Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-05-21

Working at my tfAQo. IhlnRS went from
badto worse Every t1me I'd manage
to scrape up . stake, and get . match on
With some Of the big cues, I'D get best,
and we'd all have to face, starvation
again. Well, after while, I took to
drinking Though misery and despera-
ton, and I'd got about as low and seedy
and broke up as You often see man. I
vas nick of the balls by that dime. I
hated 'em With Ill ny hear, but Whist
was the use of starving man trying to
brace mp and rotorms I'd forgotten most
Of my trade then, and nobody wanted to
hire . man that wasn't steady. So Just
kept away from my miserable home, and
was inst about to, jump off the dock, when
one night, while I was moping in bill
lard room, one of the big professional
players who had just made q lot of money
hirpodroming, came up and began. chat.
ing me op my playing. I didn't look up
or pay any attention. as was used to be-
ing made game Of in those days, so pre-
Esently he says: l!F -. - =: -
F. "'Tell you what I'll o-with you, Bob;
I'll bet You five thousand to one hun
dred that can beat you so points in 500
Fte1ch game,' ~ ,, y : =. ss..5 *.
raOf course he knew hadn't q hun
dnea cents, but just then up steps hall.
tight sporting man, who had overheard
tie bet, and stapping down the money,
he said:
".WeE, that's pretty good odds;
guess I'll take 'em, stranger.
1.-THE expert wouldn't beSbluffed. Be.
side he thought playing me was about
tho same as picking up the hundred, in
the street. There wasn't the least dan
ger ID such ratified and etdown cuss
~ / was, 60 the match was made to come
I of on the next evening, and the money
put up-every cent Of it-ight on the
spot .. .
"You can reckon 4 didn't sleep much
that night, and tho next day I. wa. al
most crazy with nervous excitement.
Somehow 1 got the idea in my head that
perhaps after all something would hap
bpen that could win. There didn't seem
to be tho ghost Of q chance on the merits
of the thing, because my opponent was
the State champion, and had beaten men
who could almost discount me, but still
I couldn't help hoping, don't you sect I
couldn't eat, no more than sleep, and I
even forgot to drink. was in such fe-
Eyer. =. j - ,''>'''.' - = - -"
"Well, when the game began, at the
very first shot moth few into the light,
and fell down on the table. It has
burned off halt OF one of its wings; and
|,as 1t futtered off on the floor, the marker
raised his foot to crush it. Somehow
something made me stop him, and
picked it mp and put 1T out of the open
window. You see had kind of fel-
low feeling tor the poor, friendless little
thing. It was IN hard luck like me.
knew that If that game went against me
it was my last on earth; that I should
kill myself before morning, sure! and +
we'll, / .orter want to think that my last
act had been kind one, if only to an in
sect. Idon't suppose, though, you gel
on the idea exactly .:,,. ~.,y ,-.,-,
We said we "got on" perfectly, and the
proprietor continued:
-. "Weli, they all laughed at my being
d soft hearted-thought me crazy, sup
pose, and the game went ahead. I nev
er played in such good form in my life
as I did that night; but it was no use oil
the, sane. Before I had scored three
hundred, the other was within twenty
five of going out; and when he slipped
| up at tho emo of . run Of ninety six, and
/ chalked my cue for the last time,
knew he'd never give me another show
and that next time he was bound to rur
! out. / fred away and my first shot 60
the two red in the jaw. As I had +
play clear down the length Of the tabl'
to count on them, I expected of cours|
] To knock them apart the next shot. ny
thand tfembled like the sgue, and coult
hear nv own heart beat a. I played
1 Bless your soul, the reds stayed togeth
Y Ell III the crotch as though they had bee1
5ixlued there. kept Simplifying onthem
sometimes tapping them little harde
lfhGn T meant i'm my Nervousness; bu
fstill tie balls didn't move. I kept o.
and 81 three hundred--twenty- five -fif
lty-fqur hundred. And 80 OF
4 +: c1ept along the string, one b,
1 BY one, until -Four ninety-nine,' sal.
tile scorer; and as my eyes failed and m,
i head spun round, made one final sho
and ainted-dve hundred land tho
faintehl" 49,
."TNat was big luck" We said.
eyes, bdf1et me tBil you where th
luck came Ii! When the : stakes ha1
been paid, and the crowd gone, I wen
back 10 the table and examined the balls
and gentlemen, hope I may never sti
| if night under one Of them wasn't tina
very iame singed moth. The little Gus
mustIhave fluttered In again, and go
, mashed under the ball in such . way q
to prevent Ill rolling, and, but for It
wouldn't ID hero tonight. ai1 set mysel
up in this saloon with fho stake ;1awol
that night, and have made money eve
since. But I've never played for col
since, and never WILL" = -
And leaving the players to ponde
lover the moral Of this little romance q
the cue, the proprietor went of to dra'
some beer. g.