The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09

One Night four reputable Business Men
sat down at the Green Baize to firt with
the Goddess of Fortune for one Hour. no
more no less. The Married men did not
want to go Home TOO early for fear that
ii would be too much of a Shock to their
Wives
designated as a. B, and ID. were up in
AS Room. Some one remarked that it was
the mere Shank of the Evening-just the
Fringe of the Night, il were-and ii
seemed Shame to pull for Home while so
many other and more attractive Resorts
were still open. A said he had a Room
where everything went. So they followed
him. A brought out the necessary Tools
and the four Comrades squared away.
1t was to be Gentlemen's Game. No one
AZ the Table wanted TO take Money out OF
a Friends Pocket They put on an easy
Limit of 10 Cents, so that no one could win
or lose enough to Hurt. They had TO make
it an Object in order to keep their Blood
in Circulation, but it was agreed that one
fieeting Hour of l0-Cent Limit would not
make or break any one And ii was posi-
lively understood and agreed that when the
Cuckoo Clock hooted for II O'clock that
the Night before with a Bad Man from
Council Bluffs and he wanted 10 make up
a few Hours of Slumber b had 10 figure
on a contract next Day, and he needed
Eight Hours so as to show up with Clear
Head. c said he had a couple of Black
Marks standing against him and if he
didn't get in by Midnight he might lose
his Latch Key d said he was glad they
the Electric Light hurt his Eyes. 1t
seemed that not one had more than an
Hour to spare.
1t was a beautiful Getaway All the
Stacks were the same size. neatly built UP
into Standppes of Red. White and Blue.
The Cards riffied smoothly and the Dove OF
Peace seemed to hover over the Round Ia
BILE. Each man lighted an eight-inch Per-
| fecto and got il slanted up SO as TO keep the
Smoke out of his Eyes. He was feeling
Immense because he counted on pulling out
about Five Bones and buying Hat with it.
Inasmuch as they were playing in AS
Room and he was providing all the wet and
dry Provisions, they felt at liberty to Trim
him. A Host is not supposed TO act Peev-
ish, matter what they do to him. So
what they did 10 A was a Plenty. 1t was
only a measly little Child's Game with a
Come-in of Two call Five and Blue Seed
for the Outside Bet. but when two of them
got A in between them and started the
Whip Saw they left him with nothing but
Whites. He died like Tramp with three
1ypewriters clutched in his Salary Hook.
He touched up the Boneyard in a low
injured Tone of Voice and they could no
tice the Gloom curdling on his side of the
Table. In few Moments he tried to Get
Back by making it Expensive TO Draw. d
picked up two Cards and filled a Straight
and he lit on Mr.. Buffer all spraddled out
1t was about this time that A began to get
Red around the Ears. He told them to be
careful where they dropped their Ashes, as
the Rug they were sitting on was a genuine
Bokhara and had stood him more than Two
Hundred They asked him If he was Sore,
and he said he was not. but he hated to sit
in with a Farmer who would hold up
Three, open in the Middle and then Fill.
Any one who would do that ought TO be
Arrested. ID remarked that their Host was
an Imitation Sport who ought to be on.
playing Mumblety Peg or Croquet. ID had
a long Breastwork of Plush in front OF him
and he was full of Conversation. He tod
A that If they injured the Rug he would
buy another.
In the meantime the Short Hand had
crept up toward XII d kept calling Atten-
ton to the Fact that the Time was just
about up. He wanted to get his Velvet and
Dig. The Electric Light hurting his
Eyes worse than ever.
But when the Hour struck A was just
beginning to be keen for Trouble. He told
them to forget the Clock. He threw the
Jonah Deck into the Crate, broke fresh
Pack, walked around his Chair three times
took off his Coat and gave Fair Warning
that all Boys and Cripples must get back of
the Ropes. He rung in a new Rule that
any who bet less than so Cents would
be considered a Piker. He put in a Patent
Corkscrew for a Buck and said il called for
a Jack Pot every time 1t came out with the
Ante He hoped that all of the Old Ladies
and the Safe Players would dust the
Cracked Ice out of their Laps and get
Busy. He said if they tried hard they