THE CONTRIBUTOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 972, 5 September 1889, Page 32

THE CONTRIBUTOR.

WITHIN AN ACE OF IT.

Bx OS. SHAPPERA. -

Business took me to the fair little town of Mertonsville last year, sndjis usual I put up at Mortland's Mertonsville Hotel, as being the least expensive and most comfortable of the half-dozen houses that are duly licensed to cater for the wants of travelling humanity in that breezy little seaport. I had finished my business, and was sauntering leisurely along the wharf when I dropped across Phil Branston, a very old and particular backwoods friend. I didn't recognise Phil at first, as when I had bidden him good-bye some 10 years ago on Blythecombe station, N.S.W., he was just verging on manhood, and quite guiltle&s of any sign of whisker or moustache, and now the man who stood before me was bearded and bronzed, and altogether unrecognisable as the boy of 1 0 years ago. However, I was not long kept in doubt of Phil's identity, for that gentleman stepped directly in my way, and, extending a hand that would have done credit to Chang the Chinese giant so far as size was concerned, said : " Put it there, old party." " I beg your pardon," I said, " but really I think you must have made a mistake."

" Isn't your name Asrner — Petronius Asmer ? " queried the gentleman with the beard, still extending his hand.

I admitted that such were my euphonious appellations. " Then put it there, « ole flick.' You're a very particular and dear old friend of mine. Don't you remember Blythecombe and Phil Branston ? "

" What I Phil of stockriding celebrity ? " I exclaimed. " Never, surely I How you have changed 1 Where have you been all these years? and — well, I never expected to see you in New Zealand." " No, I hardly expected you would, but I gave up stockriding some five years ago — yes, just five years this season — and came to New Zealand, where I have been ever since."

"Ah I indeed. And how long have you been in Mertonsville 1 Where are 3' OU stay " ing ? and what are you doing ? " " Let me see. What's the time 1 " "Nearly half- past 5," I said. "Then I've been here about four hours and a-quarfcer. I am staying nowhere in particular. I lunched at the Club, but don't intend to stay there ; and, as to what I'm doing, I'm going up-country to shear the week after next."

" Then, my dear fellow," I said, " since you have no place in view, let me recommend Mortland's, and we can have the pleasure of spending the evening together." To this proposition Phil readily agiced, and as it was getting towards tea-time, after a turn down the wharf we hied us away to that modest but comfortable hostelry to attend to the craving of healthy appetites.

After tea, when seated in a fairly comfortable sitting room enjoying a pipe, and lazily recounting some of our old-time exploits in the town o£ Wallatah (our nearest town from Blythecombe), I remembered a certain golden-haired demoiselle who was barmaid at Barton's Commercial Hotel in that place, and also certain stories that had been current about the station of a slight tendrcsse that existed between Phil and the said "G. H. D.," whose Christian name was Laura. 1 mentioned these stories to Phil, and inquired about their accuracy, when I heard the following tale : —

" I may as well admit the soft impeachment," replied Phil, in answer to my inquiries, " the rather as it may be a somewhat interesting story. Laura was a real nice, good, straightforward girl, and I had a little more than lilting for her perhaps, which she was good enough to — to — reciprocate. That's the word, isn't it ? "

" Certainly that's correct, I believe."

" Yes, that's so ; she liked me just as well as I liked her. I kept on stockriding at Blythecombe for over four years after I last saw you, and for recreation 1 used to ride into Wallatah mostly every Saturday evening, and remain there over Sunday. A man doesn't save much money that way, you know, and perhaps I wasn't of a saving nature. Anyway the end of the fourth year saw me about as poor as when I first went there. I had spoken to Laura often about getting married, but somehow I could never manage to save enough to start housekeeping with, and we were rather scared at the thought of commencing too poor. We used to reckon the year from shearing to shearing, and I started that fifth year with a firm determination to save all I could, but with very small hopes of being able to bring our lengthy engagement (it had now extended over three years) to a successful issue. Taking the altered condition of the country into consideration, and the amount of travelling one had to do between sheds, I may say that I did fairly well that year, as after settling a few small debts I-was possessed of the moderate amount of £40. Not much for a man to undertake the cares and responsibilities of married life, yet I know plenty of fellcws who have done it on less, and have now very comfortable homes. Laura, dear heart ! was quite willing to link her fate with mine, and trust to whatever the future had in store for us. I, however, wanted to take her to Sydney for a wedding trip — you see we were so well known in Wallatah that I didn't like people to think we were so poor that we couldn't afford that pleasure — and so the dear girl consented to wait for still a few more months, although the time was long past that we had mutually agreed on for the ceremony to be performed. It so happened that some four fellows who had been shearing with me that season came into Wallatah while I was staying there, waiting for the arrival of the ' boss ' of a survey party (of which I was to be a member) from Sydney, and these fellows proposed that we should make up a ' bluff, school ' one evening to kill

time. You remember how wretchedly dull Wallatah was for strangers, I dare say ? "

"Oh yes, Phil, I remember. I also remember a slight predilection for ' bluff ' that it had a tendency to develop. Go ahead, old man. I remember."

