The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-08

4You wouldn't "a thought this here Sykes
woman d "a wanted him, bein' as she nae
religion the worst way, but she did, an, o.
course, Bill married her in time. A woman
ON al'ays get q man II she goes about it
earnest, an he don't run away. That's
how / come to leave Mississippi.
well, she hadn't nothin,' an Bill on'y
had his wages, but she want fair married
afore she set about to get him converted.
mad him go to camp meetin' an got him
up to the mourners' bench, an then nagged
the life outen him till he got religion,
"He says to me-, when I asst him about IL:
4 reckon it's all true, Greenhut. Pears
like I've got religion all right, but I'm dod-
gasted 4 l know what I'm goin' to do with
II, now I've got It. One thing I On see. l
CAM never tend bar no more. Mandy,
she's powerful sot ag'in liquors, IN her an
the preacher tells me religion an rum don't
mix right. Pears to me like there ain't
nothin' fr me to do but to play poker
"That sounded sensible, fr Bascom were
as good a player, nater'ly, as any man
ever see. The on'y trouble with his game
was It no never would practise enough
an he dealt some clumsy. He'd al'ays
looked at poker as a sort O. pastime, not
maxim a business of it, 80 q u his ondeniable
talents was undeveloped like. There was
the makin's OF a expert in him, an IL looked
to me like 1t might ha' been plumb providen-
tial for the Sykes woman to have turned
him I'm the error Of his ways, bein' as be
want none skilful behind the bar.
"The next time l seen him he says it's all
Of about the poker. Her and the preacher
Il Had anf ootip m rdo too . ho N a . sEir,,
what they tell. cards Is poker an poker 3
gamblin', an gamblin's wuss n rum
$50 I ast him how he vas reck'nin' to
live, an he says, 4 dunno. Mis- Bascom
she says the Lord II provide, but l hain't
saw no load o. DIVISIONS comm An he
went away lookin' anxious. I didn't say
nothin' more to him, but l says to myself t
that there spur O. necessity was liable to
get down into his TANKS afore long.
Sure enough. 'tw'an't mors.n a month
afore he come to me with a haggard look
In his eye an q ten dollar bill in his hand
and he says: 'Greenhut, I'm tol'able nigh all
in. Mis- Bascom, she don't low me no
tobacco now, an there hain't been no grub
to speak Of in the house fr a week. I'm
n debt up to my neck, an I ! show this
money they'll get it all away I'm me afore
I on buy vittles. Mis- Bascom sets home,
e~ontented like, sayin' the Lordu provide.
but / reckon It's up to mt to do somepin
In that line myself. Can't you steer me
into a game?' he says. This here money
amt nothin to speak Of. l just got it I'm
q man 1 staked last winter. but faint
capital. It's on'y chicken feed. Maybe
II 1 cd get into a rattlin' good game now,
I mought clean up '%somepin'.'
Il seen 1t wa mt no time for to discourage
Bill Basoom. He'd took the bit in his teeth,
an the spur was drove in, an IL he was to
hold his nerve an play steady he monght
fetch up prosperous, 'thouten takin' In con-
alteration I he were likely to make one
O. the best players in town an consequent,
bein' q val'able citizen when strangers
dropped OF to do UP the community like
they does.
so I gets q few O. the boys together an
gives EN- q idee O. how things was, an
tells EN- how 'tweuld be reel Christian
charity for to take Bill Bascom's edication
In hand. He was the kind o. man, i tot
EN-, as d bea credit to any game II he wss
proper trained.
sThcy want none enthusiastic at fret.
I On call to mind how Joe Bassett kicked