THE THOMPSON STREET POKER CLUB.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3956, 25 March 1884, Page 4

THE THOMPSON STREET POKER CLUB.

Mr 'footer Williams was late at the meeting of the dub, Saturday evening ; but as ho had Elder boss Dinkenson in tow, the secretary remitted tho usual fine. It was confidentially learned that the elder had just received seventeen dollars and fifteen cents on an extensive kalsomining contract, and was probably good for as much more, and an Mr Williams had already played with tho deck of cards now upon the table, and Mr Rube Jackson had consented for a small percentage not to play, but to sit in a sociable way behind the elder's chair, the game promised to be one of extraordinary interest.

Having boen introduced to tho Rev. Mr Thankful Smith, Mr Gus Johnson, and Professor Brick, the elder slueked off his ulster, produced a corpulent wallet, purchased one dollar seventy-nine cents' worth of blues and reds, and opened upthe game with an expression of determination and a thumping blind, which niacin the excitable Mr Johnson's eyes stand out like those of an apopletic crab. Seven hands were played, and Mr Jackson, who sat behind the elder, had evidently forgotten the code of signals to the extent that he winked with his left, and Mr Williams was already out ninetyseven cents, and was correspondingly mad. At last, however, Mr Jackson was made aware of his error by a searching kick delivered bennath the table, and a new deck, which had boon thoughtfully placed on ice by tho Rev. Mr Smith before the company, assembled, was produced. It was Mr Johnson's deal and the elder's blind. Everybody came in. Tho elder raised tho blind sixty-five cents. The decisive moment had arrived. I rise dat rise a dollah, said the Rev. Smith with the calmness of one who expects to fill a bobtail. I sees yo , dat, and I liff yo' a dollah mo' ventured Mr "Williams. I call, said the elder. Mr Smith also called, and tho three proceeded to draw cards. Mr Williams wanted two cards, the Rev. Smith guessed he'd take one, and the elder concluded to play what he had. Mr Smith led out with a two dollar stack, Mr Williams slowly pulled out a corpulent wallet, fixed a belligerent glare apparently on Mr Smith, banged tho wallet heavily on the middle of tho table and said impressively : 1 goes yo' dat two, and six dollars rise. I rise yo' six, said the elder, but without putting up chips. The Rev. Mr Smith dropped out. Mr Williams pointed to the wallet and said: I goes yo' six mo' The elder raised one foot and placed it neatly on top of Mr William's wallet, and said: " I rises dat ten." "Whar's de money?" inquiries Mr Williams with a polite smile. "Whar's yo , money?" retorted the elder, as sweetly. Mr Williams pointed to the wallet underneat li tho elder's heel. " Dats all right don," said the elder; "I'se got jes' as much leather on this yor tnblo as yo' has." "Whad yo' mean by dat r" asked Mr Williams. "Put lip er shot up," said the elder. Mr Williams drove his knife through his card?, pinning them to the table, and called out tho Rev. Mr Smith for consultation. The elder thoughtfully whistled a tune, drew a razor, and seemed to be trying its edge on tho surface of his bottom card. Mr Jackson -watched Mr William's hand, to see that nothing got away, and Mr Johnson his eye on the pack. Mr Williams, returned triumphantly, and counted out thirty dollars, which he had evidently borrowed from Mr Smith. " I calls," he said. Tho elder put up his razor, shook twentyfive dollars out of his wallet, made up a dollar more with mutilated coin, some pennies, and a postage stamp, and said, briefly: " Whad yo' got?" " Fo' kings," said Mr Williams, with a deadly gleam in his eye. "Not good," said the elder. « Wha—what ?" faltered Mr Williams. 'To' aces." With this the elder showed four aces, swept the pot into his hat, and left the room. The five sat dazed. " I done guv him three aces an' two trays, sho," said Mr Johnson. " I put dat han up myself," asservated Mr Smith, bewildered. " I seed both dem trays in his hand," observed Mr Jackson. Mr William* .said nothing but silently examined tho elder's hand. Finally ho inquired hoarsely: "Did ho hey a razzer ?" "Yezzah," said Mr Jackson, "he dono play with her razzer de whole time yo' outon de room." Mr Williams rose with a withering look, and put on his coat. " VVhad's de madder, Toot," inquired Mr Smith. " How yo' splain hit?" Mr Williams pointed to the ace of diamonds lately in the elders hand. " Giv any niggnh de tray or diamonds an a razzer and tree acc-s, and what kin fo' kings do ? Gwuffum heah. He done played me outon thirty dollars on er scraped tray. Dats whad makes me 'spises pokah." With tlus Mr Williams left the room.— N.Y. Life.