A Moke Mystery.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 19 April 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

A Moke Mystery.

There was no game at tho Thompson -street Poker Club on Saturday evening. Mr, Gns Johnson was engaged to sing at a revival in Hoboken; Professor Brick wrote a note to the effect that his coal man had prevented his recuperating sufficiently to play on the cash system, and Mr. Eube Jackson, who had promised to call upon Elder Boss Jones of Florida, and steer him against the game, failed to put in an appearance. The Eev. Thankful Smith was relating the experiences of the previous meeting, when, with the saddened air of a man who had lost his grip on his reputation, Mr. Tooter Williams and the odour oj a Bowery cigar entered together, "Whad de madder, Toot ?" inquired Mr. Smith, with the easy familiarity of a man in luck. '< Yo* looks 'spondent." " I done loss dat sixty-fo' dollahs I winned on de hoss race," responded Mr. Williams, gloomily. " Sho ! " exclaimed everybody present. "Yezzah," continued Mr. Williams, addressing himself exclusively to Mr. Smith, " an' I done loss it in bettin' agin' mokes, too. Bat's whad makes de remorse bite." The deepest interest having been aroused, Mr. Williams proceeded to enlighten the members as follows : " I was stannin' in a do' on Sixth aveyou, an' up comes a wite man in a plug hat, an' sezee, 'Why, heel-\o, Mister "Robinson, how is you?'" m " 8u,nk0.," Mr. Smith, with the air ot one who had had experience. "Dats what Ithought," said Mr. Williams, j " bud I kept shet. So Isez to him, • Kow is yo'?'" " ' Ise a stranger yar, Mister Eobinson,' sezee, ' an' I mils* say I never did see so many mokes tcgiddor as dey is on Sixth aveyou. Bey's no' mokea dan witepussons.' ' Oh, no,' sez I, ' dey's mo' wite pussons dan mokes.' 1 I'll bat yo 1 two to one dey isn't,' seezee. 'All right,' sez I. So off hoaoes an' comes back wid a fren' who weighed 'bout two hunded, an' had a bad eye," " Yo' had a sof spec," observed Mr. Smith. " Den," continued Mr. Williams, not noticing the interruption, "sezee, *No, we'll bofe put up a hunded dollahs wif dia genelman, an' stan yar in da do.' Hveiry wite man passes, he'U give yo' two dollahs, an' every moke passes, he'll give me> a dollah.' " "Well!" said Mr. Smith, who was growing excited. " Well ; fnsi dey comes along two wite men, and da man wif de bad eye says dat was of dollahs to my credit. Den comes six wite men, an' he say dats twelve dollahs mo 1 for me. Den comes along a buck niggah an' den Ilose a dollah. Den fo' wite men an' I win eight. Den fo' wite men mo' ; den one niggah; den two niggahs, den seven wite men, an' de man wif de bad eye, h8 says I was fohty-two dollahs ahead." "De soffes' lay I ever hear," said Mr. Smith, whose eyes were glistening over Mr. Williams's winnings. " Don cornea along fo' wite men," said Mr. Williams, an' de man wif a bad eye ha say dat was eight dollahs mo', and den "Taere Mr. Williams paused, as if his recollections h.ad overpowered him. M An' den ? " echoed everybody, wildly exoited. "Why, den," said Mr. Williams, desperately, " dey comes around de cornah "

"Da cops ! " breathlessly asked Mr. Smith, 11 A niggah funer'l," said Mr. Williams.— N. Y. Life.