The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
A SURPRISE FOR
The LIEUTENANT
When the Seven Spot lie Had
Caught in the Draw Was
Turned Over.
CsE spa WAS MISSING
By DAVID 4. ca NTIS.

"Gimme "A new deck" said James
Blaisdell. somewhat abruptly. as he
uttered old man Greenlaw's saloon
rather carrier in the day than he was
IN the habit of doing
1t was no unusual thing for him to
keep early hours and in this partic-
ular he was no, unlike tho other Ar
Kansas City men who made their head
quarters in the old mans saloon. but
no a rule whenever they were active
in the early hours those hour were
the ones Immediately following mid
night and the activity was a %prolonga-
ton of the business Of the preceding
evening. The new day seldom began
FOR them before noon and ii was a
surprise to the old man to see Mr..
Elaisdell ONE in at such an hour.
AS for Greenlaw 1t was not known
that he ever left the premises. Such
sleep as he absolutely required he
took at odd times in n chair. with his
feet on the window sill. At this mo-
ment, however. he was broad awake
and he turned readily enough to the
shelf where he kept his stock of play
lhk NdluS W toilIly WIN va ~
curt demand.
Then he paused.
"If yo' all is amin TO practise with
en-" he said. they IS three or TO
decks layin' round what's jest s good
Is new. an they amt no charge TO
EN- not to yo' all. they amt"
Gimme "A new deck" said Blaisdell
,gain. impatiently this time. An
they n he no charge To- EN-. not
now. they won't" he added. as one
who il positive of what he says.
"Mebbe they won't. an mebbe they
will" said the old man doubtfully. but
he produced "A deck In the original
package, securely sealed. exactly as II
lad come from the manufacturer.
On this point Blaisdcll assured him
self by looking carefully as he took
the cards. Then. saying nothing. he
went into the back room and seated
himself at the poker table. There was
nothing doing in the front room and
the old man followed him. taking a
seat opposite and looking curlously to
tee what was about to he done. What
he saw interested him greatly, but he
aid nothing till it was all over.
Mr.. Blaisdell. whose digital skill was
esteemed one of the marvels of the
mississippi Valley. began by opening
the package so deity that the seal was
unt djsfigured in any way. n laying
the wrapper on n side, as il with
Q intention Of using II again.
non he selected the -four skies in
80 pack. taking them out without
disturbing the sequence of the other
Z, rds. and laid those others on
de.
Next he produced from an inside
rocket four small bits Of very thin
= lcrcd paper. W. red and two black,
1T IN the exact shape II size # the
lrps that were engraved on the
o.rds. These pieces Of paper had
Violently been prepared beforehand
18th adhesive gum. and m%oistening
.aem with his tongue he affixed them
% the four six spots. in such a posi-
ton that each card was Immediately
transformed into a seven spot.
Then he assembled the deck again.
put the altered six spots in their
respective positions and replaced the
wrapper On the package. sealing 1t
up again so skilfully that even a
careful investigation would have
failed to give evidence hat the seal
nad ever been broken.
"Yo' all pears To have 'casion 70
a hellova lot mo seven spots n
common" observed the old man, i'm
plying by his manner that he would
be welcome explanation.
We'll" said Blaisdell ~thoughtfully,
"they sho' is no on 'em now n what
they gently is into a pack. but they
mought not be 81 many when yo'
come to bet onto EN-. Them spots
II come off nigh bout as easy as they
was put on, if yo' rub 'em right
Il reckon mebbe they would" said
the old man as one who has a faint
glimmer of the possibilities of some-
thing, but knows not what it il.
"But what good is the spots II they,s
Gwine to be rubbed one"
We'll. il a man was to see enc
on 'em accidental like" was the non.
committal answer, IAN IL he was 10
reckon how he was yho' gwlne to git
1t into the draw. mebbe 1t mought
be c'nsid'able good. Three sevens
amt SIGH a hellroarin' big hand, but
it's gently enough to keep a man into
the bettin', p'vided he amt over to-
stiff afo' the draw. Alter that they
u a heap moiight happen"
"As WHAT" persisted the old man
but Blaisdell was not minded to ex-
plain in detail.
"That d d'pend c'%nsid'able on tn,
size o. the pot" he said. AN / reckon
the size o. the pot d d'pend some OF
whether a man knowed one sevel
spot was a six time enough To- L
Keep him FIN bettin' his hand.
Sometimes a man II put up c'nsid'
eble mo- money on To- sevens n wha
&c will on three. Makes a diff rene,
whose deal tits.
"All = yo' all is got to do is to keel
his deck sep'rate till Joe Bassett call
20 a blue deck. Don't fetch it out f.
nobody else, but II he sh'd asst To-
fetch it. Likely it'll he my deal"
oh. very well" said the old mar
ago all II git the deck all right whel
rs wanted. | reckon yo' must b
lcokin' 70 that there Lootenant to Sc
IN again. He sho' Is one tolable goo
ioker player"
"Sho' he'll set in again" said Blais
He'll impatiently. IT amt nothln' els
90 him to do Is they, s long = he
ationed at Arkansas City? An me I
nat, didn't he break somc'res mig
wen last night? Just lose enough Il
:, make him think 'twa'n't nothin' bu
tIck. -, La'll be bettiE.' -. gaitin' tina