The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-23
A POKER GAME THAT
WAS NEVER PLAYED
Owing to Certain Happenings
That Were Interesting
Of Themselves.
\ GOOD NAN LED .ASTRAY
By DAVID A. CURTIS.

Squire ~Iiapsood ro,ic gayiy into
~Hinansas city On his favori,e saddle
inu.c while there was yet II little time
to clarse before tir. going down of
the sun. \ contcntcd expression sat
on his rugged countcnance and n siz-
able wad nestled in his hrccches
pocket, The time had arrived for one
uf his occasional outbreaks. and he
was contemplating with no small sat-
isfartion the prospect III u few hours
Of hilarity with which he was about
10 relieve the monotony III life as he
lived II OF his plantation u few ,ui'es
away from the town. Having AZ
ranged his programme" with due care.
he was about to III loose.
Certain matters of business de
manded his attention. and being
arm by previous experience he set
about the transaction of these before
relaxing. When on other occasions
he had begun his round of pleasures
first his business had suffered. 81 this
time he rode past old man G~rsenlaN's
saloon without stopping. The old man
cav and understood this. hut was not
we'll satisfied.
n fool an his wad is soon parted.
as the Good Book says he grumbled.
Thar goes the Squire. hell bent on
wastin his substance in riotous hard
ware or somepin' 70 his home en-
sumption. stead a. Sittin the good on
II his uwn self. like he mought If he
was to come i'm hyar.'
II reckon he'll he back hyar. later
m" said Jake Winterbottom. sooth-
trcly.
90 co'se lie WILL said the old man.
"Th' Amt no question ~ that. i;u. in
h meantime he'll he shuckin' bills
often his wad what blongs 10 We uns
hy rights. Talk about computation
helm the life - trade. 'Tain't. It's
mo- Ike the ruin of "A business man.
an whom it's took to 'Ntrcmes like the
squire's a dom III right now they's
o serious loss into Il.
We'll" said sam pcar.all. ~ one
disposed to make the best Of things.
u reckon he won't spend no mon he's
, 'hlecdged to afo' he comes back"
"Probly not" said the old man. "but
tn amt n hellova lot - satisfaction
bout Gi,tin' half of a wad when yo'd
ought 70 to git il all"
n was undoubtedly true that the
q Il friends of the old man who wer.
sitting with him when he said this
we're in a sense the bcneiirlaries Of his
business system. That is. they shared
N the profits of the poker game which
was kept going in his back room un-
der his careful superintendent. or
%dinarily. therefore. they were little dis
nnsoI In crifirisa htvN fpr ,bn .x.aaJ
ing are with which he looked after
the monetary details of his business,
seeing that they We're, to a certain eN-
tent, participants IN the prosperity
that vas so greatly enhanced by his
.raspinc methods.
Nevertheless there wcr. times when
they cay!lled. Joe I;ass"tt especially
vas occasionally o~utspokrn 10 a degre.
n his reflections concerning parsi-
.,ony. n being possessed If a gorge
'rh,ci rose promptly on the slightest
~proyotat.ol and having small respect
Tor persons.
THIS was one of the times.
"lf No' all was to own the Mis- >.pp
River" he said with utter contempt
y reckon yo'd hcgru,ch a glass u
w1ter 70 a dyin' man"
''A "a w 81 NV ~ ~ ! "'h4tN 30
said the old man earnestly. II va,
evident from his manner that II,
thought he had met the criticism
fairly. and the Others laughed. las
sctt. however, was de ply Disguised
though he kept silence when Blais'
dell Clipped in.
How much d 80 al, reckon a .drini
d be Nuth under them circumstance
he asked gravely.
Well said the old man after con,
sidering the question il moment
that d d'pend c'nsid'ahlc ON how
thirsty the man was. an how much %
Q wad he had. Just n1clully, if h,
was RELY dyin', he'd be- p'pared f"' Il
pay lib'ral, seem he wouldn't nave n,
other use To- his money. 1t d be ,
charity To- to give il to him AT any
price. an they woulun t be no reason
To- not gittin s much : | could.
II wouldn't asst him no mon h" had
bein's I'd he liable 70 to lose "A sale
Tn amt no sense in overrcacliu' 20
self. Moderation pays best in the lon:
run, SO I alays moderates. | hahn
never had the chanst TO to sell nothin
to q man when he was akchully dNin
but IL I was to I'd want 10 know how
WuCH nc fldu dIo IL Spt tHf pIISe'
II b'lieve yo' would" said Basset
a. he spat or the floor. but the other
laughed again.
by thrift We thrives," said Blaisde'
with mock admiration. M the oil
man stared at him. uncomprehendine
90 co'se We does" he said indig
nantly. "lf We has nachul talent
instead o which yo' uns s.ts rom
h%eehawin' like Il mess q wild asses E
the wilderness. showin' II highly on
proper reSpec' TO money
"Oh, shucks," said Bassett, and rlS
ing he stretched himself nightly an
/. stepped outside.
No more was seen of him 10y tlios
who remained in the saloon for u con
Adorable time, during which ia"
waited patiently for Squire iiapG""
to appear, Then a sudden thouS!
sppeared to disuuiet the old man.
"SomcIin' must "A happened 10 TIA
Squire he said. II On'y hope Tia"
mint nobody takin' 'dNantaI f hin
an giitin' the remains of his Wad
rom him. He's liabl" ia 10 git drink
in up To the hotel. an they H. SOM
IN Arkansas city what Il think nothI'
o. takin' his moneN often him II tn"
N:a to git half a chin"t.
ll1I. 10 ,.' al uIZ Ia On In,L I'M