Sheridan's Hand

"I was in a poker game," writes correspondent of the Washington Star "in the winter of 1879, when Senato Conkling and General Phil Sherida were players. It was a four bandee game, and John Chamberlin was th other player. This game at Chamber lin's was always for a $5 limit at first with the nnderstanding that along to ward morning, after a couple of hour of warming up, anybody could sugges the removal of the limit if he wante to. The way Conkling and Sheridau bluffed each other that night was a eau tion. Both men seemed to strike ou luck altogether as an element in thei good natured play against each other and as both of them caught fine haud occasionally wbeu engaged in this tng of war of bluffiug neither of them coulr get an exact line ou the other, and i was bettf r tban a play to study thei faces at the s-how downs. Conkling wa having all ihe success duricg the latter part of the night, and it was fun to hear Little Phil softly uttrar dark and wooiïy things vmclir bis breath when, time after timo, Conkling wou ld sbow a haud ccnsistiüj.' of uothiagat all after baving scared fctericlau ont or produce a gorgeous set of íours or a l'ull band at such times as fc herida, tieciding tlmt the senator w::s nluffing, would cali aim. " 'Bite him, gheridan, ' Cbamberlin would say amusedJy on these occasions and Sheridan would teil Cbaniberlin to go to tbe dickens aad cali lor another deck oí cards. "Westarted the last ronnd of jack pots with a uew deck. Sheridan deal the first mess himself, and after it hac gone aronnd and none of the three of us could open it Sheridan opened it him self. Neither Chamberlin nor I hac any right to etay on our hands, eo it ■was left befrween Sheridan and Conkling, who staid. Conkling took three cards and tnrned his little pair into hrees. Sheridan dished himself out ;hree cards and bit his cigar hard when ie saw his hand. He made a $5 bet to draw Conkling out, and the senator raised him $25. Itpassed between them with these $25 bets ontil there was nearly $300 in the pot, both men scrutinizing each other pretty carefully at each bet. " 'I don't know so much about you ;his time,' said Óonkling flnally, 'anc I tbiiik I'll just cali you for safety. ' "Both laid their hands down at tbe same time. Uonkling had three mués, and he looked at Sheridan strangely when he saw thu color of Sheridau 's three aces. Both Chamberlin aud myself also saw what was wrong at the sanie instant, but we only smiled and let the two men have it out. Sheridan had a broad grin on his face aud was just about to rake iu the pot. Coakling ■was gazing at the little man of iron with a puzzled look in his eyes. " 'Oh, I say, there, Phil, just wait a minute,' said he. 'Do you really think that pot belongs to you?' "'Belongs to me?' said Sheridan. 'Well, it does if the nose on my face belongs to me. ' And again he reached over to hoe in the pot. "Conkling ran his hand through his ïair and again stopped Sheridan with a gesture. " 'I don't remember ever having seen hat sort of thing bef ore, 'he said. 'Did ou, Phil?' " 'Seewhat sort of thing bef ore?' said heridan. ' What in blazes are you talkng about, Conkling?' "For reply Conkling put one flnger pon one of Sheridan 's aces and then ointed to another one of the aces. " 'I never saw a jack pot won with Jree ace6, two of which happened to )e aces of diamonds, ' said Ooukling, smiling. "Sheridan looked at his hand, lying face up ou the table before him, and his face becarae fiery red. The cousternation on his countenance was realJy fuuny. "'Why, ' said he after a luiíinte, 'blamed if I don't believe I'm nothiug better than au involuntary swindler. That otber ace, you see, is a club. 1 opened the pot on a pair of red aces, and they were, of course, these aces of diamouds. Ghaniberlin, ' turning to the amused boriiface, 'turn rue out of doors as a fraud and a short card player, will you?' ' 'And have the arm y íire a volley over the ruins of niy house?' replied Chamberliu. 'Hardly. Anybow, I'd ratber see you aud Conkling eugage in a rough aud tunible fight over the tbing. Go ahead, the pair of you. We'll see fair play, ' turniug to me. "Of course the extra ace of dianioiids bad slipped into the deck accidentally before it left the manufacturer's hands, but Sheridan, vhen he had in a ineasure recovered from his surprise of the revelation, made a bumorous preteusiou that he had known the whole thiug all aloug aud couvulsed the three of us by feelingly appealiug to Conkling to refrain from exposing him to the world for the sake of his family and all that sort of thiug. The hand being foul, the pot was of course divided. "