The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
NOT ALWAYS COLD FEET.
Marriage One Excuse for quitting a Poker
Game-Jen and the Sherin.

Sometimes you're liable to imagine that
the fellow playing opposite you in a poker
game has cold feet when he hasn't" said
a man from Cheyenne. Il sat In a four
handed game in a hotel room in Denver
one night a few years ago. ] knew two Of
the PLAYERS, but the other was a stranger to
all three Of US.
Wed been introduced to him by some
body or other in the lobby Of the hotel,
and when we said we were going upstairs
to play a little draw he'asked to be allowed
to sit in. He was a guileless sort Of a
young fellow and was, we understood,
the manager Of a big Wholesale grocery
firm in Denver.
For all Of his guilelessness he was some
poker player, and he had all Of US or the
run from the leadoff, He went right out
in front and stayed there.
we hadn't started the game till after
midnight, and before VT Tnew 1t the light
Of dawn began to dribble in at the windows.
BY that time the young man who managed
the wholesale grocery was into the three
Of us to the tune Of about $500 all told.
when he saw the daylight creeping in
he announced that it was pretty nigh all
of eco far as he was concerned. But we
jollied him out Of that idea, and so he
pay GU vi NlIlulIk llkul alDllks Jul at
0 O'Clock in the morning he gave a look Of
alarm at his watch, pushed back his chair
suddenly and said that he guessed he'd
better cash in.
Entirely without justification all three
Of us set up the cold feet holler.
whats the matter-chilblains?' we asked
him sarcastically. Feel a draught on your
tootsies? It's a wonder you wouldn't see a
chiropodist for what ais you! Here it is
Just the shank Of the even-the morning,
and you're running of like "a
The young fellow gazed at us helpiessiy,
and then he broke out with:
Gosh blame II all I'm going TO be mar
ried at II o'clock this m~orning-only two
hours from now-and I've got 10 skate home
and get into my weddin' toys, haven't ~
which was the truth, az we verified il
later. OF course we had to apologize to
him for accusing him unwarrantably Of
being a victim Of frigid lower extremities,
and | guess he started TO keep house with
the pat thousand he took away from the
three OF us.
sOn another occasion I felt unjust resent
menr in my midriff over the desire OF aman
TO quit a poker game when he was whole
sale winner. and / was about TO suggest
the hot water cure for his chilled pedals
when | was tipped of as TO the situation in
the nick Of time.
Il got into a little game with a Sheriff /
knew in Southwestern Colorado, and after
we were we'll under way a big, weather
bronzed chap, wearing rather a serious
countenance, as II struck me at the time,
poked his head in at the door Of the Sheriff's
Office, which was inside the Jail, where we
were playing.
Come on in, JEFF, said the Sheriff good
naturedly. Want 10 slam into thisr
JEFF didn'tmind II he did, he said, and he
disappeared for a minute and returned pres
emily with a sack filled with gold money.
He bought a hundred dollars worth OF chips,
and the cards began 10 filter his way from
the tao OF the drum.
Before an hour was over ! was burned
sorry the Sheriff had invited him to sit in,
for he had more than $500 Of my pieces Of
eight, and il didn't look like JEFF knew how
10 lose at poker any way he or we played
the game. He got into the Sheriff Just as
hard as he did into me, and the longer we
played. the more Jeff accumulated.
Along toward ? o'clock in the morning
JEFF looked up at the clock and said he
reckoned he'd drop out-that he had a few
letters 10 write and such like trifing ex-
cuses. ! felt like being real rude to JEFF.
and / was Just about to tell him that 2 o'clock
in the morning was a mighty untoward
hour for a mar 10 pry himself loose from
a game in which he was such a big winner,
when my friend the Sheriff gave me a kick
on the leg under the table.
$50 | didn't say anything while Jeh
cashed. And when Jef took me by the
hand and babe me good-by with a good
deal more fervor than the circumstances
appeared 10 call for, l wondered a heap
Just what kind Of a proposition Jef was
anyhow. He stuffed his winnings into the
bag he had brought into the ofico With him
and then moseyed out.
We'll | said to my friend the Sheriff
then, you took that good and easy, didn't
you? Figured that you'd let out N little
roar, anyhow, over that fellows hiking
away with 30 much OF your good dough
in his gunnysaok-nott TO mention mine-but
you didn't seem to
" Steady, there, podner, said the Shers
in, splitting refectively at the stove. May
be | would IA called Jef down some. but
you see I'm a-goin' TO hang Jef at 7:S0 this
mornin', and Ireckon he wants to git ready
for his little parade acros the border
(which was true again. Jef was hanged
schedule time all right, and ] saw him
hanged, at that. As he swung into the cir
cumambient | couldn't help feeling sort
o. guilty for imagining that he'd had cold
feet when be pulled out Of our game