""Oh, that sorter thing don"t go now," said the man; "besides, the cop who stopped yer awhile ago knows a thing or two. You can"t work any Turkish brigand racket here in Washington--the town"s too small. Could do it in New York, I suppose, but not down here. The game ain"t worth the candle, anyhow. The chap"s blown in all he had about him. We"ve got his scarf-pin and alarm clock, and that"s all there is to it."
""I guess you"re right," remarked the Jewel; "but wait until Lola comes, and see what she says."
""So they think I am old Manysnifters," thought I, trying to smile.
"That"s real funny, ain"t it? Oh, if he were only here now, wouldn"t he get me out of this?" And in my fancy I could see my husky friend grappling with the gang outside, pitching them down the stairs, and carrying me off in triumph--the way they do it in the best sellers. My captors then went below, their voices trailing away into silence. They left me with some nasty thoughts.
""What would the faculty of Jay think of their Seymour, could they but gaze upon him now? What would my pupils say? The World, the great World at large, the Press, the Pulpit?" (My brother is an Atlanta clergyman.) "What would these great social forces say?" Confused ideas of my ident.i.ty and importance arose like fumes to further befuddle me. I sat on the side, and in the middle of the bed, in despair--longing for something to smoke!
"The hours dragged slowly by, and yet Lola, Lola the mysterious, upon whose decision so much depended, came not.
""Something must be done, and quickly," thought I, and I started to get up. But hark! I heard some one in the hall softly slip a key in the lock of my door, and turn it with a creaking sound. The next moment a very odd figure came into the room. "Twas a little old woman, and as she glided toward me I sank back on the couch quivering with terror! On, on, she came, and lightly touched my forehead.
"My first impulse was to shriek with affright; the impulse was all right, but I just couldn"t do it. I must have been paralyzed. I blew first hot and then cold, and then stopped blowing altogether.
"So there I lay, stark with fear. But my visitor seemed to be very harmless. She drew up a chair by the side of the bed and took her seat, muttering something I couldn"t catch. Then she bent over me and I felt her warm breath on my cheek!...
"The situation had changed but slightly when I came to a little later.
She was talking.
""Ma.r.s.e Edwin, Ma.r.s.e Edwin, don"t yer know yer ole black mammy?
Hush-sh-sh, chile, doan" answer me, "cept in a whisper! I"se done come fer to save yer! I nussed yer when yer was a little baby, and I promised ole Missus always to look arter yer. De sojers is a huntin" fer yer, Ma.r.s.e Edwin; dey"s all eround us! Hush-sh-sh!" said she, as I attempted to rise; "lie still, honey, dey"ll sartainly cotch yer if yer goes out now! Dey"s sentinils posted everywhar, and dey"ll shoot you down like a dog! My poor Ma.r.s.e Edwin," she wailed, "why did yer do it? Why did yer do it? Why did yer kill him? He nebber done yer no harm. Why, Gawd bless him, he done sot ole Mammy free! But dar ain"t no use talkin" "bout it now!" She walked up and down the room several times, still muttering, and then peered out of the window. Something in the street attracted her.
""Hush-sh-sh, chile, now"s de time! Git up quick, deary, but fer de Lawd"s sake doan" make no noise! Follow de ole woman--dis way." I got up at once and obeyed her. It was a ghastly sort of thing, this Ma.r.s.e Edwin business, but I saw a chance of escape at the bottom of it. We went to the lower part of the house on tip-toe, and the negress, opening the street door, pushed me out into the cool dawn, saying with a shaking voice, "Run, Ma.r.s.e Edwin, run fer yer life! Watch out for de sojers!
Good-bye, Gawd bress you, my lam"!" And I ran, you bet.
"Day was breaking when I found myself in the street, and as I emerged from the slightly disreputable neighborhood where I had pa.s.sed the night I felt sure that a glance in the mirror would show me up a haggard, white-haired wreck. The air was wonderfully reviving, though, and I felt a subtle change stealing over me. An odd, p.r.i.c.king sensation, like one"s foot awakening from sleep, gradually took possession of me, and to my horror I appeared to be separating from myself. Any one who has had that feeling knows what it is. At one moment I was the Professor; the next, I was undoubtedly Manysnifters! I found myself walking by the side of one; then, in the twinkling of an eye, with the other. It was not long, however, before I began to get tired of it, so just before I reached the hotel I determined to decide once for all who I was. I felt that it was important I should know. The decision was arrived at by a simple expedient to which I invariably resort whenever I find my judgment wavering. There is no patent on the thing, and I don"t mind letting you all into it. Fortunately, I still had my luck-piece--an ancient Roman coin--with me.
""Now," thought I, "let the antique beer check decide it. I will cinch this question by tossing up. If it falls heads, I am Manysnifters, and if the reverse appears, I am the Professor. I will abide by the decree of Fate."
"Up went the Denarius, striking the asphalt with a merry ring in its fall. I bent eagerly over it, and lo, the image and superscription of Caesar stared me in the face!
"So I was Manysnifters after all, and this fact was further impressed upon me an hour or so later by an enterprising office-seeker, to whom, in my enfeebled state, I fell an easy prey--I endorsed his application for the Nova Zembla consulship."
