The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1906-01-12
THE MAN in THE
WHITE CRAVAT
BY JULIAN vARNHAM.


The changes in America during thu
last half of the nineteenth century are
In no particular more marked than
IN the Mississippi river. When that
river was the highway between the
northwest and the gulf, the steamers
plying upon it, handsome boats fol
their time, carried all sorts of people
among them the most refined in the
land A similar proximity to mothers
and children were the gambling tables
IN the mems cabin, separated from the
ladies cabin only by curtain.
When a youngster of Is l was sent
from Cincinnati to New, Orleans to col
lect debt for my employers. Having
succeeded, / started back with the
money, $4,000 in bills, in my money
belt, then common method of trans.
porting funds. l was sitting one
morning on the guards, viewing the
plantations we were passing, when a
gentleman wearing a white necktie
sat down beside me and entered into
conversation. He soon led the subject
to the gambling going on on the boat
and informed me that there were sew.
eral professional gamblers aboard and
l must be careful not to be drawn in
by them to play or would surely be
robbed.
Notwithstanding this advice, one OF
the gamblers wormed himself into my
confidence, got me to play euchre with.
out stakes, permitted me to win, then
made the game for money and won
$4,000 from me before l realized that
was in the hands of a sharper. Then
threw down my cards. Upon raising
my face from the table my eyes light
ed upon the gentleman in the white
cravat standing among dozen Others
who had been watching the play.
my boy" he said, "let me have a
800 bill. 1 have money of my own,
but l want to play with your money.
and for you only. Perhaps l may get
back some of your losses"
There was a surprised look on the
faces of those who stood around the
table, for the man was apparently a
clergyman. I gave him the 500 bill
with a muttered prayer that something
might come of it.
Now, Emery Thorne," he said, 81
propose to teach you the game OF
euchre."
How did you know my name was
Emery Thorne?" said the sharper.
Never mind that now. AS we pro-
coed may drop hint occasionally
that will put you on the track of my
identity"
For hours l, in company with a con
'stantly growing crowd, watched the
play. Surprising as was the sight of a
clergyman playing with gambler for
high stakes, it was more so that the
game was an effort between the two
as to which could do the more clever
cheating l was not sufficiently quick
sighted to detect their expedients, but
knew by frequent expressions of won
der on the part of the onlookers that
there were exhibitions of genius. The
pile in front of my champion grew
slowly, but surely, now and again
slightly diminishing, but every loss
made up with gain. The gambler
was the better euchre player, his OPP
ponent the better at cheating. Once
when the latter had made a loss he
asked:
when did you see Tom Clarkson
last, Emery?"
The gambler looked up at him with
something like terror on his face, but
made no reply. The cards were dealt
again and my friend, taking advantage
of having disconnected his opponent;
made a stroke of sleight of hand
which gave him all trumps, with both
bowers and the ace, turning game by
which he gained $780, From this time
i noticed that whenever he lost he in
variably threw the gambler off his bal
ance by some reference understood
only by the two players. At last the
clergyman, looking his opponent in the
eye, said:
II have a message for you from
Alice, Emery. I'll give it to you when
we have finished the game"
1t was wonderful how the rascal
covered up outward signs of emo
ton 1t was only by the eye that we
knew how he suffered. BY this time
a heap of bills, nay employers bills,
were stacked up in front of the clergy.
man, and he was winning with every
game. Indeed, the gambler seemed to
have lost interest in keeping the
money. Then my man hastily ran
over his winnings and called halt.
"How much did you lose, my boy?"
he asked me.
took from my belt ten bills of $500
each, SIS, 900 in all. .'They are all gone,
besides about $25 had in my pocket
Every well; here's your money"
o nor -