Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-04
TREY .yPLAYED IT

When winter began stormily several
nonths-it seems several years-ago. these
four young matrons, inhabitins. in homes
close together, tho region versing upon
Georgetown. were Initiated Into the esoteric
mysteries Of the sende game Of draw poker
by their husbands.& There were several
evenings when their husbands were COM
PEELED. by TIM state Of the weather. to re-
main at home. 50 they put In these stay
at-home evenings in.iteaching the wives Of
their how to- play draw.
Poker, being a bug, aroused the most In
tense enthusiasm In the bosoms of these
four young matrons. They organized lit
tie poker club OF their own did the four
women: They went up against the game
aVu. ain.ernoons a week, playing alternately
a. tueF respective homes, to the accompa-
nlmeht or little spreads Of crackers and
Neu1cnatel cheese and sardines and sar-
saparilla. They contrived. and still con-
~ ,r.se, 70 extract huge amount Of pleas
"a aDIo excitement out OF the thinG-the
nuser because, up to last Wednesday after
noon. none Of their husbands knew any
thine about the fun they were having at
the sessions of their poker club.
On Wednesday afternoon, however, the
,usuanu OF the young matron at whose
nome the little game happened to be going
on got home from his Office earlier than
usual, Ior ne felt a trifie to the bad after
d Prolohged session at his lodge-some-
oooy loage, anyhow-the night before. He
walked plumb into the game in the dining
room, TO the visible CONSERVATION Of his
wife and three other members of the poker
4uaItet. lie took 1t all so good-naturedly
that they asked him to sit into the game
ana so he took a hand
II was Decent ante and two-bits limit, and
Inc game went on merrily, though without
incident, for about fifteen minutes after
the man got in.
Ihen the buck was SHE'D to the center
Iof a Jackpot by the man. and he was kind
enough TO dish himself three Jacks
Inc matron on his left opened 1t with a
SWISH, ana the matron next to her scanned
ler nand dreamily and raised it the limit
before the draw.
Inc mans wife, who was next, dropped
ou., ana the man saw the raise, as did the
young matron who was next
Inc matron to the mans left took one
caro- Tor hers, and the poker club member
next to her once more examined her hand
with head cooked to one side. and remarked
sMeetiy, that She guessed she'd play with
those. The man looked across the table at
,ha,, eur chf1ously. He was wondering if she
tnought she was good enough to give him
the CAD and bluff him out of his own lack
pot with the kind Of hand he had.
w. Whl!e little Percy still owns a red
wagon said he to himself, and then he
them was a jack
,,. aont want to give her the weeps,"
3o the man, when he picked I'D and
looked at that other knave, ''but 1 am
bound to reflect that the chances are about
as one TO a million that I've got her out
On the Hmb. If she isn't bluffing, then hers
Is ABOUT pat straight Or full. and /
thlnK shall just gather back a little of the
suou u a1ugh that her husband pulled off of
me IN That little game last week"
Inc young matron to his left heayed in
WAile one, and she was Immediately raised
the limit by the poker club member next
" ner. the one who had stood pat to the
hat dro
:, Inc man raised the pat member back the
iI ana Ihen the young matron to his
i let heaved little sigh ard passed out.
I'm ne pa. member gurgled the limit back at
tne nlah' ana they see-sawed the limit till
mere sI was some $3.50 in the pot.
IL IS just barely. possible" unused the
man at this point. that she has got the
merchandise on her, but they've GOT tn he
hot papers to beat these four bell-honnars
or mine l think I'll just stay along till tbe
m1lkman comes around" ~
wherefore he handed her the limit again
and got 1t In return, and the two kent thai
up some more until there was about sci
IN the center of the table
Look a-here." said the man to himself
f frsand I'm II not going to rob the wife of my
am. Jinl1l be asking her where the coin
went. Women are hard losers anyway.
ana there's enough on the baze now. Iii
just call her." q
Which he did ~@
"All mine" said the pat member elea.
Iuiiy, sweeping the chips to her side of the
table. I've got royal flush of clubs"
Enc man looked at her with his mouth
open while she spread out, face up one by
one, the queen. king, ace, deuce and tray
of clubs '''u 'iaS
Swallowing gasp, said the man:
HUH"
wasn't that a perfectly lovely hand to
catch pat?' she inquired, VIGOROUSLY.
wait minute" said the man, speaking
nuskiy on account of the lack of moisture
In his throat. What's that you think
you've got there?"
why, royal flush. of course" said the
pat member. archly
Since when did a royal flush topple over
from the ace and begin life all over again
at the bottom OF the ladder-at the deuce,
l mean?' inquired the man.
on. that's the way we play" said the
pat member, sweetly. Don't we. girls?
You silly old men creatures play rnvaI
hushes differently, don't you? why
shouldn't royal begin anywhere and 60
right on? Isn't 1t just as hard to get?''
Then the man clapped his hands to his
head YEARLY. relegated his nice four-bell-
hoppers to the cast-offs and said he
thought he'd go upstairs and Rest a while.