The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-18
THE UNEXPECTED
IN DRAW POKER
The Mast:rly Farewell Play Of
Theodore J. Thimblefingc,
at Arkansas City.

There's mi ghty sensible sayin' in the
Good Book" said old man Greenhut, about
the difficulty O. KNOWN much about the
way Of a ship out to sea, or eappint on to
a rock or young Teller that's coffin gal
There's heap o. things doin' up an down
the Mississippi Valley, too, that's shaped
up SOS to keep No'therner guessin', but
there amt none on 'em t comes up to the
way some men'll behave when they has
poker hand O some consid able force, an
at tho same time has reason to misdoubt
the general character o. the other fellers
hand
There was Theodore j. Thinhleingcr,
that come to Arkansas City some year ago
with an itlee O. stayin' but give 1t up
toll able soon, an he give good example
o the unexpected.
Il amt a-sayin' but what Theodore j.
Thimblehnger mought ha' made good
citizen on'y for a few things. He were
.that sudden an emphatic like IN his ways,
t il he'd ha' been more reliable en- more
give to broad view O. things he mought
ha' contributed considerable to the pros
perity O. the community but he proved to
be selfish"
when was It this here Theodore j. come
to town." demanded Joe Bassett. Pears
to me there haIn't been"
1T wore about four year afore you come
said old man Greenhut with great severity
.There is things, Joe, 7 you amt old enough
vet to understand, an I'm beginpin' to think
one on EN- Is that nasty habit O. your'n, to
chuck dscredit on things t you hain't
happened to hear on afore."
There was no Disgusting the feet that the
old man was annoyed. Joe Bassett looked
half sorry and half amused. and after
moment pause he opened his mouth as
IL to say sonnet hing further, but as be was
about to speak Jake Wnterbottom kicked
his shin with considerable violence, and
he thought better OF it.
Old man Greenhut, meantime was select
ing fresh cigar with something moro than
his usual care and when he had chosen
he began smoking with more deliberat lon
than apparent enjoyment. When the cigar
was we'll start ed ne walked around to the
window and took his favorite chair. Put
ting his feet on the window sill, he sat in
silence for some minutes.
This here Theodore j. ThimDlehnger.
he said after his period Of reflection. were
A small man; also retheaded. He come
to town travelin light in the way o. bag
rage. but 'pearin' to have consid' able
no, sense wit h him. an likewise vac.
He a-t for me. FIRST of, when he come
ashore an when they sent him up here
he act EN- up for the house, like gent e.
man. an then says to me hox the pleasure
ii I've all his if him an need haNea Small
chin in the back room.
Just naturally br,ng him In. also a
b tt 10 an wo glasses. t he said he'd pre-
Ter payin' for, when he seen EN-, an ne
set down like man t was tbinkn' o maxim
a stay. II were a tol'ablc long story Y
he told, but he subst ance Of 1t we're t
he'd growed tired o. travelin the river,
an, haarn' there was tol'able stih game
gon' on here good part o. the time, ne q
made un his mind to but tin, If he cd DO
il friendly like.
at a good time. bein' there was stranger
named Iumley ID been gett in tho best o
the local tai mt f'r nigh n week.
We'll. he said he'd just like r. to have
one go at this here I.umley. 7 had too K
nigh fifteen hundred o. the hand earned
winnin'. O. the home talent away I'm EN-
an was yearnin' for more SO we liked II Z
there'd be game made up f'r Lumley that
night. an t Thimblefnger sh'd happen in
about half an hour after they'd begun play
There want no difficulty in arrangin'
that. an, the way it fell out, the want
| none. neither. In carryin' out the pro gram.
Lumley Seated in. alter supper. lookin' f'r
a game, like dog'll 90 an watch hole
where he's caught a rat oncet.
a'Peared like he'd come to think t all the
| money there was in town belonged to him
riChtful an all q he had to do was TO call
| round an collect. The worst on it was
t the home talent such as We had them
days was tol'ahle nigh thinkin' the same
"a he did. on'y they want In no hurry
| otont baD6n' n
aoo He r s"re had pi'' EN- Unified. an on'y
f'r me e1plainn' aforehand t Theodore j.
! Thimtefineer was goin' to set in reckon
it ID ha been doubtful about Lumlcy gettin
anybody to set in with him. On'y,o' course
'twa'n't explained to him t there was to lee
Anyway they started the usual game,
table stakes. an each buyin' fifty f'r a
starter, but somehow the play were mon
strous slow f'r time. Feared like 1.umley
didn't get no show 10 swat nobody, an
there hadn't nobodv awaited him to no
great extent since he'd been playin', which
| was nigh week.
Then Theodore J. Thimblefnger dropped
in sort O. casua an SAYS to me in the front
here t he'd like to set in to a poker game
if there was one goin' on. He says 1t loud
enough to be heer'd in the hack room, an
| says to him I mavhe il he was to look in
there = he'd get his chanst. so he butts
in an makes his proposition an there amt
an buys his fifty.
well, say. never heor'd man talk so
much in poker ga me, an seen right away
It I.umley was kind o. nervous about it, The
others was, too, but that didn't count
1t was Theodore j. Thimblefi finger I was
| cOuntin' on to do Lumley, an the more
nervous Llmiey got the letter the chanst
| looked
"Bimebv seen t all this talkin' we're a
rart o. Theodore j. Thimblefnger's game
He KEEP on tellin' about his hands, not
maxim no direck statements as to what
he held. but givn' everybody tolahle
clear notion O. just al out how strong he
thought he was, an the funny thing wns
t he didn't let hisself get caught lynn
Every time he showed down ne showed t
he'd teen. tol'ahle nigh truthful.
at looked like he was fool enough "a
reckon on everyl ody believin' him after
n while, SO q t he'd get a ohanst O workin
a huge bluff some time soon. an ! begin tc
think he was too doggone simple to set in
with grown men. but all Of sudden il
struck me t mebhe that was just what he
wanted Lumley to think, an l expended
judgment f'r a while.