The sun., 1910-05-22

Think hs Cd see both sidsa Of a cyard
TO onoetg' he Rsked.
oh, don't know, said Mr.; Pepper.
but old Que Eye said he poared 70 know
what he was gOiB' 20 draw every time he
sat neHt 70 the dealer, let alone when he
dealt bic OWnseR
Thea nnding that the unknown had
stopped over and wna at that moment
% the only hotel IN town blaisdell pro
posed that a committees he appointed 10
walt On hlm and oher MIN the hosIitaii''es
OF Arkansas Olty.
Iaint tlttln' q stranger ahd come
here With the kind o wad tr@ here guy
must have an not have no show 70 sam
pie the pOker that, pAayed mere, re sald;
and - old man ure01laW Coruialiy IN
dorsed THIS sentiment Jake Wnterbottom
ana sam Pearaall were appotnted 70 act
a. auoh committee.
~ ha here galoot comes hcre 70 play.
Joe, said blAiedell 20 haaaott after the
committee rad departed. an Y anybody
shd kick you In tate tnin Just aio u come
my deal 20 want % rememhor 10 call =
2 rcd deck Tho Sheriff said he wouldn't Z
forget
In dus time the committee reappeared,
bringing the stranger along. He proved
10 he tall. we'll built man OF excetlent
appearance and eAay manners, who en-
pressed the pleasure ne tet a. meeting
the company asssmblsd by asking them
20 drink not once but twice. lhen when
some one suggested a game OF cards a.
a suitable paatims for an idle evening he
aaid he would be pleased 10 join II there
waa room at the table for him.
There was room and he joined. where
upon Mr.. Owen Pepper, who did not often
play but was sometimes allowed 70 look
on. was apesdily justified in the praise Re
had bestowed on the playing he Rad seen
on the boat.
The stranger, who had given hia name
az Tom Knott OF Memphis. showed IN the
verv hrst round that he was an accom-
plished playeF. Not only did he riiile and
deal the cards himself with the ease and
Rraoa which comes only from long pFac-
tioe. hat he shOwpd a nloe ApprpciatiOn
Of the value Of his hands when he stood
two raises ON a paiF Of aoas before the
draw and won the Dot without lettering
and by LAYING down a pat fllsk in another
deal rather than play IL against a cross
fre which winterbOttOm and Bassett
aet un Il aeemed n those who were
nlsving aSainSt him that he had an in.
stlnctlva knowledge Of what was out after
the deal. only a. they aid not believe much
In instinct they watched closely 10 SEE
hv what means he arrived at his cOnclu-
siona.
Blajaiell in narticulaF studied his
RaDe with great ear. and while he PLAYED
his own csrrla with unusual restraint.
taxing mart IN few cnntegta. making no
display of his skill in dealing and laying
down under a barrfaoed bluR at least
once no watched keenly for come siRn
that would indicate the secret oF the
other's auccesH. Finally heinR convinced
a
sorn.,hinS ~ A. Win h no apDeared 10
no ,horo,i1hlv satisfad and PLAYED along
tor a ,irre waitinV an onUortInltV.
His frienda beinx acc,,stosued 20 follow
he a,arnle In a Veneral wav and IN wait
To- hirr 10 ,ahe tho Initiative IN bold plav
49, rsfrained from takinS anv dacislve
-,.r. ara nlavSd an ,,n,,s,,alIv connevva-
,i,.s ,Sr,s ior = cocairierahle time nakinr
NJ attempt a. nS1sh their advantaRp when
,hev bed a ana losing with easy Rraca
vvhep AZ fr@auentiv hapDqped Mr.
Enoft o,,r rnlaved them. until after a while
thst Se1tis5nan wss CONVINCED that
~ a r.sII,, fc,,nd ncCoething easiar
than ,,s,,sI
IA U,,,at have heen about sNao ahead
~ he same alter a dozen r0Unda or 40
| - ~ ba.y, ,,na,,le to 49, anv Unusual
shiIl nj the nlavers who OpFs,apd him
- has "a va A naarlv tlnsilsniriotta
a. a good noker nlaver d ever likelv 10 he
when auddaDlv loe Raaaatt Rave 4 Quick
"a, sDd sssm~d about 10 saw some
thinS Whatsver h, was. he ohacLad him
self and calling loudly 10 old man Green
law denanded a frWsh deck og carSia
-Bgina a red dack.' he said 'ps,ars
lila a Nine dack al'avu wa hard htck 20
mo The old man a. ne hurried
In with the cardn noticed thai Il waa
| Blaladell's next deal
Opening the package deftly. that gen
| tlernAn discarded the Joker and sprrad
/ tho deck out in the conventional manner
10 show that il was regular. and then
hunching the cards shufiled them caro-
fully Then he offered them n the Others
10 shulse II they choae 10 do 40 and Win
terhottom and Knott each gave them
a oourle N ines. after whirh Blaisdell
took them again and riiied them care
esnly thrse or four times
IN wRs KNOTS age. and he nut m the
usual ante Of 81 call q Then he wasched
the deal with his usual care. noticing.
| a. he noticed everything, that the dealer
in putting the dsck down after serving the
hands dropped Il somewhat awkwardlv.
10 that the top card was separated for
a small fraction Of a second from the
Others II fell ia place too quickly for
an ordinary observer 20 have seen IT,
hut Mr. Knott was positive that Il was
/ the seven 81 cluls
/ Then Pearuall. sitting next 70 the age.
came in Rassett trailed WintertOt-
( tom raised IL. Blaisdell dropped and
| Knott lifted his hand
There was no sign of emotion al he
saw what NJ held. hut he promptly raised
again Then Pearsall raised in his turn
and Bassett after studying a long time
| trailed once mora
That gave Winterbottom another
/ chance and a. there was already over $50
/ in the pot he mhda it siOO 20 draw cards.
| b,it NJ Knott wi,ho,I, basi,stion made
| IL sIO0 more than that. II was then Pear