Show H I EL THE CARDS I It Was Game ame of Poker ak rJ But at the the Pious 1411 Had aci the Coin Th old colonel had been away sev d wh when n the correspondent dent went dOwn to see him the colonel fell fellon on hIS neck I I Yes thEt th colonel said rc ive be a down to New Orleans for mine mineI watch the imbIe pieces of I Ilesi And say there was w just tho ho hottest old poker game doWn U rc you ever sas or heard tell of by Wha I registered at the best look looking ing 1 t could find I began begau looking around Not findIng even een so 00 much as asa asa a smell or of anything doing ill In the poker i line JIne I e to ask sk questions You I II I see I lied had not 1101 been In a real poker game I for seine titHe time and every een once in a I while r I would rub my hand along the I outside or of my vest vent to see it if the four our 1 thousand green bills wore were I still there intact They wore were there generally until I entered this game I 1 find hide nor hair or of I poker and finally I apprOached the i hotel clerk with a jolly which seemed I to annoy him a bit bIL The clerk after arter j 1 I thinking a minute answered in i the ther r phraseology or of the da day that he reck rcck reckoned I that seeing I was hIs long miss missIng lag Ing friend for whom he had been look i I inS ever since the penitentiary let Joo loose the last bunch ot of convicts he guessed he could steer me to a place similar to that I had mentioned We Ve climbed steps und and at last found ourselves at the very top or of the house bouse There were several other fel fellows fellows lows in hi the room and tind when the hotel clerk lIed had introduced ed me we had some conversation about the crops alligators toes tors and other things the they raise in that country Finally there entered the most looking feller you ever saw w I 1 wish ish j I could have ropi p phim hint him And brought him back here ills Is f face was long and narrow and bl eyes eye had a way a ot of turning u t warn the ceiling as if he expected l angel to come through and get im He carried his hand clasped on is stoin stomach ach some h re and in hands he carried a black book with red borders and a rubber band aroun it lie He was dressed ed in a black suit with a long preachers coat an and Ave we immediately judged him to be a P Peacher eacher that had strayed among a l I t of sheep that were slightly dark We Ve greeted him himas as brother and thanked for what I do n nt know One of the tellers ellers finali finally said As this is ng of a dull day here hereabouts hereabouts su Be we pass the time away by Indulging m in a little innocent amuse meat Ene response was immediate We hau ed a little table out into the room ok Jok OUr places and began play playing ing a tel some preliminary skirmishing arm d The preacher feller asked us In n Ao quavering voice it if we had any oh ob j tion or of his remaining and witnessing M he sinful game that he had heard of all his life Ufe but never had seen We assured him that the party never would ne De complete without hIs presence We Ve played a an hour or two and then one of the fellers dropped out saying he had promised to take his family nag driving and wait waitto to pla play any more We were sorry he had lost aU all his money so soon I counted m my winnings and found that they amounted to 1100 I felt some wh good upon viewing that pil pile of welcome green things After this feller feiler had gone tile the preacher man trots up to the table and says Gentlemen all I have pIcked tip lip one or two points about this sinful gaMe while I 1 have been watching you ou and would like to play a little i if you have no objection to kInder teaching tue along a little I have llave not been provided with much filthy lucre b by m my Rock flock but I have seven or eight quarters tees and p Unes that I would like tI ro wager As one man We turned and told him It would pain Us to a heavy ex cx extent tent if he did not pla play with us So he took a 8 chair by much explaining we got hint to t see the most important pointS of the same gains and in an hour or two had a very ery good little flUe old play going The preacher had won n a dollar or two and had likewise dropped some of oC his dimes onto our sides of the table The play went on and we still had to ex explain plain some things to the pre preacher At last there was a big wad of money on the table and fv everybody boosting the pot for aU all it was worth I 1 glanced at t the prea preacher her deller and there a look OOk on his face that was childlike and bland Ht He was smiling In Ina ina a tied waY at his cards and when hm his time earns earn M be said Ir If T I had ho an aM another other one of them little red things I would have ve four cards that I would bet beton I on some we looked at our hands and concluded that he had sonic me harmless 1 cards that would not dO any harm So Sowe SOwe we condoled with Ith him Next ext deal how however however ever he said Mid Alt here she is reller feller there had made up his mind to boost that pot and take eVerything the preacher had hadr Cr r lifted tb the receptacle with a thou thousand thousand sand for I had what hat would be called aUed a good hand bt being ing an ace high straight flush of spades pad The other fellers Cellers lifted it twelve hundred apiece and I sweet sweetened caM ened her r again Then the other othe r fellows laid down They had nothing so far faras Ki as I could see that would induce them tt to put up so much money but it was their property and I hated to take It away away from them Then I laid down my little lilUe old straight flush and reached for the money But Bet there was wa an arm clothed in ministerial black In front of me and a timid voice said Walt Valt a minute brother I dont kno know much about th the game gains but thi thin bunch o of cards take that piece of green cheese there And that darned preacher laid down slowlY one by one the ace of diamonds th king of 0 diamonds the Queen of din dia diamonds mends monds the jack of oC diamonds and ten of diamonds diamond w We looked at that royal flush a minute and then I glanced down downto to where my little measly spadE fi sh was lying Then as one man we arose and said We congratulate you yon broth brother Or er The little pasteboards you OU have there shore shor does take the pile Then Wi we bowed to him and left There was no further use for sue me in that town so I packed my handkerchief And went to the desk to pay my bill My friend the clerk was there and as I paid up I noticed a grin on his coun countenance countenance Then that denied little one mule clerk looked me inc over and said saidU U next time you get gay bay with witha a hotel clerk derk first make sure that said clerk knows no one who can play pIa preacher and likewise play cards Aud then I shook hook the dust of the city ity front from my Ky Cot Cor N Y Telegram |