The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-22

ttiiee thlngS which he seemed TO
consider with more than a second
~ HI'ushE ana tohse were. his daughter.
ms profession and his love for a good
game OF cards.
we never played in the office, but
several times a week he would insist
upon my going home to tea with him
dio spending the evening PLAYING
whist. Often 1 had much rather have
gone somewhere else, but 1 went, more
10 aumor the old fellow than Tor nv
own pleasure
II necessarily saw more or less of
ms daughter during my visits there
In face, she quite often came into the
ilorafy and sometimes she played a
mana with us herself She was a
shrwder player than the Judge. and
uluer her tuition l soon became, not
only a passable whist player. but head
over heels in love with her.
10 tell the truth l learned to love
Clo Davenport sometime before sue
ceeued IN learning TO play whist, or
even High-Lo Jack. I was rather
slow in learning the intricateness Of
WHIST, as she taught me, while l pick
ed UP poker from the judges teachings
IN remarkably short time.
guess that she must have seen
now l was fixed, although l tried hard
not to betray myself, but 1 have since
learned that in trying to conceal my
love for her, l actually showed it more.
anyway IT grew from bad to worse,
ana ] even tried to decline some Of the
Jadges invitations, but the old chap
would not listen to reason or excuses.
ana so l had to go and keep it up and
MAKE fool of myself just the same.
grew more desperate every time
saw her, but if it had been to save
my life, l could not have told Clio
davenport that 1 loved her. In fact,
didn't dare to do it, Il could stand
before the most obstinate and thick
headed jury that ever was empanelled
and plead case all day, but to tell
that little girl, that 1 loved her I
simply couldn't do it.
Well matters went on in this way
TOT sometime. l had made up pretty
little piece to speak to her when | went
up the next time, but somehow. when
l was actually in her presence and she
spoke to me, all my previous
courage evaporated and left me
stranded and speeches. on that SUBJ
ject, and doubly confused.
Il knew that the girl saw how I
felt and l imagined that she pitied
me, and that only made me still
worse if anything.
christmas came and passed and
AO0ilO luG ilO speaking IMAM
was at Thanksgiving Day.
New Years evening, the fudge in
sisted upon taking me home with him
to dinner and to a quiet game Of poker
afterwards. OF course, l went, but 1
didn't want to- still I did, for l knew
that l would see her, talk with him,
and she would be pretty sure to sing
for me.
1T was showing hard when we left
the office, and as we walked along to-
gether l made up my mind, with a
firm determination, to have it over
with, one way or thu other, before 1
came home that night.
She greeted me as 1 went in, with
a wish of "A Happy New Year. and
a smile which very nearly knocked all
my good resolutions into a cooked
hat.
After dinner was over, the Judge
and l went into the library and soon
after she came in. and the judge pro-
posed three-handed game of poker
Il was willing, but Clio confessed
that she knew but very little of the
game, but that she was willing to do
the best she could to beat us both
1--WE played several straight games
first, and then two 'jack-pots,' the
judge coming out first best and / sec
ond, while Clos chips dwindled down
to nothing, and as the game was
dropped out, leaving the judge and me
to play alone.
I'VE played once or twice around
this way but the judge soon grew
tired of it, and 1 had lost interest
from the moment Clio had thrown up
her hand. and when the judge sug-
gested that we have some music, I
seconded the motion warmly, and we
left the card table and passed into
the parlor, where Clio began to sing
for us.
THE judge stretched out upon the
sofa, while turned Clos music, Won
dering whether l had best speak now,
or put it off indefinitely.
81 glanced over at the judge. He
was fast asleep and snoring gently,
while Clio was singing a love song in
a manner that made my head whirl.
Suddenly she stopped singing and
glanced over at her father, and then
got up from the piano and challenged
me to a game of double dummy whist,
which 1 accepted, for 1 knew that if
l could get her into the library where
the card table was, I would have her
alone and then 1 would speak, must
speak.
''She was a good player, far better
than 1 ever hoped to be, at whist, and
she played with careful attention to
the game, while 1 played any old card,
for l was thoughtless and reckless
my thoughts were somewhere else be-
sides upon the cards just then. 1 was
wondering what l would say first, and
how l had best say it.
'She must have seen that had but
little inf in the oh 10
caught me up several times as 1 made
some wrecked plays. She won three
times out of three, and then she threw
down the cards and said, almost in
dignantly:
Why Mr. Holcomb, what is the
matter with you? l declare, 1 never
saw you so careless before. Don't you
care to play"
"'Oh, yes 1 prevaricated. But,
really, l don't know anything about
this game at all. Let's try something
else
"'AIl right she answered. What
shall it be? perhaps you would like a
little game of poker. That's what you
and papa play so much. isn't it?'
Yes l replied, 1 think that may
stand some chance at that
"'Oh, do your she laughed gaily
as she shuffied the cards. What are
you willing to wager that L can
not beat you the first
game? We must have some
stake, you know, to make 1t inter-
esting and exciting-something to play
for
"At last This was my long looked
for chance, and l grasped at it as a
drowning man would like preserver.
Well I said slowly and carefully
soa not to make a mess of 1t. I'll
bet you a dozen of the biggest roses
49, 7 oar 6nd AGAIN t-a QafnSt-' and