Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-01-20
She Answered After a Pause: There
Was Gen. Philemon Mercer, Con-
federate Army"

/ used to hear of your whist triumphs;
how did you happen to take to whist?"
ITO fiji up the time, l reckon. be-
gan it years ago. Now soldiers life
is a great deal more varied, because a
man will be shifted around and get a
show of the different kinds of service.
And there are the exams, and the
Philippines-oh plenty of diversions
! But in the old days man in the line
u s efltd n 2r awfully stupid time.
/ didn't care to take to drink; and |
couldn't read as you do If I'd had
books, which | hadn't, so / took to
playing cards | played skat and
poker and whist, and of late years I've
played bridge Millicent plays?'
"Milicent is a celebrated player,
She was great duplicate-whist play
er, you know To see Millicent in her
glory, one should play duplicate with
her. I'm only chnnlp player; my
sole object is to win tricks"
What else should it be?''
Aunt Rebecca smiled uHon rs "To
give Information 10 yoir partner. The
main object Of tbs celebrated ''r ~
can-leads system is si-.nali1g jrfoe 4
ticn to your partner. Incidentally, ere
tells the adyersaries, as well as ones
partner which, however. doesn't
count really as much as you might
thi.k; for most people don't notice
what their partners rlay very much,
and don't notice what heir adver
sarics play at all .,illcent is al
vgF so busy indies ting things to her
amer a0d watching for his signals
I his Indications that you can run a
ceoss ruff in on her without her sus-
pc ting. She asked me once if she
didlt play an intelligent game, and |
told her she did; babe in arms
could understand it. She didn't seem
quite pleased"
How about Archie? Can he play
good game?s
Very fair for a boy of "A; he was
fond of whist until his troubles
came" said Mrs. Winter. with faint
clouding of her keen gaze. "Since
then he hasn't taken much interest in
anything. Janet has Frightened him
up more than anyone; and when he
heard you were coming that did rouse
him. You are one Of his heroes. He's
that sort of boy" she added, with a
tinge of impatience in her soft south
ern voice AS if to divert her thoughts,
she began deftly moving the cards
before her Her hands showed the
blue veins more prominently than they
show in young heads, This was their
only surrender to time; they were
shapely and white, and the slim fin
gers We're as straight as when the
beaux of Fairfax county would have
ridden all day for a chance to kiss
them
The colonel watched the great ruby
wink and glow The ruby was a part
of his memories Of his aunt; she had
always worn it. He remembered it,
when she used to come and visit him
at the hotel at West Point dazzling
impartially officers, professors, cadets
and hotel waters. Was that almost
40 years ago? Well, "a anyhow! She
had been verN good, very generous to
all the young Winters. then. Indeed,
although she never quite forgave him
for not marrying the wife of her Sc.
lecting, she had always been kind and
generous to Rupert; yet. somehow,
while he had admired and found
humorous Joy in his Aunt Rebecca, he
wondered If he had ever loved her.
She was both beautiful and brilliant
when she was young, southern belle,
a northern society leader; her life was