The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
BLAISDELL'S SKILL
IN DEALING FAILS
Fantastic Stranger Has Fun
with Old Man Grpenlaw
and His Friends.
FIVE ACES BREAK UP GAME
nv DAVID 4. CURTIS.

forcsaw. having large experience, that
the sale Of liquors and cigars would
,r,,idc him with a steady. reliable in
come. lie also realized. however. that
&, a community OF the size OF Arkan-
sas city there would not he n sufficient
volume Of trade. steady and reliable As
II might be, to provide SO much OF an
income as he considered duo to him
from the world at .argc.
Therefore. being rs energetic and
cntcrprising as he was far sighted in
business matters. he fitted out the
back room of his saloon with every
convenience required for the purposes
Of card playing. These convenience
were a large kerosene lamp, a table
and some chairs. The cards and chips
he kept behind the bar in the front
room. where he also kept his bung.
starter.
Being thus equipped he permitted
any who SO desired TO play cards in
his back room. and this proved to be
a privilege of which the citizens OF
Arkansas City were quick TO avail
themselves. the more So as he estab-
lishcd no kitty and seldom or never
Joined in the game himself.
The absence Of the kitty, being con-
,rary TO the usual custom OF saloon
keepers in other river towns. gave
rise TO some wondering comment, to
which the Cd man replied that he was
content with the profits of the add
'ioral trade which the card game
brought TO his bar. II was ineXpe-
oient. as he viewed the matter, to cx-
piau further that he intended TO run
the game uU somewhat different lines
from those with which his regular GUS
toners We're familiar.
ru!sslnt a. he and his coparceners
were. however. there was always an
element of uncertainty In the game
when unknown sat in. So
Ear : possible he had eliminated
chance from the problem, but he was
too wary To face any uncertainty
without careful consideration. where
fore he always sized up the strangers
who came before suggesting poker to
them as a pastime which they might
possibly anu pipiildblc az Wti us
pleasant.
on one occasion, however, he found
himself at "a loss to form an estimate
Of the man who came into his saloon
utter.ng the customary formula with a
foreign accent and a brilliant smile,
Brilliant is the only word descriptive
e It FOR it disclosed a set OF beautiful
teeth. in " Of which were embedded
wonderfully coruscant and fair sized
diamonds. And his coal black eyes
cleaned as brightly as these two jewels
did. Moreover. they twinkled-that is,
the eyes tw~inkled-as If betokcning a
merry disposition.
His appearance was marked also by
other peculiarities. His tiny mustachs
and imperial were stiffly waxed and
his eyebrows inclined outward and up
ward al a curious angle. His costume
was fairly startling. From his shiny
silk hat. on which was a broad red vel
Vet band, to the tips of his small pat
ent leather shoes each garment diff
lered from the others in color, and each
color was violent.
Jeweiled ornaments appeared at his
throat and wrists and on his shir
front and eve in his ears, while az
gold chain and diamond
studded locket attached to his vest in
dicated his possession of a valuable
watch. And all these glories were en-
wrapped in a huge coat Of costly ful
which he wore thrown open in front.
So strange an apparition in Arkansal
City seemed like q bird Of paradise oil
a dunghill, and the old man and hi.
fr,n,l. ,,,r -, 4, -. ,z. .,,.l $1,000.
ment, Then when the stranger de
handed sugar and water for himeel
and drank with them as IL he reall.
enjoyed the queer mixture they locke
al him and at one another in bewilder
ment
When lie paid for the round he dis
played d wad that would have choke
a hungry mule, and the old man dis
missed all thought of hesitation. s
. r!ch a prize had never before com
within his reach. The only questio,
remaining in his mind was as L
whether he stranger would pla
poker.
He would and he did. entering n
objection when the old man suggeste
mat each Of the players might as we
take 1000 worth Of chips. and throw
.ng out a bill OF that denominatio
IN payment for his stack as carelessl
az II 1t had no value.
Ills demeanor was equally carefre
n regard TO other matters, and a
though he sustained some sever
losses in the early part of the gam
he seemed entirely Indifferent to then
81 that the other players began to fe'
confident that he would soon be drive
so the h~oneyard.
~ one time, indeed. this SCENE
.ncvitable as a condition of his re
naming in the game, for his pile ha
diminished so far that he had a littl
less than $500 remaining when the del
came around In Jim Blalsdell. who wa
accounted we'll nigh infallible as
dealer.
When the betting began it SCENE
as # he had justified his reputatioI
Tor Jake WinterbJttom, having four
i'Ir ten spots IN his hand before III
draw, bet out as boldly as If he ha
something, and Joe Bassett, obscr'
lhg the confidence W~interbottol
Nrpwed. boosted him On general prir
'inIos and the stranger trailed alon
Not unnaturally, W~interbottol
raised again, and Bassett in pursl
ance Of "A we'll settled policy gave
stnl another boost.
Blaisdell and Pearsall had both la
down on the first round, and the
Looked at the stranger with some C,
riosity to see what he would do again
AA . .--a. -.