The Huttig news., 1908-02-01

and, to make up for the loss of check CTS, started in to teach the bear l poker. Maybe he was bad bear at heart, and maybe it was just his won- derful intelligence; but it took the bear even less time to learn to play poker than it had to learn checkers, and he seemed to enjoy it good deal more, too, which makes me think that at the bottom he was sort of Tenderloin bear and not the truly good creature he appeared at first acquaintance. Anybody who doubted the bears ability as poker player had only to sit in a game with him once. He didn't need to sit twice.
 "'Such bear! such a bear! said Hal Jenkins in an admiring way one evening after the furry gambler had bluffed him out of big pot. No one would think to look at your innocent. bland countenance that you possess the guile you do. If you had only lived in old Mississippi river steam boat times you would have been worth 8 fortune to the man who owned you
 And just as the bear was about developed into the best poker player in town, Elder Allison returned from the city.
 "Of course there was nothing for Hal Jenkins to do but to return the bear to Deacon Stebbins, who turned him over to the elder The elder took his pet home with him, the faith full animal showing signs of unfeigned joy at the return of his old master. That evening the elder thought he would have game of checkers. "'Now we'll have little game he remarked complacent like, just to see how much you have deterior- ated during my absence
 3"The bear trudged over to the place where he knew pack of cards was kept. In the meantime the elder got out the checker board and set the pieces. The bear shuffled the cards and dealt out poker hands. Each was busy and did not notice what the other was doing until the good elder moved one of his pieees-he always liked to have the first move. Then each looked at the other nightly amazed.
 "'You may think we need the cards for counters,' snarled the elder, sort of impatiently; but we don't. We'll only play two or three games, and of course I'll take them all"
 CT see the one check you have bet he seemed to be saying to him. | self, but why do you scatter the rest about the board instead of stacking 1 them up like a Christian?'
 "The bear never was much of con- versationalist. He took another peep I at his cards. Then he gathered up | his checker pieces, slid out one by the piece the elder had put forward and stacked up ten others alongside l of it. It was plain that he was see- ing uee elders sun ..-.,=x.....---.-- Ing it ten.
 "The elder looked at this strange proceeding in amazement. Then he noticed the five cards the bear was holding and the way the checker-men were stacked up. His look changed to one of holy horror.
 Wicked, depraved bear!' he thun- dered. Is this the way you put in your time while was away? Learn ing games of chance, after my careful efforts to keep you from gambling! It's penitence and short chain, and hard bumps that will be coming to you until you appreciate that the way of the transgressor is hard and that it is the duty of every good bear to stick to the game at which his master can win
 "At this the elder grabbed a big stick and began pounding the bear. At first the bear seemed hurt, men,