Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-01-05
BE HAD REFORMED
oouThERN MAN WHO REFUSED
70 PLAY ANY MORE POKER.
DsoIared Il Was Game Of Deceit and
Tssaehsry. and Six Others Now
Can voueh for Truth o.

= gentleman from Savannah was
Milling the other day about poker
Staying friend Of his who'd reformed.
Il met him in Asheville last win
eer.' said the Savannah gentleman.
for the FIRST time In a number Of
years-he lives in a different part Of
Georgia. Back yonder in the Sos and
o0s, when he resided in Savannah he
certainly had something on all Of the
poker players of Savannah, and there
were. and are, some good ones in Sa-
Nannah.
But he sure was q changed man
when met him in Asheville last win
ter. IA heard from somebody or other
that he'd reformed. but l didn't know
that Il had hithim real bad. But when.
one rainy evening. I was shopping
around trying to herd up about seven
10 sit into little game Of the five
dollar kind. and I'd asked this old
friend Of mine who'd reformed II he
was going to make one Of US ct the
table. he staked me to q gaze that
WAS both sad and sweet.
Ny boy he said. I thought every
Sody knew that had ended my evil
ways. / don't play poker any more. I
an not averse to an occasional game Of
cards by way Of amusement-but not
poker; no. stree; not poker. Poker.
uar, II q game Of deceit. It IL q game
that snables-nay, demands man
20 deceive his friends out Of their
money"
Grand said I. I wish had two
bits for every time you deceived me
back yonder in Savanna when !
was
Poker. my boy he cut In on me.
Il game Of pure deceit. an under
handed. treacherous, stab-in-the-back
method Of gambling. l am through
with It. SIR. Yes. sir. decidedly. ! am
forever through with IT,
well. l got together the requisite
number for the game that evening.
and my Savannah friend who had in
reforming developed such q disap-
proving view toward the game Of
draw. followed the bunch over to the
cottage to watch the game.
There is no harm in watching IT,
- explained to me. rather unneces-
uarfly. ON the way over. There u
1enptatton In the world al around
Sns, and one has to live in the midst
- It. and. in . way. participate in It.
1T was . pretty tidy and comfy
lgnne, and my Savannah friend. sit
ding behind my chair. watched II with
= hndling eye that became more f.
csred and sparkling every minute the
game progressed.
HE shook his head sadly. too. over
some Of my poker errors, for he was
N . position to see my hands. and &C.
oaaionally he'd lean over and breathe
,maledictions into my ear for some
thing particularly fat-headed that I'd
done with my cards. according to his
really expert view.
Toward midnight one OF the seven
IN the game had to drop out In order
10 write some business letters at his
cottage for the morning mail
oh. kick In here. parson.' I said
10 my friend from Savannah, who'd
reformed. Take that empty chair
over yonder. You're due to be trimmed
--overdue. Come ON in. The splash
ung's nne.'
Il could see by his hungry eyes that
= great tumult was going ON in his
breast,
Its iivedollars limit you all are
playing. isn't itr he said. finally, after
. long pause. in . hoarse tone that
told Of his inner conflict.
"Tive-dollar limit, said I.
well. I'm glad Of that said he, -
10 made the empty chair in two
strides and pumped down into the
seat. because. subs. ave dolluhs n
che limit in my chu'ch!'
Then he bought . stack and
cleaned the bunch Of w to fare-you-
rwa11