The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-10
A POKER STORY.
The Scene Is in Washington and the
Participants of the Official Glass.
washington Dispatch TO New York
SUM-

last winter six wives Of representa- !
tives, all from the south and west, or
Sanized themselves in poker club. |
They played in rotation at each others
homes. hotels or boarding houses. and
little luncheon preceded the game.
The ordinary ante was five calls ten
cents, and the limit was a quarter, eX-
cept for jackpots, which could be
opened for four bits. There wasn't a
greedy woman, or one over-eager 20 |
VIM in the group. They merely played
for pure fun
Ihen q new member was admitted. !
She was several notches above what is |
mere called the congressional set. She
Was above all Official connection, al |
though she trained with Washington's
TOP ioftiest official and diplomatic set
when she wanted to. She was widow
with plenty of money. One of her
daughters had married into the Euro
pean aristocracy. She was brilliant
and engaging. albeit a trifle naughty
ana distant on early acquaintance, but
the half dozen representatives wives
from the south and west voted her
charming-before the first game be-
gan.
After the first game they found 1t
bit difficult to analyze the new mem
Der of their poker party. The new
member had won virtually all Of the
money at that first sitting. On three
separate occasions she had had all of
the chips on the table in front Of her
place, and the other six members v ere
buying chips from her all the time
What the six representatives wives
found il difficult to account for, I'm
considering the system of play of tke
new member. was a little popularity
she had when she was called or called
somebody else
H.,
| She gave merely the most momentary,
not to say instantaneous, flash at them
before she tossed her hand into the dis
card, and then she raked down the not.
/ The six congressional women, on talk
| ing II over when they met at a recep-
/ ton on the following day. ventured TO
express themselves mildly about the
! phenomenal streak Of luck on the part
/ Of their new poker member.
! Il wish she'd show her cards, though.
VIXEN she calls or is called" said one
OF them, Dlaintively.
80 do l." they all agreed, and then
| they fell silent They were all think
ing queer things by this time. but none
cared to be the first to express Ter
thoughts.
At the third session-the last i'm
which the social figurante took part
with the group Of congressional wo-
men-a niece Of the hostess. a young
married woman from the far west was
present. She was visiting her aunt for
a few days. When the game began
after the luncheon this niece didn't
care to play, not knowing much about
the game. she said, and being very un-
lucky at 1t, besides. She merely looked
on. After bit she took a chair di-
rectly behind that Of the new mem
Der. although the new member didn't
i notice 1t. 1t came 10 pass a few min
/ utes after the young woman had ia
ken her chair behind that of the new
member that the latter was called
Il filled my flush" she announced,
with a pleased air. and tossing her
cards into the discard, pulled I'm the Dot.
i But she noticed slight gasp behind
her, and shifted around in her chair
TO catch the eye Of her hostess niece.
Please, MY dear don't sit behind
met makes me so nervous" she said
to the younger woman from the far
west, and the young woman got UP.
. There was a curious expression in her
= eye as she did so.
I, Il believe I'll play after all, auntie. -
she said to the hostess.
She sat iE and bought "a stack. On
the first hand she caught three queens
> She boosted il before the draw. all
dropping out except her aunt and the
, new member. The young woman didn't
better her hand, but she thought il was
pretty good as it stood, and bet the
= limit. Her aunt, who was next dropped
out. The new member boosted back.
II call you" promptly said the young
, woman, sticking in her quarter. Mine
are three queens. And yours?"
Three kings replied the new mem
Der. tossing away her hand as usual,
and starting to pull in the money.
Just minute, please" said the
hostess niece in a hard tone that. new
ertheless. had a slight quaver in II, and
she covered the chips in the pot with
: Eer two hands. "I called you, YOU
! know. 1 haven't seen your three kings
= A mere form, / know, but" and she
deliberately picked up the five cards
thrown away by the new member and
scanned them.
"Only pair of kings here, so far as
1 can see" she said. There is g, Jack
with the two kings, though. Doubtless
you mistook the jack for a king"
"Assuredly I must have" said the
new member, flushing. Are you sure
you picked up the right cards?"
Perfectly sure" quietly replied tn,
niece OF the hostess. THE top five
just as you threw them away The DO
is mine of course. An odd mistake OF
your part. Perhaps. your eyes ar,
tired?
: think. has disagreed with me- 1 be
!, lieve I shall stop for the Afternoon
y She did cash in and quit the game
saying that she was going to her hote
and take a nap. She had caught tn
: significant exchange of glauces anon,
the other women.
a When she went the hostess niece ex
e planned why she had got into the game
She had seen when sitting behind tn
! new member that the latter had an
: rcunced to have flush when her han
t was only a punctured flush
d The congressional women fell to won
: dering how much they had lost fhrouR
y the new members popularity OF PLAY
: The story was all over Washington i'm
: side Of few days. and the woman
i social prestige suffered something Q
X an eclipse.
s HAS HIS SUSPICIOUS.
). indianapolis Starr
e Mayor Stoy OF Atlantic City was dc
J. | SCrihing the