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Show I The Cure of Poker Players H i BY IRVINO J. LEWIS. H "Wnnt to play pokor? naked Yullus H ', Shnbbosdockol, ns ho oncountorod his H '" - rrlcnd nnd rollow Chocliotn CIul) member, H Uolossy Hlumstoin, in Seventh nvonuo. H r "What's the uso?" asked Mr. Blum- H M stein. "For why I should play? I lose H always." H ' "Wo can't all bo winnors," said Mr. E Shabbosdockol as ho rattled coins In his B ' pockot and rolt or the right side or his Hi r waistcoat tosoo ir a largo roll or bills B r stni wds thoro, rnstoncd in with a safoty H If P'n- m n "Yullus Lobon," said Mr. Blumstoin, B "you would not think It, awor I have B .) not ovon anything to eat to-day. It's fl "t noon now, and I been a raster still." H Mr. Shabbosdockol survoyod his rriond H and then took him by tho arm. "Come H f to Dlmbclmolor's restaurant and I'll treat H you to Frcsson, all you want to cat," ho H t Seated at tho tabic with a large dish or H I good rflod rish In rront or him, and an- H other dish or eggs and a pot or correo, H Mr. Blumstoin bognn to reol better. H "I had such a streak or hard luck H slnco I been a Chochom," ho said, "that H Tor tho rirst tlmo in my lire I boon with- H out monoy. Firty conts is nil my capl- H tal, and I'vo boon arrald to spend that ror Hj rear ir I ever got really broko I novor M can rocuperato my losses. Flnnster; it H is a superstition." H "It's a long lane that has a turning," H said Mr. Shabbosdcckol, "and good luck B may yet bo yourn. Whllo you aro cat- B lng, please excusen mo ir I rend a morn- H lng newspaper. What is going on? I B don't know." H Mr. Shabbosdeckcl bought a copy or n B j nowspapcr and read about tho tnrirr nnd B tho trouble with Moxico and cortain ar- B tlclos nbout Japan, reading aloud tho E hoadllnos to Mr. Blumstoin. H "Ach, Ilimmol! I wish wo had Toddy Hj Tor Prosldont again; tlion wo don't have flB to bother oursolvos nbout what wo got S to do with righting foroignors noosovolt B would do It Tor us," romarkod Mr. B Blumstoin. B "But Mr. Shabbosdockol paid no ntton- B tion to him. Ho was dooply intorostod H In a short artlclo in tho nowspapor. AT- H rcr reading It through throo times he H lookod tlioughtrul ror n momont. H "Should you boliovo, Bolossy, that H pokor playing is n dlsonso?" ho askod. H "IT I know It Is," said Mr. Blums'oln H earnestly. "It is such n disease as H drinking too much liquor or smoking H opium. A renl pokor playor, tho kind H that cannot give it up, is got a rovor, nnd Hl it gots worse with evory gamo ho plays, H Suro pokor Is n disease. Who says so?" H "Liston," said Mr. Shabbosdockol, H "and I'll road you something in this pa- H Tho artlclo said: "A doctor who bo- H llovos that pokor playing Is a curablo H dlseaso doclaros that n gamblor is as H 'dangorous ns an alchollc, moro dangor- H ous than an opium riond.' Tho physician H says that tho only romody is a sanlta- H rium an asylum ror tho troatmont or H tho pokor playing habit as n d'soaso. En- H rorccd abstlnonco rrom tho vlco will in- H duco men to roform and have a sano out- H look on liro." jH Mr. Shabbosdockol asked: "Now, what H about that?" f "It Is partly truo," said Mr. Blum- B stoln, "and partly not true. Llko all B rerormors and llko many doctors, he ox- B aggeratcs to make his point. Doctors go IQ thp limit and then beyond You road BK about i doctor who goos around yolllng B that tobacco Is poison." Mr. Blumstoin B lit a clgarotto and tlion wont on. "And I H novor met n doctor In my lire who did H not smoke. If tobneco wa such n killer, Hi oy. oy, oy, would doctors uso A a'l tho H "But, all pokor playing ns a dls onso?" said Mr. Shabbosdcckol. "It gives mo an idea. Does it you?" "The only thing I can think or is monoy," said M. Blumstoin. "What ror an Idea should I havo?" Mr. Shabbosdockol dropped tho nowspapor nows-papor on tho tnblo. "I'll do It," ho said, "I'll open a soni-tnrium soni-tnrium ror tho euro or tho pokor habit or diseaso." "You?" exclaimed Mr. Blumstoin. "Suro! Moot mo horo tomorrow noon and I'll tell you all about It, and thoro may bo something in it Tor you," said Mr. Shabbosdcckol. When Mr. Shabbosdocklo appeared in Bimbolmoior's the rollowlng day ho was accompanied by Bonno Cohen, society loador