IV
AN ACCIDENT--DINNER
Colonel Manysnifters"s story was very thirst-provoking, and President Madison, our grinning drink-mixer, had a busy half-hour of it. It was now about seven o"clock and we were again overtaken by the storm, which hurled itself upon us, fairly rocking the car in its violence. The train, which had been proceeding slowly and jerkily, now came to a full stop. An avalanche of snow, earth, and loose stones had fallen at the end of a deep cut. Had we been going at any speed an awful catastrophe would have resulted. As it was we were barely moving when we ran into the obstruction. It would be hours before the track could be cleared, and there was no relief in sight. Fortunately, we were well provisioned, and could stand a siege of a day or so in any event. The brakeman set out on his long, hard journey to the nearest telegraph station, swinging his lantern, and swearing picturesquely. Every precaution was taken to guard the train against further accident. Our party accepted the inevitable philosophically. Dinner was announced, and amid the good things provided by our chef we soon forgot our mishap.
[Ill.u.s.tration: President Madison.]
"Now, gentlemen," said Colonel Manysnifters genially, between the soup and fish, "let"s cut out golf, religion, baseball, and politics, and get down to serious subjects. Senator, what is the best poker hand you ever held?"
Senator Wendell, thus addressed, said, with a far-away look in his eyes, "Let me see, let me see. Oh, I remember now; it happened twice--three times--or was it three times? Twice I will swear to."
"How"s that?"
"I say it happened twice; I am positive of it--and before the draw, too."
"Who was dealing?" asked the Colonel eagerly.
"Poker stories barred," said Senator Baker sternly. "Remember, gentlemen, that this is a non-partisan gathering; not only that, but some of us know absolutely nothing about the game. And yet, and yet,"
said he thoughtfully, as if to himself, "it _is_ a fascinating subject.
Why, on one occasion,--I will never forget it,--being right under the guns, I pa.s.sed without looking at my hand. The man next to me opened the pot, and all the rest stayed. I picked up my cards carelessly, and imagine my delight when I found that I had----"
"Senator, Senator," said Van Rensselaer reproachfully, "I am surprised.
I didn"t think you would go back on the sentiments you so warmly espoused a few moments ago. Let us avoid so agitating a topic.
Personally," continued he, slowly and dreamily, as if going into a trance, "I have no objection to the game. I have played it myself, though I do not pose as an expert. Coming over on the steamer last summer--"twas the night before we landed--the game was steep, painfully steep, and nothing friendly about it, with the lid off finally. I was about two thousand to the bad,--it was the consolation round, ending with and up to me,--my deal, and the fellows counting and stacking their chips preparatory to cashing in. I doled the papes with deliberation, and a saddened soul, and skinned my hand carefully. They were hearts--all but one. A seven, four, six, five and a trey of clubs.
That"s the way they came to me. A nice little straight, but apparently not nice enough. All the fellows stayed, and there was considerable hoisting before the draw. Then the man next to me took one card; the Englishman with the monocle, two; General Thomas, one; the fat man from Cincinnati, three (to his aces), and Doctor McNab stood pat; and then discarding the trey of clubs--foolhardy, very foolhardy, but I did it--I dealt myself one--the eight of hearts! My, how good I felt! The battle was on! Backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, until one by one the players dropped out, leaving the Doctor and myself to settle it.
Doctor McNab saw my three thousand and raised me five.
"Five better," said I.
"Back at you," said he; the others in the meanwhile keeping tab in their notebooks.
"Once again," said I.
"And again," said he.
"That was about all I could stand, and I called him. With a leer of triumph he threw his hand on the table, face-up, displaying----"
"Stop him, stop him!" shouted Mr. Ridley, rising excitedly. "Don"t let him take the money! If I"d a knowed you at the time, brother, it never would a happened! I"d a put you wise to that McNab. He ain"t no more doctor than I am, and his name ain"t McNab either! The scar-faced son of a gun! I"ve been up against him, and so has Bull; ain"t you, Nathan?"
"Poker stories are barred, I believe," said the Senator coldly.
Mr. Ridley"s face was a study.
"Well, I"ll be d.a.m.ned!" he muttered, with his mouth full of potatoes.
"Let"s change the subject; there are lots of other things to talk about.
I like war stories, myself. Senator," said he, turning to Senator Hammond, "the first time I ever saw you--and then it was some distance off--you were in the biggest kind of a hurry; I never saw a man so anxious to get from here, say, to over there."
"When was it? I do not recollect," said the old veteran pleasantly.
"Why, at Bull Run; don"t you remember Bull Run?"
"Do I? Well, I should say I did. You fellows certainly had us going that day, and if you had been smart you would have pushed matters, captured Washington, and thus ended the war, or at least have been in a position to dictate your own terms. As to our retreat, I remember so well the disgusted tones of a staunch Union lady living in Washington, speaking to one of the boys on the night of our return.
""You coward!" she said bitterly, "to run away at the first fire! Don"t you know that the finger of scorn will be pointed at you all the rest of your life?"
""That may be so, lady," said the soldier doggedly, "but I"d ruther hev the finger o" scorn pinted at me any time than one o" them d.a.m.ned Rebel cannon!"
"And another of the boys limping by, foot-sore and weary, was accosted by this same angry dame, "You ran, did you? You ran! Shame! Shame! A big fellow like you! Why did you run?"
""I run, mum, "cause I couldn"t _fly_, that"s why I run!""