The National tribune., 1900-10-11

freedom, leaving Uncle "Dick," the other
slave, to haul de wood, hoe de corn, den
tote it to de mill at Marse Phillips"
The Major was an exceedingly easy
going gentleman, and when told by Uncle
Dick of the probable absconding of Tom
he replied that Tom was not much of n
loss, and he hoped he would get along
very well with the Yankees; and added
that they would all be free soon. Uncle
Dick partly coincided with ''Old Marster"
regarding the worthlessness of Tom, but
added that he war sometimes useful
picking up chips for young Missis, feedin'
de hawgs, and churnin' de milk" and
there the subject was dropped.
The Major at the beginning of the war
was loyal to the Union, and so Influenced
his two daughters that they turned up
their pretty noses at the Confederate SOL
diers when they passed; but the Major
counselled prudence, or else they might
be maltreated, and perhaps have their
farm confscated besides, and these sug-
gestions were strictly carried out by the
family during the war. The Major was
pressed by the secession element to raise
regiment, or company, at least, for the
service of the COnfederacy, but the Major
declined OH the grounds that his daugh-
ters would be left entirely unprotected IN
the troublouS times sure to follow; and
this excuse was deemed entirely Satisfac-
tory, and the Major followed the even
tenor OF his way aDd applied himself as
siduously, as usual, to his favorite occu-
pations of hunting, fishing and Grabbing
down the river, taking occasional trips
| 10 the Dismal Swamp, and pitching the
ancient game of quoits in the back yard
| Of the Washington Hotel, where he some
| times bet 10 cents or q quarter on the
game.
Sometime in 1852 he was induced for
the first time 10 take hand Mt the fas-
| cinating game of draw poker. The young
| sters about town cheated the Major out
| rageously. He was an easy mark, and
| as he bega2 to lose his money he was
called MIR. Henderson" AS he became
poorer, through poker, he was addressed
as Henderson" then .0ld Henderson, ~
and he had then become somewhat
ragged. A suit OF clothes, after awhile
could hot be purchased for much less than
a small fortune.
| AT this point he concluded to mortgage
his farm for $500, which he did, and fol-
the first time his daughters were made
aware of his financial distress, for he had
drawn out the $1,000 o. $4,000 he had
deposited in the Suffolk Savings Bank
The girls loved their pap dearly, and i'm
| plored him not to play auy more, and
"Old H." pondered over it slowly, as be
did regarding all affairs, whether of great
| or small Importance.
l may note here that the rumor had
spread about that ''Old H." had mort
gagged his farm for its full value and was
in debt, which was not true at ALL Wher
these rumors got abroad, Indicating Iii.
poverty, his acquaintances finally begar
tc address him as H" simply III" ant
nothing more The Major went by tn,
name of H. and answered TO it withou
any show of displeasure
He now kept his $500 in his pocket
hoping TO speculate some in lands apt
poker occasionally, when, one dav. tn,
boys Informed him confidentially tha'
there was Il splendid game of faro ius
opened at the Central Hotel. So the,
all went that evening TO the Central. nm,
there was well-known gambler by tn,
name of Lowrie, from North Carolina
with the game in full blast, and severn
boarders at the table playing "open OF
the queen" and "coppering the Jack" II
a moderate way. All knew the game OK
cept H., as we shall now call him
Lowrie, the gambler. explained the gam,
to H" and was assisted by the bows
HI" quickly grasped the intricacies o
, this gentlemanly game, as Lowrie calle,
1t, and stopped winner some So
This state of affairs continued for
week, In the evenings, and the afternoon
were devoted to poker games. Lowri
furnished the faro chips for the poke
games and simply looked on, and he sool
discovered that III" was being systemat
ically plucked by his pretended friends
saw them deal themselves six or sevel