Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1912-08-01

was proposed, since there was a good
deal of money already on the table,
that after the draw the best hand
should rake it In. Madge was the last
person to call for a card Throwing
her hand on the table face up, she dis
played three aces, @ knave and deuce.
She hesitated some time as to which
of the two lower cards to discard and
finally threw out the knave Plunket
dealt her card in its place. 1t was
another deuce, which gave her an ace
full. 1t was winner.
Madge scraped the money Off the
table, and soon after that Connect
cut clock on the mantel wheezed out
the hour of IL. and the game came to
an end through limitation.
The next day left Madge Hay
wards boarding house to pursue my
travels and soon afterward returned
to the east. did not go back to the
west for matter of twenty years.
During the interval the region where
Madge Hayward had lived had been
comprised within the limits of newly
admitted state. found all much
changed. visited the capital, and
friend took me to call upon the gov
ernor. The latter was a man about
fifty-dve years of age and. though he
dressed in the professional black, bore
marks Of having belonged to the early
times. There was something about him
that seemed familiar to me, and
fancied l might have met him during
my western tour years agone. But
couldn't place him. nor could he re-
member having seen me before. He
invited me to dinner at his home, and
I accepted
The moment laid eyes on his wife
noticed In her. too. something ia
miliar. If had met her during my
previous visit to the region now be-
held her twenty years older than she
was then. The moment she looked at
me I saw by the expression on her
face that there was something about
as she received me as stranger
did not claim a previous acquaintance.
The dinner passed off pleasantly, the
governor leaving his wife to do most
of the entertaining. They both EVIL
IDENTIFY had been denizens of the coun-
try in its primitive days. but women
take to new conditions easier than
men. and the wife would have passed
for lady anywhere. Indeed, she had
spent some time with her husband in
Washington while he had represented
his state In congress | heard after
ward that she had been quite prom
inent socially at the capital.
Suddenly look. a motion. a gesture
Il can't tell which-told me that she
was Madge Hayward. l was convinc-
ed that she had recognized me from
the first. and If she had wished to be
known as her former self she would
have greeted me as her former board
er. But since she had not thus made
herself known l did not feel warrant
ed IN claiming former acquaintance
Therefore when \ took leave Of my
hosts did not mention the matter of
bygone days. But the lady gave me a
pressure Of the hand that assured me
/ was not only remembered by her,
but remembered favorably. | fancied.
however, that gratitude was mingled
with other sentiments. not having
given away her previous condition to
her husband
But In the latter supposition was
mistaken. While smoking In the hotel
at which was stopping a man STEP
ped up to me who recognized In the
man Of thirty-nine the youth of nine
teen. He proved to be one of the |
poker party convened at Madge Hay |
wards the evening before my depar-
ture. told him that had dined with |
the governor and his wife. had recog- |
nized the wife as Madge and the gov
ernor seemed familiar to me- l also
asked him II he remembered how
Madge had drawn the deuce that had
filed her hand and won large pot
He said he did and straightway let
me into secret.
What am going to tell you." be
said. lis confidential. am the only
man now about here who was here
then. The record of the governor and
MS Wl1e ~ uOt kuOWUs duQ WOULDN'T |
make it known to any one here Madge
ostensibly kept boarding house, but |
it was really gambling house She
had husband. and the two worked
the scheme together. Do you remem-
Der man called Plunket, who dealt
her that deuce7 Well. he was her hus-
band and is now the governor. He
was very clever as dealer and had
fixed her hand for her before filing it
with the deuce. didn't know this at
the time inferred 1t afterward when
I learned the rest of the secret Plunket
was not his real name. The pair made
no end Of money through their scheme,
and afterward the husband became
prominent in politics. Having invested
the money made as card sharper In
mines. he became very rich. was elect
ed to congress and is now. as you
know, governor"
Il am sorry" said to my inform i
ant, ito hear this. I always liked
Madge. and know that she liked me.
wish you had not told ne"