or tho Bronx, woll-to-do and a born speculator. Mr. Blumstoin was waiting Tor his rrlcnd, nnd was glad to meet Mr. Cohen. "Lot us got down to business," said Shabbosdockol. "I havo decided to start a sanitarium to bo called tho Homo ror tho Curo or Incurable Pokor Players. Play-ers. Mr. Bonno Cohon here is my part-nor. part-nor. He put up $000 and I put up 9000, and it is all I havo." "And I will not put up anothor cent," said Mr. Cohen, "nomombor, you promised prom-ised mo 25 per cont. on tho Investment." "It is as good as earned," said Mr. Shabbosdeckcl. "I havo lonsed tho Solo-roan Solo-roan Levy homo in Brownsville Tor tho sanitarium and It is well rurnished. You, Bolossy Blumstoin, aro to bo tho assistant assist-ant manager I shall bo tho manager. Wo open Tor business to-morrow. Oy, oy." "But how about tho patients?" said Mr. Blumstoin. "I am sondlng out circulars to n lot or mon that I know," said Mr. Shabbosdockol. Shab-bosdockol. "I alrondy havo throo what aro sick or tho pokor dlseaso and will go Into tho sanitarium to-morrow whon wo opon up. Ono or them Is J. Horshl Ooldstoln, tho wealthy owner or Tnrkirr Vllln, who says ho Is hauntod by a diamond dia-mond riush. Anothor Is iko nosonthal, who keeps a houso at Atlantic City, who is so rar gone that ho tnkos a pack or cards and plays imaginary gamos, dealing deal-ing rivo hands out and looking at nil or thorn. Ho said ho lost $800 at this 'Imaginary pokor' night before last, and rolt so poor that ho did not oat. It Is an advanced case. Tho othor patlont Is Ignatz Fluogolmann, ono or our follow-mombors follow-mombors or tho Chocnoms Pokor Club, who rapidly is losing nil ho has got by drawing ror straights in the middle. He says it is a mania. Thoy aro to pay 950 n wcok until cured wo board them." "What is tho troatmont to bo?" askod Mr. Blumstoin. "Must wo mnko them stop playing right away?" "Bolossy, you surprise mo," said Mr. Shnbbosdockol. "A habit llko smoking tho pipo and snurring sturr up your nose cannot bo quit in a rnlnuto. No; I got my ldoa or trontmont rrom tho groat opium habit man, Do Qulncy, an English man. Ho wroto n boon callod 'ConTos-slons' 'ConTos-slons' nnd ho tolls how to quit. You got to tnpor orr. Don't bo suddon that way. ir wo stoppod tholr playing right away It convinces mo mat Iko nosonthal and Fluogolmann would bo took to a lunntlc place. No; wo shall tapor thorn orr. For about a week wo shall play a no limit gnmo with our pntlonts. Thon tho noxt week the limit will bo 95, nnd later on wo keep reducing It until we get down to ton-cent limit, ann rinn'ly wo piny ror nothing hut mntchos, and thoy nro not to bo rodoomod, oxcopt that the winner shall keep tho mntchoa that he can win." "WondcrTul!" exclaimed Mr. Blumstoin. Blum-stoin. "Yos, Bolossy," said Mr. Shabbos dockol, "I got a head on mo. You and I will do tho playing with those poker sick rolk and probably make a good thing out or it right along besides getting their reos." Tho Solomon Lovy mansion in Brownsvlllo is a pleasant place. It stands Just outsldo tho town limits on Long Island and sits in tho middle or Tour acres surrounded by trees. Mr . Shabbosdockol, manager or the Homo ror the Curo or Incurable Poker Players, stood on tho lawn with his thrco patlonts, Mr. Rosenthal, Mr. Ooldstoln nnd Mr. Ignatz riuogomann, nnd harangued ha-rangued them about his treatment. "You poor sick Schamiols you, do you think you aro going to surror hero? Not so," ho said. "My assistant, Bolossy Blumstoin, and mysoir aro going to treat you by tho tapering orr method. We shall play pokor, reducing tho limit by dogroos. Tho rirst gamo will start at S o'clock this artcrnoon." Tho patlonts looked pleased and strolled about discussing tho question or why does a riush beat n straight when tho chances or getting a riush are better than getting a straight. Tho gamo began on time, with Mr. Shabbosdcckol acting as banker nnd Mr. Blumstoin playing with a capital or 9200 rurnlshod rrom tho rund or tho Home. lkc nosonthal and Ignatz Fluogolmann Fluogol-mann oxprossed warm approval or tho tapering orr mothod or troatmont Tor tho pokor playing disease. J. Horshl Gold-stoln Gold-stoln surprised his rollow patients nnd tho managors or tho homo by not going Into tho gamo. "I'll