The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25
A LWAYS A CHANCE
n IN DRAW POKER.
Some = Cashie, Found in Playing
Double or Quits With the
Banks Money.

Theodore Jones', cashier of the Second
National Bank In n small city not a thousand
miles from Chicago. was In serious trouble.
He had made a mistake that day which
he was unable to rectify.
1t was Saturday afternoon and he had
discovered the mistake when he was work
ing over the books after hours. More
than that, he knew just how the mistake
had occurred
| Putting on his hat he walked few blocks
up the street to the Office OF David Gray,
a prosperous manufacturer. who was one
OF the depositors in the Second National
Bank. Mr.. Gray was an austere man,
who was noted in the town for his closeness
In money matters. When the bank cashier
entered the manufacturers Office he asked
for private interview. and the two were
presently seats ed In an inner room.
| 'You came to the bank this afternoon.
said Mr.. Jones, with a check for 81 1913 As,
for which you anted he cash.
| II did" said Mr. Gray.
| In giving you the money made mis-
take of 5000 and gave you S2,03s+5. You
found II out afterwart. didn't you2'
NO. said the manufacturer. as coolly
and steadily as before. Il did not get
any such money from you
! But you did, insisted the cashier. Il
gave you two packages Of ten dollar bills
instead of one package Of tens and one
package Of ones. ! remember it dist inctly
now
| 1T you had done so," said Mr.. Gray,
st eadily, Il would certainly have discovered
! 1t when F, sed the money 10 pay of my
hands. but / did not discover anything Of
the kind. There was exactly enough for
my payroll"
The cashier was staggered. Then, seeing
| that Mr.. Gray was Diet ermined to keep the
! money. he felt that further pleading would
| be useless, and leaving the room he walked
back to the bank.
Going to the bookkeeper's desk he
| opened the big ledger and appeared to be
working over it In reality he was studying
J his predicament
II was clear that he was unable to make
| up the loss. His invalid wife. whom he
loved devotedly, was a great tax on his
income. and it had been only by means OF
the trictest self-denial that he had kept
out Of debt. For her sake he had broken
| away from his fast life in Chicago and had
| sett led down to business drudgery.
Now. what does II all amount tor he
asked himself, bitterly. Il would not be
any worse of if had stayed with the old
crowd Why. | could win or lose thousand
in night when was----
And then he stopped, almost stunned by
| the thought that came to him. Then he
| looked around. almost as if he had guilty
fear Of being seen, but there was no one
| there.
! Thew he ,hounht ,,.., , x>,,n ,rb;oh h,d
come to him like direct inspiration Of
! Satan. In half an hour train would pass
, through the city, which would bring him
to Chicago at o'clock. A half hour at
| the barber's and an hour for dinner. would
| leave him time to reach the old club rooms
| poker game would be fairly under way:
| and them
| But there were other things to consider.
! Yes, he would get a train back Sunday
night. and no one need know he had been
away. But the money. He had forty
or fifty dollars in his pocket, and no more
of his own that he could lay his hands on
at the moment. And that was no capital
for the game he had in mind to play.
! There was money great quantities OF
money--almost under his elbow. The mere
thought sent shver through his whole
! frame and his heart seemed TO cease bent
| ing. He had never stolen cent in his life.
Then he laughed aloud and murtered;
| It's the old game, double or quits. III
! have the name OF stealing nine hundred.
| so III make il eighteen or nothing.
| He had at least one quality belonging
to a good poker PLAYER. There was no
hesitation after he had decided Count
ing out exactly 5000 of the banks money.
| he put it in his pocket, and after locking
| hing up securely, as was his habit
ne walked 10 the railway station.
| When he entered the old. familiar card
| room he looked with some anxiety to sees
if his former intinates were in the game.
but in the six who we're playing at his
| favorite table there were only two whom
he knew-George Parker and Ben Davis
They were both hearty in their greetings.
Jones, Mr.. Gilbert, Mr.. Harris. Mr., Daven-
port. and Mr.. Benton"
Jones bought 500 worth Of chips. 1t
was table stakes, and the ante was 81, call
| Not for three long years had he had a
poker chip in his hand. and the familiar
touch Of the smooth disks made his fingers
Jingle as a glass Of whskey tngles on the
palate of the man who has sworn of for
| long period. As he shuffled the cards the
old fever came back on him.
At the start he had some little luck.
| Without any notable struggle and with no
considerable hands against him he pulled
in three or four small pots, aggregating
some thirty or forty dollars, when there
|
up to S35. The original pot was 3l4, and
there had been three sweetenings.
Looking at his hand he found a straight,
ace high; and as he sat at the dealers left,
he opened for the amount in the pot. All
the others dropped but Benton. who had
been the largest winner up to that time and
Benton raised him SIS,
Jones's first impulse was 10 raise back
hut something in Benton's manner gave
him the impression that a straight was
doubtful proposition. 40 he merely made
good
On the draw he stood pat. Of course, and
was a little surprised to see Benton take
one card. Reving himself then for not
having raised before the draw he threw in
a white chip.
Il top YOU said Benton. and Jones
counted his chips.
He had trae over $50 in front OF him,
| and he pondered awhile. IF Benton had
| made flush or full, OF course. he would
win and it did not seem likely that he
would have raised on anything less than
two pairs. but. on the other hand, he might
be buffing on the chance that Jones had
stood pat on weak hand
Anyhow, there was $235 in the pot, and
l II. -, AQf