The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-02-04
NOT so GREEN AS HE
LOOKED.

1 was amused by listening to and
watching a very swell young man
who had conceit enough in his
small head to ego round" in half
a dozen ordinary siZed fam lilies. He
was in the centre of a small group
of boys who seemed to be rather in
awe of him en- account of his many
accomplishments, as he told about
them in that lofty yet careless way
peculiar TO the nObby young man of
the period.
81 amt much on the blow, you
know" he said, twisting his rather
vague moustache, "but | do say that
l amt afraid to play any man in the
room a game of billiards fer the
drinks"
"I used to play some" spoke up
an old granger who sat at table
alone. eating some lunch that he
had produced from his pocket. "Of
course III get beat, but Id like to
try a game, jest to see if i'd forgot
what little | did know about il"
The nice young man looked at
him rather CONTEMPORARY, and
then winked at the boys as much
as to say that he'd show them some
fun. though he was afraid he would
be lowering himself from his high
social pedestal in playing with this
man from the "kentry.''
"You'll pay for drinks for the
crowd if you lose, [ suppose?" he
said.
"Of course" answered the old
farmer. There hain't nothin'
small about me, 'thout it's my feet"
and he laughed as he displayed
number twelve brogan. 81 don't
I'S'pose as it'll be any fun for you to
play with me, but ye see I'd like
to see how much l remember bout
it. Hittin' two balls to wunst
counts one, and three counts two.
Is that it? Mebbe they don't play
it now as they used to when IL kin
der got the run ont"
You'll see how it goes by watch.
ing me-" said the young swell with
grand flourish of his cue, and the
game began.
The granger sQuinted and sighted,
and took a great deal of pains with
each shot, and missed nearly all of
them.
"Goldarned if it's as easy as [
thO't twas" he said, with a shake
of his head, and look on his face
that made the boys laugh.
You're sailed for the drinks sure
enough, uncle" they told him.
at sartainly looks So" he said.
"There's as many as twenty here,
an it'll cost morn s. to go round,
won't it? That's morn l made on
the butter [ fetched to town. I
dunno what my old woman nd say
eff she knew how l spent the money"
and he sighed over the prospect
ahead, and then the boys Laughed
again.
well, you can't blame me-" said
the nobby young man, with a high
and mighty air. 1T was your own
proposal, you know.
Eyes, [ know it. said the granger.
you're ever so many ahesd of me.
I'd ike to come out as nigh up tOI
you as 1 could. l wouldn't feel so
cheap when [ thought o the two
dollars ell want SO far behind.
'Spose you show me how to make
some shots that'l count Suthin; Of
course 'tWOn't bother you none to
90 out when you feel like it, SO you
can afford to Farm me little. Mebbe
they'll have a table up to our
neighborhood by'me by, and can
show the boys all you l'arn me-.
The nice young man looked terri
bly, bored, but condescended to in
strUct the granger about some shots
that could be made to count. Some
of them he made a point on, and
others he failed to make.
"It's goldurned hard work" he
said, wiping his face with a red
bandana. II hain't been as hot
sence 1 helped Sol Smith bindin'
wheat this fall. Shouldn't wonder
if it made me kind O. nervous, a
thinkin' O. losin' the two dollars"
Then the nice young man played
in his careless style as is he couldn't
help making points. Billiards was
second nature to him, He could
play the game with his eyes shut
and one hand tied behind him, he
could
"Lem'me see," said the old
granger; "you've got how many to
go?"
"Two," answered the nice young
man with superb indifference.
"What'Il you have, boys? Gin
cocktail, sherry cobbler. or Tom and
Jerry ?" and he winked at them and
Ghey cast a lofty and amused glance
over toward the man out of whose
pocket the pay for the drinks was
supposed to come.
can I've made how many p
asked the granger.
| you've got sixteen to go" said a
| bystander.
"Then it's time I begun to do
suthin' eff l don't mean to lose that
two dollars, hain't it?" he asked,
smiling around on the crowd.
"Sh'd think it was" was the reply.
"Wall then, here goes" said the
old man, and the fun began.
He didn't try any of the easy
shots on the table. He made one to
begin with that not half dozen
men in the room would have at
tempted, and made it with the
| Oraatoet of ooro Than he Lyanf