Mr. Williams noticed a dangerous light come into the Reverend Mr.
Smith"s eye and hesitated a moment, but having two black jacks and a pair of trays, opened with the limit.
"I liffs yo" jess tree dollahs, Toot," said the Reverend Mr. Smith, getting out the wallet and shaking out a wad.
Mr. Gus Johnson, who had a four flush and very little prudence, came in.
Mr. Whiffles sighed and fled.
Mr. Williams polished the amethyst, thoroughly examining a scratch on one of its facets, adjusted his collar, skinned his cards, stealthily glanced again at the expression of the Reverend Mr. Smith"s eye, and said he would "Jess--jess call."
Mr. Whiffles supplied the wants of the gentleman from the pack with the mechanical air of a man who had lost all hope in a hereafter. Mr.
Williams wanted one card, the Reverend Mr. Smith said he"d take about three, and Mr. Gus Johnson expressed a desire for a club, if it was not too much trouble.
Mr. Williams caught another tray, and, being secretly pleased, led out by betting a chip. The Reverend Mr. Smith uproariously slammed down a stack of blue chips and raised him seven dollars.
Mr. Gus Johnson had captured the nine of hearts and so retired.
Mr. Williams had four chips and a dollar left.
"I sees dat seven," he said impressively, "an" I humps it ten mo"."
"Whar"s de c"lateral?" queried the Reverend Mr. Smith calmly, but with aggressiveness in his eye.
Mr. Williams sniffed contemptuously, drew off the ring, and deposited it in the pot with such an air as to impress Mr. Whiffles with the idea that the jewel must have been worth at least four million dollars. Then Mr. Williams leaned back in his chair and smiled.
"Whad yer goin" ter do?" asked the Reverend Mr. Smith, deliberately ignoring Mr. Williams"s action.
Mr. Williams pointed to the ring and smiled.
"Liff yo" ten dollahs."
"On whad?"
"Dat ring."
"_Dat_ ring?"
"Yezzah." Mr. Williams was still cool.
"Huh!" The Reverend Mr. Smith picked the ring up, examined it scientifically with one eye closed, dropped it several times as if to test its soundness, and then walked across and rasped it several times heavily on the window pane.
"Whad yo" doin" dat for?" excitedly asked Mr. Williams.
A double rasp with the ring was the Reverend Mr. Smith"s only reply.
"Gimme dat jule back!" demanded Mr. Williams.
The Reverend Mr. Smith was now vigorously rubbing the setting of the stone on the floor.
"Leggo dat sparkler," said Mr. Williams again.
The Reverend Mr. Smith carefully polished off the scratches by rubbing the ring a while on the sole of his foot. Then he resumed his seat and put the precious thing back into the pot. Then he looked calmly at Mr.
Williams, and leaned back in his chair as if waiting for something.
"Is yo" satisfied?" said Mr. Williams, in the tone used by men who have sustained a deep injury.
"Dis is pokah," said the Reverend Mr. Thankful Smith.
"I rised yo" ten dollahs," said Mr. Williams, pointing to the ring.
"Did yer ever saw three b.a.l.l.s hangin" over my do"?" asked the Reverend Mr. Smith. "Doesn"t yo" know my name hain"t Oppenheimer?"
"Whad yo" mean?" asked Mr. Williams excitedly.
"Pokah am pokah, and dar"s no "casion fer triflin" wif blue gla.s.s "n junk in dis yar club," said the Reverend Mr. Smith.
"I liffs yo" ten dollahs," said Mr. Williams, ignoring the insult.
"Pud up de c"lateral," said the Reverend Mr. Smith. "Fo" chips is fohty, "n a dollah"s a dollah fohty, "n dat"s a dollah fohty-fo" cents."
"Whar"s de fo" cents?" smiled Mr. Williams, desperately.
The Reverend Mr. Smith pointed to the ring. Mr. Williams rose indignantly, shucked off his coat, hat, vest, suspenders and scarfpin, heaped them on the table, and then sat down and glared at the Reverend Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith rolled up the coat, put on the hat, threw his own out of the window, gave the ring to Mr. Whiffles, jammed the suspenders into his pocket, and took in the vest, chips and money.
"Dis yar"s buglry!" yelled Mr. Williams.
The Reverend Mr. Smith spread out four eights and rose impressively.
"Toot," he said, "doan trifle wif Prov"dence. Because a man wars ten-cent grease "n" gits his july on de Bowery, hit"s no sign dat he kin buck agin cash in a jacker "n" git a boodle from fo" eights. Yo"s now in yo" shirt sleeves "n" low sperrets, bud de speeyunce am wallyble. I"se willin" ter stan" a beer an" sa.s.senger, "n" shake "n" call it squar". De club"ll now "journ."
THE b.u.mBLEBEAVER[7]
BY KENYON c.o.x
A cheerful and industrious beast, He"s always humming as he goes To make mud-houses with his tail Or gather honey with his nose.
Although he flits from flower to flower He"s not at all a gay deceiver.
We might take lessons by the hour From busy, buzzy b.u.mblebeaver.
[Footnote 7: From "Mixed Beasts," by Kenyon c.o.x. Copyright 1904, by Fox, Duffield & Co.]