A Billiard Story.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 338, 30 January 1889, Page 6

A Billiard Story.

As it is well known,thab professional bilhawl ,-. play.e^B.haVe?so"m"eiamusing^\vaW^^^ .when, they are/oub. of, London, .perfiapsbliV '■ following story. will- be read with interest: .'I aim;, not",'.j ( "a,correspo'ndentr.' ga£s';f#{bi~_ expert^ .with-- the* cue', andi^.^^'jpla^V lndre than perhaps -half k\dozen Vg&tnea l^ *in 'jbhe T * month r ; indeed', \ at fmy:/cfub' '" •I' have J he'ard<f whispering^' of bets* W^'tb^ whether I^or a 4 friend, witb whom I'ttaye/atr " occasional* v conteet, 'is •* the" -^wjirstV' s player' - therel -Yet' once 'upon "* time - 'l//came Jvery^-near -beating Vone /.of -^th'e- - most -Ullustriofus'-profoßsioftals" ill t London'. " ItwasinaHighrlahdjhotel late' in'aubuMn, " :when the bloomjhad 'gone off.t'hp.hefrtJier ' : Land. housemaids were .busy .packing^ ti^^Be j.thing'Bt tor follow, their mistresses,' y?f»<fna,d ' rreburnp,d, tb>to\#n.., v Whenj.l.arrive^jtt jwa& r about ,down iw^ibhgreat^leasure'.mfarfijti^e/^ -~ -^ooin b^ub myself ■ and . a&\ unmigVated:] 7^aijbe^'^^^emed } glad to vary t^e^monbton^b^^sr'existence .£y pouring, pub Qn'*me Ibhe ? atfcJßn'tiibn, which ,he had-lcarefulLy withhelci.f^om^he.Bummer .guests .at the hotel— a-, jvery, ("'large, .and .fashionable one., .After dinner X went into the clrawing-room to .find it .'empty,,-* though nob cheerful, for winter's first s^h, a, great fire, was crackling in the grate, si pleasant,■contrast' to the brown* gurly 'waves of r the Loch as they were driven about in the thickening dusk < by sc Strong wind .which was dashing a persistent rain-storm dn'tHe windows. 0 As a natural Consequence^of dinner and' comfort, I 'fell dre|ini'le&sly asleep^in r n.n r easy bhair, while making a manly attempt tolook through a portfolio of ' Highland sketches. ' -When I wakened up .and 'hard" partaken^of -a post-prandial cup of cofFeei I "suddenly discovered- ih-my breast a deep yearning to s Ftnoke,' 'and'for that purpose hunted out 'the billiard-room. Not a soul was^ there 'bub i'the > aforesaid waiter, who in 'obedience' to nay' 'request lighted up its gloomy recesses — afeathehad no sooner accomplished £han ~ther3 entered a well-dressed -genblem'an.''m *was tdld J he was the only other guest. His firstppera'tion -was to callfor a brandy-and-soda, 'his^nexb to take up a billiard.-cuej'andpuntjthe balls about. 'Do you play?'' l asked , 'Just learning,' he answers.' '"How many points will you give me for-fa game f •* None, *I'm afraid/ said I ;: 'for f too am just- a beginner; bub let us try- one game, : and I'll eee-whab I. can- give 'you afterwards; ' So we started," arii' I ■ thought the game'' was enjoyable, for I feW *iti 'K'lfortn, while my opporienb'played likB "an absolute novice. BLe ; scored faster for -me r^than for 'himself ; for nob only flid- he> develop 'the most ingenious methods of' missing' 1 - the easiest cannon j- c -but' his awkward cue '"over and over again' -bumped' his "ball over "the cushion, or drove ibMnto the' 'pobkeb wifih 'a i> miss. ' In pure pity -I began' to coaoh his.strokes, to bhe -great atnusement of the marker, whose face all bhe, .time, w,as a study. I was 97, and my antagonist' \v'as only 40, so that I w&s^ T resting'6ri""my bars wlien he quietly remarked-, " Now, J do you know this is' the only 'position in'whichl am ever able to score. 5 ■ "Will^you, just to -give an interest 1 'to" it, hack:; yourself for half-a r sovereign J ?' ' • You *'aie poking,' • 1 answered.' ' tj ]Sob at, all,' -he "replied." 'Is ib righb?' ' Well, yes, M replied, for thpugh, "011 principle, -1 never' bet; "l though^ this .w.as s a sure thing, re%cbi'ng bbat even if he had been bluffing a bit, I cpuld s surely duke three. Then'rriy f riend' quietly took' olff his coat, pub away the wretched 4 sti6k lor a black-handled cue—the best 'in the room •^-settled down' "to « the v spot stroke -and won in a break. ' Thank you,' -I said, with cold politeness as- I handecJ'liim hig^h'alfsovereign, "but ""lie""" laugheH' ]n&fpilslas, „he dropped' it 'into his 'pocketi' 1 with the"remark, c Whab will you drink|?V ; '^F6thit%? "Well; I shall jus.b drbpround/to the' bar^it's livelier there.' Then he left;' 1 and the^smug-faced-;waiter/Said. 'Why; sir, don't' you v knoW that's — , the famo.us professional^ He is on' his way from his lordship's, where'he Kas been playing an exhibition match, and ho could not get back to Glasgow t'o-tiight.' I gave thre waiter a glass of "whisky^ after that, for ib made •me feel like Clar^th "when he found bhab ib was i Xai<ncel6t < :who%'had ovei'thrbwnhim in the globm I .' ■w ' '.