Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-01-02
DON'T JOGGLE THE CHECKER-BoAap

Almost everybody is aware of the falIacy Of
trusting to outward appearances. Looks are
decsltiul, as all of US are APT to find, sooner or
later, by bitter experience This Roston Con,-
mercial Bulletin reco,Iects an inc;dent ,rb;oh
illustrates the folly of trusting to appearances.
ano "hlcn, 1t says, will be remembered by
many who are well acquainted with one of II a
parties, a certain wealthy cattle broker ,f
birmingham, Mass. Here is the story
Ii chanced that the broker-who is univer-
S%I'y known oy the cOgnemen Of Uncle 'Vanus
vas sitting In the hotel Cfice In birmingham
with friend, playing a game of checkers
when tashiOnably dressed young man ssepped
u9 10 the bar, called for cigar, and, having
jign;ed It, said, with an air Of arrogance to the
harkeeper, g fou will have to trust me for this
cisar' Us pave no change; unless" he added,
somewhat enthusiastically, ''some of Won here
can change five hundred dollar bill''
Well, said uncle 'Eanus, slowly looking
up from his checker board, perhaps I can
change bill for the young man if he want. to
pay Tor his cigar"
You - said the young man, somewhat
sueerlngiy, Is he glanced at the plainly
dressed old man, and then, with a wink to t6e
bystanders TO call attention to tho capital ike
nc was about to perpetrate, hc continued ::
You change it Well, since you are so kind,
perhaps you will change me Il couple Of them, >
rsld be. slapPinS down two notes Of five hundred
each upon the table, with considerable en- phasis
u,
nclo Nanus slowly, as he replaced three or
four pieces that had been j3stled from their
squares by tho young mans emphatic actor;
then drawing huge roll from the pocket Of
ms weil-worn pantalOOns, he carefully counted
out, in notes Of all sizes, colors and denomin, /.
tlons, the required amount, handed them over
10 the young man and pocketed the two clean
Boston oank notes of five hundred dollars each,
that lay before him, saying, ''Pr haps you
would like two moro Of them changed ~
Inc young man, with an air of brayado.
.hlnklng be had stumbled on some droyer who
happened to have only : 900 in his pocket.
crammed the heap Of bills the old gentleman
passed to him into one pocket, and drew forth
'"o other 5000 notes from another, with a
glance OF triumph to the bystanders, who be-
gan to gather around. and hanging them down
upon the table sud, d" Prehaps do; won't YOU
change them, old buster 20
Don't joggle the checkers" said the old
man, as the draughts danced again upon their
'4uares, and pluDging his hand into his other
FHntaloons pocket he fshed up another appa-
rentiy promiscCOus heap of bank notes. which
he smoothcd 1t, AMI rapidly counted the re-
qnlTed amount, which about used up the sup
ply and then pushed them over to the Young
naH, pocketing in return the two large notes
Inc tide was evidently against the young
oraggadoclo. and he felt it in the half-sup-
pressed laughter that was elected from the
iookers-on. A bold coup was necessary to re-
Saln the ground ne had lost, and he at once
decided upon it. " Prehaps, my old cock, Won
think that's all the money I've got, and pre-
haps you may have the rags about you for these
Two beauties, ssa!d he, rs firted two 81 OOC
notes out upon the table before the old man.
Pretty well crowded, my bantum,'' said
the latter. as ne keenly scrutinized the notes.
Ill you keep on through life as you pear to
have begun it prehaps you may have rags
about you that you won't get rid of so easily -
Then PlungiDg his hand into G spacious pocket
somewhere under his left arm he drew forth
huge, plethOric. calf-skin wallet in which he
deposited the two 81 900 notes, and from which
ne handed the amount in others of smaller de-
nominations, saying, as he did So Ef You
woull Ike few more Of those changed, lust
hand EN- out, for the game is waiting"
The young gentleman evidently felt that the
game trEs waiting, and il began to be apparent
to him rrho was the game; go no hastily ga athered
up the money and prepared to leave, when 10
was stopped by Uncle 'Eanus, who slid f: you
nave got small bills enough, my friend, pre-
maps you had better pay for that cigar Any
broker In Boston will give you Boston bills fer
the pIie yoa We got IN your pockets for a fair
commission; and, he continued with a grin,
you had better step into the city and take ON
the note you were sent to pay, instead of swan.
ping your money round here among cattle-dr ro.
yerS.'
The young man threw q dollar on the coun.
ter, and vanished amid shout of laughter
from those who had witnessed the scene: while
Uncle 'tanus quietly settled himself in his
seat, and went ON with the interrupted game
Of checkers"