Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-26

array OF winnings on the taple De
fore him, dealt the cards for what
was agreed should be the last jacl
pot of the session Four men before
him had dealt, and in all the twenty
four hands there had been not pail
of openers. Five handsome one
dollar chips decorated the center OF
the table.
"A little bird tells me / am going
10 crack this and take away all youi
money" remarked DR.. Bannister as
! he lifted his cards to the level Of
his face and carefully opened them tc
discover the pip marks in the corners
1.-The bird lied. Pass"
Pass" in succession declared
Reese warland. Chief of Police Phi
Ewing. Joe Ansell and Marvin. the
| New Yorker.
That causes me to look" said Bill
who had not picked up his cards.
| He slowly investigated his hand
The first two cards We're kings. The
tnext was a ten. The fourth was y
king.
shes open for a matter of about
five iron dollars" he declared gayfy
Come on in, fellers! There are secret
reasons why need the money"
Doctor Bannister's face indicated
that he was pleased and desired te
CoBceal the fact, as he pushed in ten
browns. sThus lifting it five and
I causing all pikerS to dash for safety
he observed.
"Ive dashed" said War1and.
promptly tossing his hand into the
discard.
The chief of police studied his
cards ruminatively. It's shame to
let Doc run that kind of whizzer.'
he remarked. but I don't see how
I'm going to stop it with three spades
and two clubs and no pairs. Good
night, I've gone,
Ansell ditched his cards in disguised
silence.
Marvin, the New Yorker. pondered
deeply. looked his hand over again
with care, hesitated, and pushed for
ward ten dollars.
During this procedure. Bill glanced
carelessly at his fifth card, which he
had not seen when he opened. 1t was
a ten.
There is only one way to play two
pairs, he remarked. Heavy before
the draw, and lay 'em down afterward
if you don't better. l have bunch
tie raise of another ten"
DIR. Rannister saw the raise Mar
van again considered his hand.
The New Yorker. although a pretty
good player had been having poor
luck, and was thirty or forty dollars
loser. His face gave no clew to his
thoughts, but his fingers seemed a
little reluctant as he also contributed
ten more brown chips.
"All right" said Bill cheerfully.
Lets go. Cards and spades, if any
Dr. BanniSter said he would wish one
card and if it wasn't the right one
he would likely commit murder. Mar
win. without hesitation. also drew one.
Bill threw the pack on the table,
and grinned his poker grin, which
meant nothing whatever.
ME deciding not to take any that
away" he remarked, Il nearby place
ten dollars in the center-thus.
Beats mer' remarked DR.. Bannister,
briefly.
Marvin had shuffled his one card in
with the four others. and was now sur
veying the completed hand.
It'll raise you'-he judicially conf
sidered his remaining chips. counted
out stack, and showed 1t forward
Bills eyes rested carelessly on the
hand that was push
ing in the chips. 1t was shaking
trif1e. He lifted them to the New
Workers. face. 1t was as impressive
a. usual. but there was little white
line about the mouth.
Marvin had been unable to open the
pot. Otherwise. sitting in his posi-
ton. he would have done so. He had
not overlooked openers; he had stud
led his hand too carefully for that.
He drew one card: for straight or
flush necessarily. since otherwise he
could have opened. He understood
the game, he was betting INTO a pat
hand-and his fingers were trembling.
Il never could see no use Bill re-
marked cheerfully. in sendin' twenty
five perfectly good dollars after twen-
ty-five bad ones. Hence and there
fore. it is all yours, Mr.. Marvin
We'll. wouldn't that make you
mad" fumed the New Yorker. throw
Look at it, A straight flush, Five
to nine of diamonds-got the seven
right in the middle! And not de-
cent hand out against it,!
Let's see your openers, Bill. suG-
gested Doctor Bannister.
Titus spread his hand. "Goliy. nj
a lucky pup he grinned. still eying
Marvin's straight flush admiringiy.
"A king full" cried the New York
err, his eyes popping. Now, why in
thunder didn't you raise me? Why
didn't you call. anyway?
II swear / don't know" confessed
Bill sheepishIy. Il had bunch. Lots
of times I play bunch that-away.
s'pose it's foolish, but I do it. Well
-" He turned to Phil Ewing. who
was banking. Now that the Lawd
has watched over the DRINKS, children,
and fools. I'll take these winnin's you
fellers have SO kindly donated and
wasn't / lucky"
Two days later. William Marvin
called to see Capt. Titus during
business hours at the National Bank.
He found Bill in the little presidents
room with nothing on his mind appar-
entity but his thinning hair.
Marvin had been hanging around
Summerton for three or four weeks.
He was personable chap of about
thirty-one or thirty-two. always well
dressed, but not overdressed. with
pleasant manner and an ability to
make friends
When he arrived in Summerton,
stating merely that he had come to
Texas for rest and to escape the
rigors of the eastern spring. and that
somebody in San Antonio had recon-
mended Summerton as good place in
which to rusticate. combining small
town quietness with an excellent
hptel. he deposited a small New York
draft with the national bank and
thereby began an acquaintance with
Capt. Titus. its president. fort
night or so later, Bill happened to
mention the king of American indoor
sports. and learned that Marvin also
fancied the game. An invitation FOL
lowed to join session OF the coterie
that gathered in Reese Warland's
parlor Since then the easterner had
been fairly frequent and entirely
ccngenial participant. If he had lost
considerably more than he had won
quite obviously he could afford it.
The New Yorker had rented an
automobile and driven pretty widely
about the country. and in other ways
had shown an interest in south Texas
He often dropped in on Bill, at either
the bank or the real estate Office.