Show THE DEVILS BOOKS new ami and old ut about hardg arils ar ils queena niad 1111 a ts chambers journal on oil one occasion when washington irving bancroft and everett were chatting over diplomatic reminiscence reminiscences inis cence the last named told how low after he and the neapolitan ambassador bas bj had been presented to ifer majesty queen Victori aLord lord melbourne intimated that they would be expected to joania join in a gamo game at whist with the duchess of ken kent eai I play but a very poor game myself said melbourne elbourne Nl in fact I sea scarcely acely understand it but the duchess duchem is very fond ond il of it and V I said the ilia neapolitan tu to E eveiett Ev eielt 11 am a very bad player and should I chanco chance to bo be your excellences partner I invoke your forbearance in in advance to which the american E envoy avoy rep replied I LC d that ho be knew v very cry littleox litt little leof of the game himself As he lie put it three dignified personage clad in gorgeous attire jy ly going to play a game they imperfectly understood and ana for which none of them cared in the least upon reaching the apart indents the Aniba ambassadors orni ally presented and then ait at her invitation vi yi tation sat down duyn to play As soon boon as tho the cards were w dealt deal t a lady in ia waiting placed the bad back of the duchess and tle vie latter sai your excellencies E will excuse ino ilia if I rely upon the advice of nry friend here for I must confess that I am really a poor player tina this was almost too much for Bw barett rett gravity a gravity undisturbed for the rest iest of tho the evel evening lingo since sines he be found playing whist under such buell conditions inexpressibly ably dull work bold as he be could be when tho the game was worth the candle lord would never have havo been tempted to risk so much on the cards for knowing the weakness of 11 his I play r he lie carefully eschewed anything nik like high stakes takes one evening at the time when Parlia parliament mint was agitating itself about the E eia in press ship of india lord beacons field sat down to whist with the prince of wales and asked the latter what points sir oh sovereign F if you please was the an dwer seeing tho the premiers look of annoyance annoy mr bernal osborne observed I think sir the premier would rather have crown point sl sil the prince taking and the hint altered the stakes accordingly marlborough was not above playing im for smaller sta stakes kess hough though perhaps the great captain did not play I 11 ly high out of fear of ilia his loving sarah 11 who ho had a tongue and knew k how to use it like the lady whose liege lord contri contrived ed that she should not more than suspect tile the secret of his bad hours until coming homo home at six in the morning tired out with attending on a sick friend he dozed at the breakfast table and solemnly passing assing the bread said cut 11 hats your sick friend is it exclaimed the wife wita and what followed may bo be irling imagined dined A card hating wife can upon occasion set s et her ecru scrupled au a aside soon after the close of le the secession war general F forrist arrest and ills his wife stopped at a hotel in memphis and upon examining their purses found the sura sum total of t their air wealth amounted to tho the general being due that evening at a house where poker was sure to be played proposed that he should tempt for tune to the full extent of his I means and asked his wife to pray for his success success Buc cess she would not promise but buthe he felt she was for him dimand and know how it would be let him tell the rest himself they had three tables one was a 25 cent table one a meent 60 cent and one a I wanted to make my 87 last as long as I could so I sat down to the 25 cent table by dinner time I had won enough to do better and after we had eaten sat down to the table sometimes I won and then again id lose until 11 nigh ahu upon on n midnight when I had better luck uck I knew mary was sit sits ting up anxious anxious and it made me cool cool leet I act my my hat on the floor and every time id win id drop the money in the hat I sat eat there until until day broke and aud then I took my hat up in in both hands smashed it on my head lend and went home when I got to my iny room there sat mary in her gown she seemed tired and anxious and though she looked mighty hard at me nie she did not say a word I walked right up to her emptied my hat into the lap other of her gown and then we eat sat down and counted it just 1500 even and that gave me a start I remember paid a gentleman who had traveled in russia being at a ball given by the empress to the late emperor on hie his birthday I I was playing at earle when t the c emperor who was wandering about came behind me to watch the game my adversary and I were both at four and it was my my deal now said laid the emperor let 14 us see whether you can turn up the king ideala and held the turn up cardoos car dobs erv your orders sir sir have been obea obeyed A dozen times afterward the emperor asked me lue how I managed it and he never would believe that it was a mere hazard and that I had taken the chance of the card being the kin king the ar czar waa was as much astonished at the result of his remark as tho the young gentleman who looking over a pretty girls shoulder while she was playing cards observed what a lovely handl you may may have it if you want it murmured she and alf al nu the rest of the evening he lie was ww wondering what her intentions were |