The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-07
OLD MAN GREENLAW
SITS IN AT THE GAME
Showing Acadcmical knOwl-
edge Of Poker Principles
but Small Ekill.
MR.. BLAISDELL'S DISGUST
ny DAVID A. CURTIS.

n UtdD DtlltI ~ W stunt SO11t res II
It's TO to go cavortin' round I'm place
to place, lookin' 10 Gawd knows what,
an not never gittin' nowheres. Pears
like nigh bout the hull human race is
that DISCONTINUED what it don't make
no difference whar they be, they done
got to go some place else"
"Mebbe So" said Joe Bassett. as one
who Is not minded to submit grace
fully to dictation, but what good is
a mans laigs IL he's gwlne to set into
M place c'ntinyal?"
"Laigs Is ncc'ary.' admitted the old
man, but usin' OF 'em amt the chief
eend o. man"
"Mebbe not" rctorted Bassett. but
they is one eend."
At this point the colloquy was
suspended. Three other gentlemen
who were sitting in the old mans
saloon in Arkansas City at the time
had listened to 1t as they might have
listened to the barking Of dogs, without
displaying any deep interest in 1t.
though II was more or less of a sur
prise to them that the big Sheriff
should think il worth while to argue
against anything the old man might
see fit to say. The retort. however.
wa so apt, and the statement was 3,
manifestly incontrovertiblc. that all
there frightened up and waited with
some concern to hear what surre-
Joinder the Old man might offer.
As for him, he pondered as IL at
"A loss for once to determine how
best to assert himself. There seemed
to he nothing - sly, and for a time
he said 1t. occupying himself in the
interval with the preparation Of a
cigar for consumption. After he had
eaten n end of that and lighted the
other he o his favorite seat by the
window and put his feet on the sill.
"~Spcakin' - poker he said. 'th'
amt no tellin' what noboiy's gwine TO
do a.o' he sets in. an it's a heap sight
mo- doubtful what's swine to happen
alter"
II reckon tn amt no mo- question
bout what's gwinc to he did afo' an
a'ter the game n they is what's wine
In he did into IT," observed Jim Bats
dell thoughtfuliy. Il is done seen mo
diddin's ut the la ole n | ever seen
anywheres else my own self"
Again the old mar was taken aback.
Mr.. i'lalsdell's remark was not 10 be
taken as exactly controverting his
own. but ii was obvious TO him and TO
the others that 1t was not only more
striking nut that ii was more apt In
is relation to the subject % poker.
which he had himse announced as
the one under consideration. Accus-
toned as he was to LAY his own
utterances accepted as the ultimate
a.roasA, - glr, g., .,1.aI lg-.
~grlevously To have his own powers of
observation outshone. \ mind less
subtle than his might not have been
troubled by So trivial a matter, but
to him it was portentous, and his
gorge arose.
He smoked in silence for some min
ntes, and the others. who seemed some
how to sense the situation n to find
unholy satisfaction in it, smoked also
n silence.
Presently the old man said, They
was a man in Greenville-"
"Oh. he.l." exclaimed Sam Pearsall.
and he left the room abruptly.
Again there was silence for an in
terval, during which the old man
swelled visibly and the dove of peace
looked a~nXiously around.
Beats all" said the old man at
iength, "how sensitive Sam is. Pears
like they can't nobody say nothin' but
what he reckons how they mean TO to
wit him. stands TO reason tn amt
nobody gwine &c wipe Greenville of'n
the map just because he was fool
enough TO to git married thar. Mought
a happened anywheres."
"Wpll" said Lake Wiptarhnftpm
with a twinkle in his eye. 81 reckon
sam is got some rights even il he is
married. TIL amt no all TO nobody
10 tromple on him c'ntinyal."
Who's tromplin'?' demanded the
old man Indignantly. 1t began to look
as If he had no friends.
"Yo' all is" replied Winterbottom
calmly. "They's other places to talk
about b'sides G~reenville. but no. Pears
like yo' all amt never been nowheres
else. Yo' can't open yo' mouth
'thouten fetchin' Greenville into it
some ways. Just nachully Sam
'bjects. ] would my own self IL | was
a married man."
The dove Of peace absented herself
suddenly, and the others. noting her
departure, prepared themselves for a
season OF enjoyment, all but the old
man. He frothed at the mouth.
At this juncture the door OF the
saloon was opened from the outside
and a stranger entered.
Old man Grecnlaw at the moment
was In the act Of Selling his bung-
starter, and there seemed to be no
reasonable doubt OF his intention to
nut IN TO immediate use. Such was