Just look on," said sir. Ooldstoln. "I got a good thrill by watching others play." At tho conclusion or tho gamo tho Home was 9150 ahead. During the week tho capital was ln-croasod ln-croasod and all tho patients pnld In their rocs. "It was a groat ldoa," said tho Homo manngor to Bolossy Blumstoin. "We mako n rortuno, you nnd me." Artor somo consideration Mr. Shnbbos-dockel Shnbbos-dockel decided to mako tho limit Tor tho second wook's play ton dollars instead in-stead or rive, as ho had at rirst lntondod. "It would not do to cut down too quick," ho said. "Wo aro protty lucky now and wo taper orr by dogroes slow dogroos." J. Herslml Ooldstoln nstonlshod tho other pntionts nnd ploased tho manager greatly by doclaring in on tho ton-dollar limit gamo. His luck was romarkablv good and Mr. nosonthal also was n winner, win-ner, and at tho ond or tho day tho bank's capital, or rathor tho Homo's runiL amountod to only 9500. Mr. Blumstoin was much depressed m tho run or bad luck, but Mr. Shabbosdcckol Shabbos-dcckol was hopeful. Tho second day's play undor tho ten-dollnr ten-dollnr limit rulo wns bogun with only Mr. Shnbbosdockol representing th Homo. Thoro was not monoy onough in llnanco Mr. Blumstoin In tho gamo, nnd bosldos that ho was bollovod by tho manager man-ager to bo unlucky. Tho gnmo lnsted nbout ton mlnutos. only. Mr. nosonthal was doallng tho carda and Mr. Ooldstoln sat noxt to him, having tho first say nbout bronklng thoy wore plnylng nil Jnck-pots. " Do you bronk It?" nskod Mr. Fluogol-mnnn, Fluogol-mnnn, who snt on tho other sldo or Mr. Ooldstoln nnd had two pairs, ncos up. " I got a lighting hand," said Mr. Ooldstoln, Oold-stoln, "but I cannot broak it. I'll stay ir anyono does, though." Mr. Shabbosdcckol, who sat at Mr. FIuo-golmnnn's FIuo-golmnnn's Ion, wns showing gront lmpn-tlonco, lmpn-tlonco, and without waiting ror Mr. Pluo-gelmann Pluo-gelmann to opon tho pot or ovon to say anything nbout It, ho suddonly pushed In ton dollars. Mr. Shnbbosdockol had Jacks nnd eights, and tho "dead man's hand" was his ravorlto. Mr. Goldstein romarkod that ir ho could catch n heart ho would havo a llrst-clsss hand, nnd doublod tho bronk, whereupon Mr. Fluogolmann, with his aces up 'and a reeling that ho cauld not lose, raised Mr. Ooldstoln. M Shabbosdeckcl, with a sinking reeling, put up 920 moro. " It's still a good chance with mo," said Mr. Ooldstcin. " For whllo I did not opon tho pot, still, ir I catch, I am suro to boat both or you. ThcnoToro I tilt It Just onco more." f Ho throw In twenty dollars, and Mr. -Fluogolmann said: "Just onco moro," nnd ho put up twenty. Mr. Shabbosdockol wished ho had not I opened It. " I am hooked," ho said, nnd threw in twenty. " I nm not quite sntlBlled yet,"- snld Mr. Ooldstoln, " I rniso it again." Mr. Fluogolmann put in ton dollars nnd tho nonrly prostrated Shabbosdeckcl fol-lowcd fol-lowcd suit. Mr. nosonthal helped Mr. Ooldstcin to ono card, and the other players noted that ho did not look at It, did not even touch It, In ract. Mr. Fluogolmann Tailed to help his aces up, and Mr. Shabbosdeckcl spent an agonizing agon-izing mlnuto in looking at tho card ho had idrawn to his Jacks up. First ho rapidly shurried tho rivo cards. Then ho pinched them tightly, and slowiy inspected tho Httlo marks on tho corners. Ho oncountered the Jack or spades, and his heart almost stopped beating. "It's n stranger," ho snid, remembering that his original Jacks wero tho red ones. Ho had a Jack full. "Gentlemen," said Mr. Shabbosdeckcl, suppressing his emotion with difficulty, "as manager Tor tho Home, nnd as one part or my treatment Tor you unfortunates, unfortu-nates, I suspond tho limit, and bot all tho money I got on this hand. Is Is ror your own good." Ho pushed up all his capital. Calmly and without looking at his hand J. Hcrshl Ooldstcin called tho bot nnd Mr. Fluegclmann laid down his hand. Mr. Shabbosdeckcl gaily spread out his Jack full. "This is to help cure you," ho said to Mr. Ooldstcin, and reached Tor tho pot. Mr. Ooldstoln hold out a restraining hand, and turned over his cards. Ho had Tour Queonsi Mr. Shabbosdcckol was speechless ror a full two minutes. Thon ho arose "Ocntlcmon," ho snld, "tho Homo Tor tho Curo or Incurnblc Pokor Plnyors is dissolved!" |