The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-12

with the impression he had made with his curious story
 Greenhut and his friends talked oeca- sionally during the next few days about what he had told them but were inclined to agree with Jake Winterbottom when he said
 q reckon there ain't nothin to it. Pepper alays was more or less playhouse, an he must ha' ben drinlxin' too much sassap' 'riller."
 But one night about a week later a stranger entered the place as they were all sitting in soelable silence, and invited the house to drink He was well received, and after he had set 'em up again he began asking what sport was to be had in the neighbor- hood.
 I'm rather fond O shooting" he said, 'but most anything suits me. IS there any game round here"
 well, I don't allow shootin' on the premises" said old man Greenhut. but there's a game in the back room some- times"
 The stranger laughed.
 "That isn't what l was thinking of" he said. q meant birds. or bears, or some sort O wild game, but I'm not so all fired particular. I'm looking for any old thing so It's sport. What do you play in the back room? Poker" said old man Greenhut
 "I bought likely" said the stranger You are all so old-fashioned down this way. Poker is good enough for those that like it. but up north We play bridge now, almost all together
 Say" exclaimed old man Greenhut "Is your name Yarvard?'
 well, they call me that sometimes" said the stranger, smiling.
 "We uns Is heer'd O you, then" said the old man. "an' we ben kind O look In for ye. Tn aint nobody here as plays draw bridge, but we been told you c'n play poker some. an the boys was thinkin mebbe they cd learn somepin' about the game f'm you"
 Willing To Take a Hand.
 Well, have played it." admitted Il stranger, "and if there's nothing else to do I don't mind taking a hand" The game was made up promptly Winterbottom Blaisdell, Bassett, and Pearsall sitting in It was to be table stakes, and each man took a hundred in chips.
 After the old man had sold them tn cir stacks and put two decks of cards on the table, he turned to leave the room, but the stranger said: "Hol onl Are those good strong cards?" And he looked at the decks doubtfully. "D'pends some on the deal" said old man Greenhut, puzzled by the question. Some on em is stronger'n others, just nat rally"
 That isn't what I meant" said the stranger. These look like they'd tear easily"
 l And he tore the wrappings off and ran over the two decks hastily. Then putting them together, he tore all the cards in half with a quick motion, and, picking up each half in turn, tore them in two in the same fashion.
 The trick was a new one to them all, and they stared in amazement. One and another picked up somesof the pieces and tried them, but finding them of the usual texture they shook their heads and said nothing Neither did the stranger offer any further comment, so old man Green hut went out and got two more decks. One was opened, and they cut for the deal, the stranger cutting last. Pearsall had cut a trey, which was the lowest when 1t came the strangers turn
 Bet you one to three I beat you," he said, and Pearsall pushed three chips forward without a word.
 The stranger put up his one, and was about to cut when Blaisdell said:
 Want any more of that?" "Go as far as you like" said the stranger, and Blaisdell put up six blues, the stranger covering them with two Then Bassett pushed nine forward, and the stranger covered them, and looked at Winterbottom inquiringly. AS that gen. tleman made no move, he cut the cards, showing a deuce.
 He had won against long odds, but no one thought anything of that. And when he dealt they picked up their cards with no suspicion of a coming shock. Ac tbav clrinped down tbeir hands how ever, the stranger noticed, out of the tall of his eye that each man was more than a little interested
 Bassett had anteed, and everybody came in up to the dealer. He passed, and picked up the deck to serve the draw.
 "Thesell do me-" said Bassett, but without enthusiasm.
 They All Stood Pat. Then Pearsall said he reckoned he wouldn't take none and Blaisdell said he was content, and Jake Winterbottom said he reckoned he'd worry along. And they looked at the stranger with more than a little distrust Four pat hands, without any particular object in betting them, was embarrassing.
 Lucky I didn't come in,' said the stranger. My little four of a kind wouldn't have been good, I reckon"
 They looked in amazement.
 "You don't believe I had en- he said. with a smile. And he turned his hand over. It was four hines with an eight.
 Blaisdell stared. Pearsa1l laughed. Bas- sett swore and reached for his gun, but stopped suddenly with a dazed expres- sion Winterbottom was the only one who seemed unmoved. q reckon Pepper was nigh about | right" he said ''We uns haint no call l to play poker with you" And he threw 1 down his royal flush, face up. Then the other three showed that they each had the same hand in different suit. | Well you see now wly l don't play poker to win, said the stranger "I | don't like to rob people. By the way. MT. Bassett, you'll find your gun under your chair. I was little afraid 1t might go off in your pocket" And Bas- sett found it on the floor. l q reckon there aint no use in sayin' nothin', MT. Yarvard,' said old man Greenhut. who had come back into the leetle better'n anythin' we uns ever seen at the poker table, but if you was to | take a notion to settle In Arkansas City, CT sh'd say you'd be a valuable citizen. | We kind O need you here, thouten your the devil himself"
 | Not quite that" said the stranger | laughing, but I've taken some lessor | in sleight of hand. It's a better game | than poker if you know how to play l It."
 l Sounds blasphemious, but mebbe you're right" said the old man, and the | stranger set 'em up for the rest of the night refusing to cash in the chips he l had won and proving himself a jolly