The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-09
!, A WINNING
!, ~ ~ HAND.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


copyright. 1906. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
! While standing In a railroad coach
looking over a game OF poker one OF
The players invited drummer stand
Ing beside me to take a hand. He
declined, saying that he never played
that or any other gambling game.
hyerring that there was something in
II excihve Of avarice, dishonesty, an
ger and many other repulsive traits,
ending with curiosity. asked him
why he included the last.
"sit down here" he said, leading the
way to a seat ''and I'll tell you"
We sat down together, and he told
the following story:
Il once had two friends, John Ry-
lance and Peter Nichols. They're both
dead now, but at the period of which
I'm going to tell you they were very
much alive. One afternoon they were
playing friendly game Of poker with
a party, all Of whom except themselves
finally dropped out. They agreed to
deal one hand for $40 Each seemed
confident Of the hand dealt him and
kept raising the other till there was
tlssJ0 In the pot, when Nichols bet $1,000
more. Rylance said that was above
what he had on hand. Nichols retorted
that be would give him all the time
he wanted to go and get more, and
Rylanee agreed to go after funds and
see him.
"0f course he couldn't go of and
tseave his cards, and he couldn't take
them with him. 1t was agreed that
both hands should be placed on the
table face down, the four corners of
each card sealed with wax. This was
done, each man using a private seal
Then they both went Of after money,
agreeing to return in an hour.
'Kylance went to his bank and drew
what funds he wanted and was getting
on trolley car to go back when an
automobile came along and knocked
him down. He didn't seem to be much
hurt, but when he tried to get up he
couldn't and had to call carriage. be
lifted into it and driven home. Nichols
went to his house, where he had lot
Of money NJ a tin box, and found doc
tors and nurses flying around His
wife had been taken suddenly LII, and
they had been hunting and telephoning
for him all over town.
aYVhar. fba haTr ne ~ nu5 .-ntkt.n.
returned, Evans, the man at whose
house they had been playing, locked
the door Of the room the cards were
In and went of about something need
ing his attention. When he got back,
learning that neither of them had been
there. he called up both on the tele-
phone, learned the cause of their fail |
ure to return and received a request |
from each to let the table and the |
cards stand as they were. From time
to time Evans inquired as to when
they would finish the game, but Ry- |
lance got worse instead of better. and
Mrs. Nichols lay long while at the
point OF death"
The story teller talked so loud that I
others besides myself could hear Sew
sral passengers near by were listening.
DO you know that .Rylance never I
got out again? The damage done by I
the automobile was internal and pro-
duced complications. The surgeons
opereted on him. and he died under the
operation. At the same time Mrs
Nichols was at the point Of death. but
she suddenly took turn for the bet
Ter. giving her husband an opportunity
70 get away on journey to matter
that had been needing bis attention for
some time. Coming back he was
caught in railroad accident and
killed"
''Great Scott!. exclaimed an iInpa-
tent passenger. "Aren't you ever go
Ing to tell us who won that. hand?"
And spoil my story2 Not much.
It's just here where the trouble comes
in-that is in settling the two mems
estates. You see. there was no prece-
dent In law to decide whether the
money should be divided equally or
whether the estate inheriting the win
ming hand should have II all Rylance's
heirs said that be had claimed that be