The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-25

loot that comes here with a notion in his
nut O. maxim a everastin' fortune out
o such hands as a merciful Providence
may allow him to hold in two or three
nights play is gently considered to be
runnin' in great luck if he gets out O.
town without havin' a subscription took
up for his benefit about the time the next
boat ties up:
There has been good many times,
true enough, when things looked doubt
full. Players has come that had new
wrinkles in the way O. holdin' out, or
stackin' the cards, or some new system
O play that puzzled the boys for while.
An there's been some come that sure
knowed the game an played It almighty
skillful. But none of em, as 1 said, ever
RELY got away with the proposition.
There was one Teller, though, that
showed up here about six years ago that
come monstrous near breakin' the record.
That is to say, If he'd have understood
the first principles o. poker he'0 ha' bust
ed the town wide open, an the mortify1n'
thing about it was twas poker he was
playln That is, twas called poker, an
ne sure did win; but the way he PLAYED
II was one o the seven wonders O. the
Worlo. we talked about quite some after
ne left. an the unanimous verdict was
that if he'd ha' knowed what he was
doln an how to do it he'd ha' Just ever
l0slIl ~ sklnt the entire crowd out o.
what money there was, instead O. COM
IN out consid' able ahead. an hin, not
KNOWN just how he done if or who
ne zone 1t sure were bewilderin' an,
well carlated to make a man lose bis
Idlth IN providence, 'thout he was one
thaC STUCK to his religion spite of anv-
thing Vi 0hy
ne puzzlin' thing about it were that
ele Ieller seemed to be playin' poker an
Tue tlnle an the rest O. the party wss
piayIh II Tor all they knew, but he were
liter Playln' on a system that was en-
49, uitpeAIloWIlst TO everybody in this
part o the world, or else he Wera that
outrageous ignorant O. the first princinles
as Would disgrace Il half-groWn how
An yet he won! Some of EN- was in.
cIlhed to think at first, that it were
new system an there was a good deal
speculation on how it would work
prayed constant, but nobody had the
nerve TO try 1t, SEEM it We're plumb con.
trary to all science as poker Is ,nfar-
stood, an they couldn't get I'm no.
chlldllke confidence in heavens mercy
that would lead EN- to look for over
Whelmm luck in the matter o. cards
at the critical moments O. the game
me way of it was this. He lust land
ed from the boat one day an walked nm
the IeNee bit, lookin' round. an saw
III hothln to nobody. There didn't seem
10 De no reason for nobody to pay any
attention to him, an CONSEQUENT nohodv
did, for he want man that looked
IKE sport, nor yet q business man
just peared to have got out FIN some
where's, an didn't know his wav back
AFTER he'd looked round a spell he sort
O. drlfted in to the hotel an wrote his
name, absent-minded like, on the regis
ter, an said yes when the proprietor
asst him if he wanted a room Then
he just sat round for day or two saw
IN nothin' TO nobody all the time.
Didn't appear to have ambition enough
to eat his meals, for he'd wait Till ov-
erybody else was most through fore he'd
go into the dinin' room. An even when
he took drink which want often. he
did it all alone without seemin' to take
no interest iii it.
Long about the third day he began
takin' short walks, an bimeby he got as
far as to come in here an look round.
Seem the bar, he called for some red
liquor an drank it, an then seem a.
chair he sot down. There hadn't been
much dom for week or two, an I
says to Jake Winterbottom that 1t
mought be a good idea to start a game
n poker. This here stranger" says.
don't look as if he knoWed one card
from another, but faint likely he's
quite as simple as he looks an mebbe'
/ says you might get him into the game.
Don't make it too stiff right away /
says, AN who knows but you might get
small stake out O. him? 'Taip't very
promisin' 1 says, but some men is like
crooked cattle There's more meat on
'em than they looks.
''Wel, Jake, he didn't think there was
nothin' dom He looked the stranger
over an sort O. turned up his nose, but
things was quiet, an finally he says:
I don't recken he's got $50 in the world,