" Now don't laugh, old fellow. Honour bright, you know, I was off play then ; but these fellows started, and I — well, I went to Laura, .and said:

" ' See here, old girl, these stranger chaps are going to play to-night, and I think I'll join them. You know, dear, how we are fixed financially. Now, i£ I win £20 we'll start for Sydney with the next coach. If I lose we're not much further off than we were, for I'll promise faithfully to make you Mrs Phil when the survey party comes in.' " • I would rather you wouldn't play, Phil ; but if you do I'll sit up and wi3h you success.'

" Well, you see, she sort of gave me leave, and so I joined the party. I don't exactly know how it happened, but one of the strangers (the tallest of them) seemed to be specially pitted against me or I against him, for whenever I had a hand he was bound to hare a playing hand also. At first we played 'full deck ' for shilling chips, with five-shil-ling rises, but the play got very dull, and luck seemed to set steadily against me. After 12 o'clock one of the original party of five retired, and my particular opponent suggested that we should change to • euchre deck.' This you may be sure I readily agreed to, but stipulated that the chips be 5s and the limit £5. Everybody was satisfied, and play resumed. With the change of cardrf my 1 uck changed, and at about 3 o'clock I had won nearly £30, when the strangers suggested that we should play four more hands and then go to bed. As the play was in my favour and I held the deal, of course I was well satisfied —determined, as luck was with me, to take advantage of it to the last. I won the first hand and prepared to deal again, when the tall stranger — Bradely — said :

" ' Would you mind letting me cut, Branston ? '

" I placed the pack on the table, when he made the cut known as ' a Scotch poke," which is done by pushing the centre cards out and placing them on top. I held nothing that time, and so ' packed ' my cards. There was nothing much out, and Bradely called the first chip and won. He dealt, and won again with a pair of kings, "" « The last deal,' said Bradely. « Who'll cut?' 11 ' I will,' I replied, suiting the action to the word by taking a few cards off the top and throwing them on the table. " The first card that fell to me was a king, followed by a ten ; then came queen, knave, and nine, and ace of diamonds. There was but one hand to beat it, and it was very unlikely that it would be out. Here was a golden opportunity if anything should be out against me. I was sitting immediately opposite the dealer, and had therefore the second voice. Evidently there was something out. The first man • chipped ' 5s ; I ' raised it ' ss. The third man went to pack. Bradely said : " ' I see you, and raise it £5.' "The first man didn't respond, so I 1 called ' and went ' five better.' Bradely went the limit again. I of course • called ' and raised it, and so we continued till I had only £10 on the table. Then he sail :

" ' You've seen me out, old re an ; I must call. What have you found V

" ' I have a " routine flash " — king at the top,' I replied, laying my cards on the table. " • A good hand, Branston — a very good hand. I'm sorry, old man — very, very sorry — but I've got the ace.'

" And so he had : he held a • royal routine.'

" Well, 1 left the room, and in the passage I met Laura, who put her arm through mine and led me into a private sitting-room, where she had been waiting for me. I told her the result, and — well — she tried to persuade me to go to Sydney anyway, as she had about £30 saved, but I wouldn't hear of it. Next day I left for Sydney alone, instead of with the girl, and came to New Zealand, where I have been ever since. So you see, old fellow, I was ' within an ace ' of being married."

And Phil lay back in his chair and calmly lit his pipe. " Well," I said, " I can't say that I regard your conduct as altogether exemplary. Don't you think you treated Laura badly ? " For a few minutes he smoked in solemn silence, gazing with a steady quizzical gaze into my face ; then he said, as if it were some strange subject that I had broached. "Oh yes, of course, Laura ! She married the other fellow I "

" Don't be silly," I somewhat indignantly exclaimed. " What do you mean 1 What other fellow 1 "

" I mean the fellow that won — Bradely ! And now I'll play you a game of cribbage." We played 1