The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-08-16
THE MAN IN THE WHITE CRAvAT.

The changes in America during the
last half of the nineteen century are
in no particular more marked than in
the Mississippi river. When that
river was the highway between the
northwest and the gulf, the steamers
plying upon it, handsome boats for
their time carried all sorts of people,
among them the most refined in the
land. A singular proximity to moth
ers and children were the gambling
tables in the mems cabin, separate
from the ladies' cabin only by cur
tain.
When a youngster of eighteen, 1
was sent from Cincinnati to New
Orleans to collect debt for my en-
ployers. Having succeeded, l start
ed back with the money, ten thousand
dollars in bills, in my money belt,
then a common method of transport
ing funds. 1 was sitting one morn
ing on the guards, viewing the plan
tations we were passing, when gen.
tleman wearing a white necktie sat
down beside me and entered into con-
versation. He soon led the subject
to the gambling going on on the boat
and informed me that there were sew
eral professional gamblers aboard and
must be careful not to be drawn in
by them to play or would surely be
robbed.
Notwithstanding this advice, one
of the gamblers wormed himself into
my confidence, got me to play euchre
without stakes, permitted me to win,
then made me play for money and
won FIVE thousand from me before I
realized that 1 was in the hands of a
sharper. Then I threw down my
cards. Upon raising my face from
the table my eyes lighted upon the
gentleman in the white cravat stand
ing among a dozen others who had
been watching the play.
"My boy," he said, ''let me have
twenty dollar bill. 1 lave money
of my own, but I want to play with
your money and for you only. Per-
haps I may get back some of your
losses"
There was a surprised look on the
faces of those who stood around the
table, for the man was apparently a
clergyman. I gave him the twenty
dollar bill with mutual prayer that
something might come of it.
"Now, Emory Thorne," he said,
81 propose to teach you the game of
euchre."
"How did you know my name was
Emory Thorne?" said the sharper,
looking at him scrutinizingly.
"Never mind that now. AS we
proceed l may drop hint occasional
ly that will put you on the track of
my identity"
For hours, 1, in company with a
constantly growing crowd, watched
the play. Surprising as was the sight
of a clergyman playing with gam
bier for high stakes, it was more so
that the game was an effort between
the two as to which could do the
more clever cheating. 1 was not suf-
fciently quick sighted to detect their
expedients, but knew by frequent ex-
pressions of wonder on the part of the
onlookers that there were exhibitions
of genius. The pile in font of my
companion grew slowly ? Asurely,
now and again slightly dim ~
but every loss made up with q
The gambler was the better eucA e
player, his opponent the better at
cheating. Once when the latter made
a loss he asked:
"When did you see Tom Clarkson
last, Emory?"
The gambler looked up at him with
something like terror on his face, but
made no reply. The cards were dealt
again, and my friend, taking advan-
tage of having disconnected his oppo-
nent made stroke of sleight of hand
which gave him all trumps, with both
bowers and the ace, turning game
by which he gained five hundred dol
ars. From this time l noticed that
whenever he lost he invariably threw
the gambler off his balance by some
reference understood only by the two
players. At last the clergyman, look
ing his opponent in the eye, said
''I have a message for you from
Alice, Emory. I'll give it to you
when we have finished the game"
1t was wonderful how the rascal
covered up outward signs of emotion.
1t was only by the eye that we knew
how he suffered. By this time heap
of bills, my employers bills, were
stacked up in front of the clergyman.
Indeed, the gambler seemed to have
lost interest in keeping the money.
Then my man hastily ran over his
winnings and called a halt.
"How much did you lose, my
boy ?" he asked me.
II took from my belt ten bills of
FIVE hundred dollars each, FIVE thou
sand dollars in all. They are all
gone, besides about twenty-five dol
lars I had in my pocket"
every we'll here's your money"
Counting out FIVE thousand and
twenty-five dollars, he handed it to me
and showed the rest across the table
to his opponent. Then rising and
turning to the crowd, he said:
NN--a1~... II.s- - 51..1 ~ o-e I@oo.,