her to ante. Joe Tuttle’s in about the same boat as me. When his wife’s got an off night, and don’t lose over two or three bucks, he has a chance to beat the game.
After we’ve played about a half hour, the two women makes up their mind that they ain’t losin’ fast enough the way things is; so it’s moved and supported and carried that, from then on, everything’s a jackpot with deuces loose. That’s when Hatch begins his real cleanup, and I and Tuttle start plottin’ wifeicide, or whatever you call it.
If the host and hostess happens to be pretty far behind at midnight, we keep goin’ till two o’clock or worse. But if they’re winners, or anywheres near even, the sandwiches and coffee’s served round twelve bells. After that, the two couples that don’t live where the pastime was at goes home separate, so’s each couple can quarrel without the other overhearin’ it. The scrappin’ lasts till the party o’ the second part opens up the tear ducks. Then you have to pretend like you didn’t mean none of it.