The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-21
Mr.. OWEN PEPPERS
+. POOR DEDUCTION
Aeto Sam Pearssll's Play in a
Game With Bellyband
Bush and Others.
TELLS 1T AND GOES AWAY
~ DAVID A. CURTIS.

~ DAVID 4. CURTIS.
Z reckon most likely Sam Pearsall
mus - done went foolish in his haid,'
eajd old man 0reenlaw. with a troubled
expression.
That he was indignant was clearly
evident, but Il also seemed as n ne
were GYfeved. and his friends, being
unaocustomed TO seeing him mix his
emotions. were considerably puzzled.
J He usually took his Indignation
straight. As II Il were whiskey.
Moreover, they were somewhat per-
picked BY his reference 70 Pearsall.
They had not seen Sam for some days,
but they had ascribed his absence "a
perfectly natural causes Liquors
sometimes had cumulative effects on
MIN. and ne was wont to devote occa-
donal intervals Of time to rccuperative
rOGt. Because Of several presidents OF
this description. therefore. they had
6ivsn the matter no special ~considera-
ton until the old man said what he
ala.
That. however. aroused not only
their curiosity but also some anxiety.
Il had happened. not frequently but
one or twice before. that their COM
rade had wandered away and done
strange things when they supposed
him 70 Be dead to the world. Once.
yeasS before, ne had strayed as far as
0resuvtlle and had returned as a mar
tSe6 man. There vas no telling what
~ might have done this time, and be-
oauos he had in a endeared
himself to them by his sturdy loyalty
70 the common welfare they were more
q Ices troubled.
whats he done did now:' asked
Jazz Winterbottom. as one prepared to
hear the worst. and unprepared to con-
0odct II, whatever II might he.
Hes done ruined away said the
I'D man.
Who was she?" inquired Jim Blais-
DELL With a cynical grin.
"Oh. they want no woman into II.
II that's what yo' means said tho old
man. SANS foolish in the haid. all
right, like ] done said. but I reckon he
Amt altogether plumb crazy. not yet
he Amt"
"Mebbe he amt y foolish q yo' all
pears to reckon" suggested Joe Bas-
ostt. Il dunno but what | mought
run away my wi self n I was mar
ried."
THAT don't prove nothin'. rhey's a
heap O. men done RUINED away. but
II Amt nothin' onder the blue CAMS
Ter o heaven mo- foolish n to try to git
away I'm a woman declared the old
man very positively.
Not when she's yo' wife. tn amt"
no continued. "A man ma git away
nm ragin' lions. or a food, by rum
min. or he mougnt dodge a streak O.
hghtntn' II he was quick enough. But
they Amt no man Twin en- git away
1rm q woman. not thouten she wants
him to go. An the last eend o. that
man g a hellova lot wuss'n the fust.
az h Good Book says. She'll git him
again, an that's what Sans gwinc to
md out. Miss Pearsall is done started
out on his trail"
They shuddered. Not even on the
q eyed man would they have wished
such a situation. Blu Winterbottom
spoke us as one not without some
hi 'e. albeit hope seemed vain.
VANS tol'able talented when il
a >s to dodg!n' trouble he said.
he git a good START
Y non make no difference how good
az .rt he got" said the old man. nor
Q fur he's done went. Shell git
.hNA sho, an may the Lawd have
mefcy on his soul when she does"
" reckon ii must be nigh bout time.
then. 70 We uns to indulge in silent
pra'r TO a spell. like they does to
camp meetin',' said Winterbottom.
TIL aint no,hin' else pears TO be likely
TO do no good
NO. o that won't. neither" de.
clared tho old man. gloom.lv assured
OF the worst. "Prayin' is all right
when til amt no,hin' but spIritclal
matters c'ncerned. But faint no mo
good n soundin' brass an t.nglin'
simples, as the Good Book says. when
they's anythin' RELY the matter"
Realizing the truth of this as they
did. his hearers. while they said no
more for a time. devoted their atten-
tim 70 their tobacco instead Of to sup
plication.s And the silence lasted for
quite n while, At length Bassett
sighed heavily and said,
We'll, Sam was a mighty good
smoker"
1t was as II he had been searching
his memory for something that might
suggest a fitting eulogy for the de-
parted and as IL he had been unable
10 think OF anything else. But the old
man was dissatisfied with II.
H was a heap mo n that" he said.
Sam had his failin's. but he sho' was
Q heap better'n III av'rage. He want
the best poker player ever lived, an
] wouldn't "a backed him into a freeze
out With no reel expert like BlaisdelI,
nor even the one eyed man, but they
want nobody ] ever seen was mo
reliable n him when 1t come to keepin'
up his end OF "A secsaw.
lie didn't rake down so many pots
a. some his ownself, but he sho'
swolled 'em a heap To- them what did,
I'm m TO time, An he want no
stouch OF a player a, that, cvcn when
he played a lone hand"
"Oh, l don't know said Mr.. owen
Pepper. who had been quietly obser-
ant up to this time and had even
seemed To ind some enjoyment in con-
tenplating the genuine sorrow OF the
others, but who found it no longer
possible 10 refrain from speech. 81
done seen him lose out into n game.
onct. nigh bout the most foolish OF
anythin' I eve seen did"
There was a general start. and for
q single instant it seemed as If Mr..
Pepper might be hard put to it to
escape great peril, but the. old man.
though he glanced al his bungstarter,