ser."

The capper offered to loan the merchant some money to make up the
balance, but I would not allow it. At last he put up his watch
and diamond pin, and went to turn the jack. Of course he lost.
Afterwards he came to me and gave me a check for $1,000, and I
returned him his jewelry and money. We stopped for half an hour
at one of the landings, and he slipped off and countermanded the
payment of the check by telegraph. When I presented the check at
the bank I was shown the dispatch, and to this day the check has
never been paid, though the merchant still does business on Canal
Street. He was an honorable, high-toned merchant.

MY PARTNER WON.

Dunlap and I got on the steamer _Paragoad_ one evening at Baton
Rouge, and seeing no one of board that I thought was of any particular
service to me, I got a bottle of wine and a good cigar and was
sitting in the hall, when a coal merchant whom I knew very well in
Baton Rouge came along, and seeing me said:

"Devol, this is rather a slim trip for your business."

Laughingly I replied, "Yes."

"But that don't hinder us from taking a drink together, does it?"

"I have just had one, thank you."

He insisted, and I did not hang back; so, after smoking, we sat
down near the bar, when he remarked that this was the first boat
he ever was on where they didn't have a game of poker. I thought
myself it was something strange, as in those days everybody played
cards. At last we got to throwing for the drinks, when he finally
remarked that if there were one or two more around we might have
a good game of poker. Though I said I didn't care to play, as I
was sleepy, yet he persisted. Along came Dunlap, whom he did not
know, and I asked him if he ever played poker. He replied a little,
when he was at home in Illinois.

"Come on, then, and take a drink," said the coal man.

I gave Dunlap the wink, and excusing himself for a moment he went
to his room, and procuring a pack of marked cards gave them to the
barkeeper. When he came in, the coal man at once began:

"Sit down, and we'll make up a game."

Then Dunlap asked the barkeeper for some cards, and of course the
marked pack was handed out. It was then half-past 12 o'clock. We
started in at a $20 limit, and played until the table was needed
for breakfast. The coal man and myself were both losers. He said
he lost $2,300. I lost $900, but as I lost it to my partner, I
was not broken-hearted.

HAUNTED.

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