Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Booksee what the others have got." One lady had two queens, two jacks and a tray, and another had four fives and an ace. Mrs. Fogg had a four, a seven, a jack and two nines. She was highly indignant when she discovered that her hand did not count beside the others. "If there is going to be such favoritism shown, I don't care to play," she said, pouting. The woman with the pretty teeth had a pair of aces and three kings, and the old maid had a royal flush. It was a task beside which that of Hercules sunk into ignoble insignificance to explain just why a royal flush was higher than the pairs on which he had just laid such stress, while he had not even mentioned the royal flush at all. He made up his mind that he would not mention a straight even if one turned up every hand. The miserable man was nearly exhausted before they all understood, and he never thought of looking at his own hand at all. The chair where he sat was one of those old-fashioned kind, made of horsehair, and he kept slipping down, and by his gyrations alone anyone could have seen his uneasiness. Finally, after much explanation they got down to a real game. Each got her cards, examined them defiantly and every one bet with a recklessness that had no limit but the amount of beans on hand. The last bean was on the table. After about forty-five different attempts, each prefaced and followed by explanations from the miserable ghost they had drawn and discarded. "I did not need anything more," said the old lady, "but I thought I might get something better than four aces, so now I will stand squat." "I-I beg your pardon?" gasped he. "That is what you said, isn't it, Lavinia? I mean when you have all you want." "Oh, pat, madam. I said pat." "If you had meant pat, why did you say squat? Was it meant to confuse me?" "What is trump, please," said the widow plaintively. "There is no trump in poker, madam," said Edwards for the twentieth time. The old maid leaned over and whispered confidentially: "I won't play if such favoritism is shown" "Please, dear Mr. Edwards; is mine a good hand?" "I only wish that I might always be sure of holding one as good. Why, madam, it is simply gorgeous-a regular beauty." "Oh, Mr. Edwards! You naughty man!" "I see everyone and I make it five hundred better and I call," cried Mrs. Fogg, piling all her beans in a heap and then preparing one end of her shroud to hold her winnings. The big gambler had somehow found a pocketknife and this he jabbed surreptitiously into the chair as a relief to his feelings, while the six women were quarreling over the beans. They appealed to him, and the old lady said: "Mr. Edwards, Mrs. Robinson hasn't anted at all for three hands, and Miss Shookes puts a handful of beans of all colors in the pot every time without counting them." "Oh, well; she knows that this is only to learn. She wouldn't do that if it were real money." "No, indeed; for I was always noted for my prudence about money. That is how I died richer than some folks I know of, who had scarcely enough to pay for their funerals." "I think, ladies, that you could all show your hands now." Mrs. Fogg triumphantly put six cards on the table. She had kept one of her discards to make up three pairs. This caused much animated discussion, particularly as Mrs. Washner had four fives. "You said you had four aces," whimpered Mrs. Fogg when the case was decided against her. "I did not, did I, Mr. Edwards?" "I don't remember," replied he, wishing that he had had sense enough to go into the billiard room and stay there instead of making such an idiot of himself. "I simply said that I drew that card to see if I could get anything better than four aces. Now, isn't that what you would call a bluff?" "Yes; and it was a good one, too," said he admiringly. "Besides Mrs. Fogg had six cards, and-" "Well she didn't have the four aces, and that isn't half as honest as my having six cards. You told me, and you know it very well, that I was to get as many pairs as I could. She didn't have the aces, and I did have three pairs, and I am entitled to the beans, so now!" The woman with the fine teeth looked dreamily at the gambler and silently laid down her hand. There were four aces and a king. None of the others had anything to beat this, and she smiled bewitchingly at him as he awarded her the beans, whereat Mrs. Fogg flew into a violent passion and sobbed tearlessly, until the poor man did not know what to do. She continued until he was ready to throw up the whole affair and leave as she said: "I just don't care! I am sure Mr. Edwards just picked those cards out on purpose for her. I don't want the old beans. I detest beans, only I believe in standing up for principle, and I know that gamblers-professional gamblers-do cheat at cards." "I think that a gambler-even a professional gambler-would have to be very unprincipled to try to win with six cards when he knew that that was the worst kind of cheating," said the old maid, taking up the man's defense with such an air of having the right to champion his cause that his jaw dropped and he made a movement as if for flight. At this point quite a number of other ghosts who had gathered around them began to clap their hands, and one said: "Go in, little woman, and win. You will make a famous player in time." The little belligerent hurriedly arose and said angrily: "If Mr. Fogg were only here, you would see what would happen. I won't stay here to be abused. I was lowering myself anyway." "I think so, too," said the old maid, "but it was by the way you have acted and not from your association with anyone here. We can spare you without sorrow." By this time several more had gathered, and the ladies, seeing that they were attracting more attention than they desired, left the card room so suddenly that the newspaper man could not tell which way they went. Then he looked for the big ghost. He, too, had disappeared. So the reporter, left to himself, decided to go and find the leader and tell him the outcome of the affair. The young man thought that it might be that this affair was a form of punishment for former sins of omission or commission. But he must indeed have been a very bad man to deserve such a punishment as this, and he thought, too, that no other form of punishment could have been devised so well calculated to break a real gambler's heart. He felt sorry for him. The reporter then went to the billiard room in search of the leader of the evening's ceremonies. He was nowhere to be seen, and the young man stood watching the billiard players. He thought they all seemed to be playing in a perfunctory way, and there was no spirit in their play. Spectators stood about watching the progress of the games, and occasionally making remarks of approbation or derision. There were several men there whom the young man felt sure he had seen in life, but as none spoke to him he did not exactly like to press the acquaintance. One of the men that he felt so |