Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-02-20
"A Hand at Poker
BY JAMES JOHNSON.
Copyright. 1905 by +. G. PARCELS.
BY JAMES JOHNSON.

}leby. Jr., was generally referred TO
Is "Soft Tommy" While his father.
who was one of the largest railroad
contractors In the country. was Known
as level headed man. his only son,
Tommy, was playing "goIng to col
ege" and making fool OF himself
whenever occasion offered. A complla-
ion of the idiotic things Tommy did
n the course OF two years would make
4 small volume of statistics. He got
trunk, he bet on horses, he played pok-
r, he fell In love with his laundress,
he got into jail. he ran himself and
MS father into debt to the tune of thou
sands. AS a windup he fell in love
with chorus girl at a New York the
ater, went on drunk lasting two
weeks and was dlsgracefully expelled
from college. His old man stopped
building the Colorado Midland long.
enough TO come east and bride the
chorus girl to let go, pay up Tommy's
iebts, talk to him In vigorous Eng
ish and then take him west TO fill
some unimportant position where he
.ould 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 ant marry the
laughter OF a locomotive builder, with
whom he had become acquainted while
she was making tour of the west. II
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 a coming man in the business
Of constructing and QUILTING railroads.
Tommy and his bride were to do
he east and then bring up In their fu
lure home in Denver, and everything
went according TO programme until
hey 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 q relapse from
virtue on Tommy's part. He became
soft again. He drank and swag
yered and told everybody what big
man he was In the Colorado Midland.
and soon after leaving Ashley on his
home coming he fell into the hands or
the Philistines Three thieves and
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
ear, 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 20 of Tommy for
good. She had never cared for him In
sentimental way. She had drifted
| from the chorus in New York to the
vaudeville in western town of hard
repute and was on her return from
| trip To Chicago when she ran across
Tommy and his wife. Her first emo
tons 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 had
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 he
had something on his mind and was
! drinking himself up TO IT,. The gam
blers were going to make up game
Cor the night, and he wanted to be
counted in and arrive I'm Denver with
n few extra hundred dollars in his
pocket The protesting bride was or
dered 20 the stateroom. and Tommy
went In search OF the game. He soon
found il. The ex-chorus girl had sized
up the newly married couple and the
situation, and she reasoned them out
as follows:
Tommy the soft is not as big fool
as he was. but he Is fool enough to be
taken In by those card sharps From
his swagger he has evidently got lot
OF money with him. He has gone and
forgotten me and got married instead
OF pining along I'm single blessedness.
but l won't hold that up against him.
That wife of his is a little innocent
She may have seen a circus once or
twice in her life, but her knowledge OF
the world stops there If she would
take Tommy by the ear. as | used to
do. instead of playing the baby. she
could bring him to the mark But she
hasn't the pluck. Tommy will gamble.
lose his money, and there will be a
scene when he faces his father.
must do something for the helpless in
fants" ,
The game was going on in the smok-
or. There were only two or three pas
sengers in the car, and II may have
been that the conductor stood in with
the blacklegs At any rate. when the
ex-chorus girl made her appearance In
the car he politely limited that she had
made n mistake
"Not IL the court knows herself" was
her reply. II came i'm here 10 get a
smell OF this smoke and watch the
rrofno and | don't think fhoro IL any