Smyrna times., 1907-03-13
A Hand at Poker
By JAMES JOHNSON.
By JAMES JOHNSON.
Copyright, 1906, by E. C. PARCELS.


who was one of the largest railroad
contractors in the country, was known
as a level headed man, his only son. |
Tommy, was playing going to col |
lege' and making a fool of himself |
whenever occasion offered. A compila- |
ton of the idiotic things Tommy did |
in the course of two years would make |
a small volume of statistics. He got
drunk, he bet OH horses, he played pok-
er. he fell in love with his laundress.
he got into Jail, he ran himself and
his father into debt to the tune of thou
sands. AS a windup he fell in love
with a chorus girl at New York the
ater, went on a drunk lasting two
weeks and was disgracefully expelled
from college. His old man stopped
building the Colorado Midland long
enough to come east and bribe the
chorus girl to let go, pay up Tommy's
debts, talk to him in vigorous Eng
hsh and then take him west to fill
some unimpOrtant position where he
could keep an eye ON him.
Tommy's halcyon days were over.
He had to knuckle down and be good.
In the course of two years he became
so good and so sensible that he was
permitted to go east and marry the
daughter of locomotive builder, with
whom he had become acquainted while
she was making tour of the west 1t
was conceded on all sides that Tommy
was no longer soft" He had become
interested in his fathers work. been
given partnership, and he was looked
upon as coming man in the business
of constructing and outftting railroads.
Tommy and his bride were to do
the east and then bring up in their fu-
ture home in Denver, and everything
went according to programme until
they headed for the west Then Tom
my received word to bring along
sum of money from Wall street. The
fact that he had $4,000 buttoned up
behind his coat caused a relapse from
virtue on Tommy's part. He became
soft again. He drank and swag-
gered and told everybody what a big
man he was in the Colorado Midland,
and soon after leaving Ashley on his
home coming he fell into the hands Of
the Philistines. Three thieves and a
gambler had spotted him and were
| after his money. They didn't care how
they got hold of it, but after awhile
found that the game of poker would be
the easiest way. When Tommy began
drinking he became obstinate, and,
leaving his fearful bride in the parlor
car, he took a hand in the game start
ed elsewhere for his particular benefit.
Then the chorus girl made her en-
| trance. She had let go of Tommy for
good. She had never cared for him In
a sentimental way. She had drifted
from the chorus in New York to the
vaudeville in a western town of hard
repute and was on her return from O
trip to Chicago when she ran across
Tommy and his wife. Her first emo.
tions were those of jealousy to think
that he had married, and she thirsted
for revenge against the child faced
bride. Then she reasoned that she
never intended to marry Tommy any
way and that he and his papa haG
treated her very literally, and she
gave over her idea of revenge. Tommy
didn't recognize her during the long
day that she occupied a seat directly
across the aisle, but she saw that ht
had something on his mind and wa!
drinking himself up to it. The gam
blers were going to make up a game
for the night, and he wanted to b.
counted in and arrive in Denver will
few extra hundred dollars in hi
pocket The protesting bride was or
dered to the stateroom, and Tomm.
went in search of the game. He sool
found it. The ex-chorus girl had size,
up the newly married couple and tn
situation, and she reasoned them ou
as follows:
"Tommy the soft is not as big foe
as he was, but he is fool enough to b
taken in by those card sharps. Fror
, his swagger he has evidently got lc
of money with him. He has gone an
forgotten me and got married instea
of pining along in single blessednes
but 1 won't hold that up against hin
| 1udl vile VI LIS a. lllblC AhhONSh
She may have seen circus once {
: twice in her life, but her knowledge {
the world stops there. If she woul
: take Tommy by the ear, as l used
0 do, instead of playing the baby, sh
could ing him to the mark. But 81
hasn't .e pluck. Tommy will gambl
lose his money, and there will be
scene when he faces his father.
must do something for the helpless il
fants."
The game was going on in the smo
er. There were Only two or three pa
sengers in the car, and 1t may ha'
been that the conductor stood in Wi
the h'icklegs. At any rate, when Il
ex-chorus girl made her appearance
the car he politely limited that she hi
made a mistake.
mot If the court knows herself" w
her reply. 81 came in here to get
smell Of this smoke and watch Il
oo5 Iopsf fhi,1ly fhoro Ia q