Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-24
The Daily
Short Story
THE MAN IN THE WHITE CRAylr
BY James Brainard.


| out west to see4 my fortune. Thai
was just after tae war between the
| states. and that region of country was
still very rough. The plains were d.
vided between Indians. buffalo hunt.
ers. card sharps, desperadoes and
few good people who were trying
their luck in new country.
For the want of something to io
evenings | used to go into certain
gambling den and watch the card
sharps. When there were no "scahs y
as they called those, stupid enough to
be gulled by them, they would try
their card manipulations upon one an
other. The game was to cheat with-
out being detected II player dealt
I card from the bottom of the pack and
his opponent saw him do it the latter
had simply to say I'm onto that bot
tom deal" and restitution would be
made at once 1t was amusing to me
to see their feats of legerdemain and
to observe how their opponents caught
them in the act.
One evening after supper went
into this den and was looking at the
men play. They were all sharps ex-
cept one man who was a greenhorn, 5
had seen him there on many an
evening and noticed that they were
gradually taking his money from him.
Presently a young man wearing
white crayat came in and said:
Gents, there will be prayer meet
ing over the Alhambra saloon at nine
O'Clock this evening. All those who
desire to switch off from the road to
hell and get aboard the express for
heaven are invited to attend"
He had scarcely finished his quaint
announcement when little boy came
in and, going to the greenhorn, said:
Papa, ma wants you to come home.
She says the baby is in commissions"
The dupes face wore look of an
guish. He wanted TO go to his child,
but he had just lost hundred dol
lars and wanted to stay and win it
back.
''Neighbor,' said the man in the
white cravat, give me your seat I'll
play for you till nine o'clock; then.
since I'm conductor Of the train for
heaven, I'll have to go. l think l can
: play this game as we'll as you"
! The greenhorn surrendered his seat
!, and the conductor Of the heavenly
!, train took up the cards which had
: been put before him to deal 1t was
!" evident at once that he was not un-
e familiar to them He shuffled them
in way that would take any ordi-
> nary man long practice to learn, if in
= deed he could ever master it. Then
:. he dealt them, fiinging them into the
] air 50 that they came down like leaves
J, in a November wind, and the betting
began.
please give that card back to the
I gentleman on your left-the knave Of
: clubs he said to one of the players
The man addressed threw the knaFe
5 OF clubs on the table, the man on the
s left took it up and the game proceed
: ed without any further interruption.
: Presently the parson, seeing good
: ~ pile on the table, said; Surprising
g we make this a jackpot, gents?" All
s agreed and the parson, whose deal II
s was, opened it. The betting ran high
a and it was not long before there were
q several hundred dollars on the table.
Then some one called"
s Gents" said the parson, throwing
e his cards on the table, face up, there
you see a royal flush, the ace, king,
queen, knaye and ten of hearts. Since
there is no hand TO beat a royal flush
i I'll scoop the pile" And he proceed
l. ed to rake the money OF the table.
\. After that he held his own till an
: other fat pile was gathered on the
t. table, when all dropped out except
ID the parson and one other. They raised
h and raised each other till finally the
ri parson showed four aces Again the
% parson raked in a goodly sum.
AT that moment the man whose
7. place he had taken came in.
ig "How's the baby?" asked the par
rs son.
1t All right and asleep"
d How much money have you lost
D. here?"
Of Twelve hundred dollars
10 The parson counted out twelve nun
dred dollars, then turned it over TO
the loser and pushed back what was
J. left to the sharks.
Dr. Gents" said the pars0n TO the lat
s. ter, A few years ago / was worse
IN man than any of you. l fell in love
TT with a good girl and she made dit
= lSFSHt uldH u lie L tllDI att1 Ict II
q ligion and since then have become d
re Methodist parson. My church thinks
d l have a better field among such as
II, was and they have sent me TO work in
as this God-forsaken vineyard Then
III rising he took each man by the hand
ne and pledged every one of them to at
= tend the meeting to be held above the
he Alhambra hall.
ed The parson then went to the home
Of the man whose money he mad
saved TO him, and when the wife and
le mother heard the story and saw the
IS, money she threw her arms about the
ak parsons neck and kissed him.
re And now. my friend, he said to the
" husband. promise me that you VII
ed never gamble again
'rt The man gave the promise and thl
IL parson asked, before he departed. Il
of see the baby He was taken into
ep room where the child slept. There i
he something touching in the sight Of
ga sleeping child But this one mus
ID. have excited strong emotion in tn
f. parson. He bent and kissed the PAL
he cheek and the mother noticed that hi
rs eye was wet.
ty