Four Aces That Don't Win

From the San Francisco Chroniclo. Two yoiing and ontorprising Portlandera rocuntly visitud Walla Walla, and - (lid t mukc a cent They had boon taking lessons in that g;une which Ah Sin didn't undei stand, and concluded they "knew how it was theuiselvos," and made a trip up the river for the purpose of raking in a few dollars. Now, these young gentlemen ware not gumblers, although they ropo8ed to play the game to win, and vould have telt highly insulted if any one would have charged them with a deire to play unfair or cheat in the least legree. For several days after thoir arrival in Waüa Walla tht;y loitered nround the hooi, pluying "freeze out," and "sich" for mmthing to drink, and even wpnt so fat ds to play a little " bean poker." They vere Diding thcir time, and waiting for an opportunity, and it finally caine. One ovening last week, a party of genlemen who never play for great stakes, jut who soinetimes indulge in poker for tastiine, assembled in one of the hotels md bi'gim playing. Our youthful Port-, tsuotd frionds henrd of the game and took moasures to secure a hand. They were soon gratifind beyond meas ure by being invited to join in the play, and took seats at the tablo and couimenced chipping in quite lively. ïho giiine pro'coeded, and luck scemed to favor the young stmngers, who were joyoua over the tact that they were already sonie $200 ahead in the game. One of the players was Judge Blank, a man who dearly lovesagamo of "draw," and who knows about as many points in the same as any other man, be lio a professional or otlior player. The Judge soon detected the young men from the "Big AValiainct" "playing roots," and took hu -nis to head tbcm off, but how he did it we do not know. IL; oallcd for a now deck cf cards, and atter a while was made happy by having three kings and a pair of deuces dealt to him. Of cou'.de he " oliipped " in. One of the Portlandeis - the one who had dealt the cards - raised him, and batng bccame lively until some $1,000 were on the ttible, whon a Oill v.iis made. The Judge displayed his f uil hand and reached for tho pile. " Ilold on,'' eried tho Portland youth, "I've got four aces and a king," and he went for tho coin. "Don't be too fast," responded tho Jmlpo. "I guess 111 tako tho nioney, for wc iluu't let a man play sixcards up here ;" and he shovod his finger upon an ace, and lo and behold '. it separated from a ten spot with a snap, as if it had beon held by a bit of WBX. ïho Judge raked in the money, and the young man from Portland o. uit playing, saying as ho did so, " There's cheating going on around the table." Tli oso young men are puz.hii to know how the judgo did it. This is Edward Halo's story : " A man had sold himsolf to the dcvil, who was to possess him at a cortain timo unlcss ho oould propound a question to his satanio majosty whlcb hc could not answer, bo being allowed to put threo queries to lam. The timo carne for tho devil to cluim his own, and hc consequently appearcd. Tho first question the man nsked was conccrning theology, to which it causcd the devil no troublo to roply. The second ho also answored without hesitation. Tlie man's t'ate dppcndod on the third. What should it bo 'r1 Ho hositatcl and turned palo, and tho oold dow stood on his t'oruh.ead, whilo ho shivorod witb anxioty, norvousnoss and terror, and tho devil triumphantly snoürcd. At this juncture tbo man's wife appearod in the room with a bonnet on herhead. Alarmed at hor husband's conditiou sho demandod to know tho eaueo. When fonned she laughed and said : ' I can j propound n question which the devil himsclf cannot miswer. Ask hira which 3 the front of this bonnet?' ïho d(jvil guvt; it up and rcUrod iu disgust, iind thü man was t'ree."