The daily Alaskan., 1906-05-02
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before Thanksgiving day, m an arlstO- cratic town of the blue grass region, Kentucky, a travelling minister-they called them colporteurs-called at the house of Hunter Jackson, a prominent citizen. and said he would like to do some work in saving souls in the neigh | borhood. He gave his name as Ed | ward Sherretts. So Rgreeably im- pressed was Mir. Jackson with the rev erend gentleman's appearance that, with southern hospitality, he Invited him to spend what time he remained | In the nelghborhOod at his house. MT. Sherretts accepted the invitation and soon won further good opinion from hls host by his sympathy with the south on the slavery question. ! The long autumn evenings were spent | by Mir. Jackson and his friends at the national game of poker. At first MT. l Sherretts at such times withdrew to the library with his theological books. i Then Le remained by the table and watched the game, occasionally asking a question as to the relative value of | cards. hands and other information | pertaining to the game. He manifested so much interest and It was so unso- | clable without him at the table that It 1 was proposed toPlay one evening with out any stake in order that he might take a hand. He objected on account of his calling, but on being urged con l scented.
 Notwithstanding his many blunders | he became so absorbed in the game that when one of the party said, This is nothing compared to game in which | there Is a stake" and another suggested that they make a stake of penny with a five cent limit, just to show the rev erend gentleman how interesting It was. MT. Sherretts, after much per, suaSiOn, consented.
 At 9 o'clock in the morning the party broke up, after having played for a dollar stake with no limit and Mir. Sherretts had lost $2OO. His host in- sisted on making it good to him, but he peremptorily declined, declaring that he would stand the loss himself.
 Then the matter was discussed by all the players, and 1t was decided to induce. if possible. the clergyman to play one more game, during which they would permit him to win back his mon- ey.
 MT. Sherretts. who seemed to have been mastered by a passion for gam bling. yielded, with tears In his eyes at bis weakness. He held very poor hands. but the gentlemen cOntrived to have him win all but $25 of his lOslngs, when there was a jack pot involving a large sum and every one forgot every interest but his own When the hands were laid down there was everything from three of a kind to a royal flush, which was held by Mir. Sherretts. When they told him that his was the largest hand he nearly falnted and de- cined to take the pile of bills they passed over to him. But no Kentucky gentleman would permit this, and at last the winner consented only on con dltiOn that he be allowed to give them d CuAutt lb W III Ak tlll btANNs A AbAAA AAAA9 time forward the game ran heavy.
 
 It was the night before Thanksglv- Ing. In a little farmhouse iu Ohio a negro sat breeding over the coals on the rude hearth. He had not been long used to the celebration of Thauksglv- Ing day because he had been a slave in the south. where nothing of New Eng land origin was, at least at that time, acceptable. but his neighbors had been preparing to celebrate, and he was thinking of his wife and two little pick anlnnieS, slaves in the land of Dixie. Be had worked extra hours and had thus earned the money with whiah to buy himself. He was now working hard to earn the money to buy his wife and children. On the morrow, when others were united in family groups, he would sit at his table alone still far from the day when he could have hiG | own with him.
 To make matters worse he had Q few weeks before intrusted a stranger with the few hundred dollars he had saved on the mans representation that he would put more with 1t and secure the freedom of his family. He had never heard of the man since and had no doubt that his money had been lost to him. His neighbors piried the sim pie credulity of one born in slavery.
 There was a footstep without, tho door opened and in walked the man who had obtained the poor negro's money. as he considered 1t, under false pretenses.
 "Bello, Jeff" said the man.
 'Yo' git out O hyerr exclaimed the ex-slave. "i know wha' yo' want; yo' want mo money. hain't got no mo. 1 To tux 1t all"
 "JeR," said the man kindly, laying his hand on the negro'S arm, "I don't blame you for mlstrustlng me, but you're mistaken. I'm really what l pretended to be, on agent of the under i ground railroad company, to run slaves north, only this time I've worked a plan of my own. told you l had