The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-24

THE gloom in old man Greenhut's sa-
loon was deeper than the mind OF a
woman. more abundant than salt. If
there were alternating circumstances.
/ neither the OLD man himself nor any of
his cronies was able TO call them to mind.
They fairly wallowed in grief and refused
to look on the brighter side Of life.
It don't rightly remember which one o.
the patriots il was I'm the Old Testament"
said Greenhut, after he had looked around
: the room for long time in silence. but
| 1t kind o pears to me like ii was Abra-
ham that went an sat outside the gates
! of the city. in oilcloth an ashes. an lift
| ed UP his voice an wept, hOllerin' Alb
! salon, my son Anyway, whether II
was Abraham or one o. the other patri-
] OTIS, it strikes me there hain't nOthin'
much better for US to do than just that
| same. leavin' out the Absalom part of il,
, of course.
! None on us hain't got sons by that
name. an ther hain't no gates TO Ar
kansas City. same as there was to the
| cities in tn olden times. but l reckon
about tn on'y thing as is lett for us 10
do is to go an set on the leVee IN oil
! cloth an ashes an cry aloud what dam
| fools we are"
/ speech made his hearers start, for 1t was
! seldom indeed that the old man used pro-
fame language. but they all realized that
| the occasion was an unusual one, and
there was no comment.
Presently ne came out from behind the
/ bar and. going TO his favOrite seat by the
window, put his feet on the sill and looked
long and steadily down the street II
was the first time he had ever taken that
seat without lighting a cigar. and the
Others in the saloon looked on in wonder.
! Two or three times he started to speak.
! but appeared to he unable to DO so. and
their wonder grew as they waited.
Then his hand went mechanically to his
/ wdlStCoat pocket ana. tlndlng a cigar
| there. he drew II forth and lighted IT.
After smoking for minute or two he
Pears like there's some sort Of mys-
( terry about this here young devil that's
/ bowed us all down ia. the dust I don't
i rightly know how twas he came to town.
Warn't you down TO the levee when he
1 got offn the boat. Sam2''
briefly.
Well" said the old man, why don't
/ you tell Us about it?"
! There hain't no mystery about it, SC
: 1uF as 1 can see said PearSali, SulktlY
! Just come ashore alter shakin hands
! with the cap'n. like he was his brother.
/ There was another Teller. a passenger
| on the same boat was tCllin me this Os-
/ good. rs he calls hisself. swindled tbs
/ cap n out Of his passage an borrowed
/ money from him besides but J don
! know nOthin about that. AIS know 1!
/ { he come up 10 me. me standin' on tn
1 levec like 1 didn't have nothin' to do, an
he asst me where the best hotel was.
! Well. I told him that was easy, To-
! there want but one in town an II
. show him up there. He went in an reg
istcred. an asst for the best room in tn
house, an give the landlord a long game
O talk while we was all takin' a drink
about expectin some biz: amount Z,
money by mail an havin' to walt Il
Z Arkansas City for Il.
Then you ali know the rest. How n,
! borrowed money from the landlord an
come down here in tn cVenin'"
Yes" vociferated the old man in ;
! sudden fury. Yes. an did up the hes
. players in Arkansas City on a borrowed
I capital % $40 an then. when somebody
/ started a rough house. lit his way out o
/ tn place an got away without mark
I IT that's what Arkansas CityS COM
/ 20, It's hugh time the name was change'
[ back 10 Napoleon, same a. IL used 70 be
, an all the glOries o the past forty year
be tied in a bundle an set afloat on tn
! next flood.
| fittin'eSt thing 10 do, on'y there's lot o
| has beers round this room. and mebb
/ I'm one on ON. that'd ought for to b
/ tied into that bundle
Pears like you was tal1in' things tor
able ser Gus, Greenhut, spoke up Jak
| Winterbottom.
Ser ousl" shouted the old man. Ser.
Gus! Well, IL is high time somebody tool
somethin' Serious round here. Amt X
! ser Ous matter when plumb stranger
/ not 50 years Old, can come into this com
munity an bunSo eV' erbody in sight, an
| then set in an skin the best nnlyar NAV
ers on the Mississippi river outer the las
dollar in the hoUse?'
| Well he sure do play a good game c
poker. admitted TyinterbottOm. I neve
did see young man get hold o the RICH
cards all the time with so much accuT
acy. But that amt TO say that he's Eoin
to get away with all that money
But he has got away with it, sal
old man Greenhut. You talk like sticl
| o wood. Hain't he left town.
! Vans" drawled WinterbOttom. Blu
| Joe Basset's done gone alter him.
Joe Basset has gone alter him, do yo'
| sage" demanded the old man, with cage
| interest
/ 'Ya-as He took the train for Littl
| Rock at Q o'clock but Joe heard about /
| afore 10. an got on his horse an starte
right away. He must ha' caught up wit
him by about noon.
well" said Grecuhut. Joe is a good
reliable man when he's sober. an bein' i
| was a fore 10 O'Clock it's morn likely n
were. Mebbe the's gleam o hone int
this thing. alter all; Bur that won Wip
out the disgrace o. heiG' beat at poker IN
way YOU all was.
! Il amt so sure about their being dis
grace into it, observed Ninterootten
5sNo disgrace about bein' beat at poker
the home talent OF Arkansas City bea
| an do disgrace into IL exclaimed Greer
! hut in smaZement
mot by that man" said Winterbotton
Not by that msni An him not 50 year
| old. Jake. you've lost your senses.
II reckon not said the other. WHIT
you come to look at II. it's going 70 reflet
a head o credit on the community.
"You see this Teller plays crooked
| Stands 20 reason he did. for there ain
/ nobody that PLAYS straight ROin' to g
! wav with the Arkansas City game
! Then we know he's a crook m nj
havin' beat the landlord. sayin' nothil
about the cap'n o. the boat. Now, any
body knows that Arkansas City poke
! can't be beat hut II Teller comes alon
that niFVs a crooked game its more
| lfkelv he'll win out cause we don't non
/ OF us know nothin about no dishOnes
tricks.
Don't you see it's a real credit to I'll
town not 10 know these here crOoke
tricksH
5reenhut's jaw fell, and he stared ore