
That's just it," groaned Jack.
But in an unlucky moment you pro-
posed to Ruthie Int she accepted"
I'm a fool!" burst out Jack.
| EXACTLY" said Uncle Samuel. "Now,
II the young lady could be made to see
things in that same light and should
break her engagement"
Not entirely" said Uncle Samuel, eff
you will listen to my plan"
Fire away said Jack.
WELL" said Uncle Samuel, "it is this.
Turn Ruthie's affections away and she
VIII break her engagement of her own
accord
Jack smiled i~ncredulously. "she is the
soul of honor" said he.
Il KNOW" said Uncle Samuel. That's
just it. Now, what Of all things does
Ruthse love best?'
Honesty" declared Jack without a
hesitation.
And what does she despise most?"
dishonesty"
Exactly. Listen to my plan. Con-
vince Ruthie that you are a rascal, a
scoundrel, a dishonest man., and the
chances are that she will come to me and
ask me to break her engagement"
'But--'
No UulS ABOUT lL-uMdeSS you want
orange blossoms and all the rest"
mo, I don't"
Very well. Now listen. You play
cards; SO do sister and Ruthie. SO do
I. Tonight I will propose, a game Of
cards-poker. And we VIII play for
money"
Ruth does not gamble" spanked up
Jack.
"Of course not, of course not" purred
uncl samuel's soft voice. ''But in this
case she will do it just to celebrate her
engagement. I will tell her that 1t is a
little fad of mine, a favorite diversion.
Let me alone for that"
What has that got to do with it?'
Don't be impatient. Now for your
part of the plot. You are to secrete two
aces In your sleeve and at the proper
time you are to slip them dow and add
them to your hand. OF course you will
rake the table and Ruthie. when she dis
covers that you have cheated, will be
Mortified. See?"
be made to see clearly. But that eve
ming found him in Mrs. Whites par
lor with Miss Ruth seated on one side
Of him n Mrs. White upon the other.
both beaming rapturously.
Il propose a game of poker" said
Uncle Samuel coming into the room with
Il pack of cards in his hand. "'You won't
ASAuoS AAC thAo lliIHS 4kutllUC@In xlUQlOT VI
the occasion?"
'Who could refuse Uncle samuel7'
murmured Jack.
The subsequent events Of that eve
ming are too narrowing for close nara.
ton. The tale of how Jack, happening
to have four aces IN his hand, ''raised''
it, and how Uncle Samuel went him bet
ter, is one of poker alone. Sufficient to
relate that the others dropped out, leav-
ing Uncle Samuel and Jack alone to the
bitter end. All limits were forgotten,
Uncle Samuel's voice rose high and gclear
as he went Jack ten better, and Jacks
voice bore "a triumphant ring as he raised
it twenty higher.
All things have an end. and Uncle
Samuel's came, when he laid down his
last dollar to "ca1l" Jack; and when
Jack, in triumph, spread out upon the
table six glowing aces. "Oh. Jack, how
dishonest" cried Ruth. IT can never love
such a man."
you chump," said Uncle Samuel. aft
erward, II never intended you to hold
more than four aces at n time. But I
thought II you had a pair and added an
other pair it would be discovered. Don't
you see?"
But Jack was too excited to see. i
AS the aces lay spread out in q guilty
row. Jack happened to glance at Ruth.
Her eyes were closed, her hands were
pressed Ito her temples and the tears
were starting through her lids. "Oh,
Jack" she murmured. chow could o :.'
Neither Mrs. White nor Ruth saw Jack
and Uncle Samuel a little later. Laughing.
at the back of the ROOM. Nor did Uncle
Samuel and Jack hea Ruth moaning to
her mother: "And I believed him to be
honest!"
ut was hard, old boy" said Uncle
Samuel next day. "but I happened to
know that the minister is sweet on Ruthie
and that she likes him pretty well. And
as for you-oh, I know all about that girl
down at Meadowbr00k."
isis Ruth-much put out?" ventured
the shamefaced Jack.
mot at ALL" chirped Uncle Samuel