St. Landry democrat., 1883-03-24

1 T A1AAeSssAAO
I'm sure. | hope we'll meet again.
have an engagement to attend to now
i SO you II excuse me if I leave you. sir.
They shake hands warmly, and Tapley
goes on his way convinced that there arc
very sociable people in Ne. York. He
doesn go very Tar, you may be sure,
before he is overtaken. Jack rushes
into the joint the moment he gets away
from the guy, and announces to the
| waiting steerer: The fellows name is
Tapley. He's from North Adams.
/ The book of names and addresses, which
/ is sometimes called The Confidence
Directory, is hauled out OF a drawer. II
is volume prepared with great care.
and represents the information CLEANED
by the travels of the confidence operators
through the country. Il contains the
names of the Presidents of hanks in all
the towns OF the country. The steerel
runs rapidly through the pages devoted
to Massachusetts, finds the name of the
President of North Adams bank. and
is instantly ready for business, and to
!, play his part as the suddenly created
nephew of the said bank President.
Jack drops out of the job temporarily
now.
| 1.-The steerer, as nephew of the bank
| President, first overtakes TapleY, then
runs ahead of him a little way and
| turning about suddenly seizes his hand,
| as usual with ELUSIVE cordiality, and
exclaims:
/ ..Why, TapleE. my boy, shake!
When did you get down from North
| Adams?'
!. Tapley is more than ever Impressed
| with the extreme friendliness of stran-
gers in the big city, but is especially
surprised that any one should know his
| name. The steerer then explains with
smile who he is, or rather who he is
| not, and asks af1'ectionately after Tap
ley and all his friends. He let's the
countryman do most of the talking. and
thereby gains clue t., much of the
latter's personal and family history.
This he uses SO deity that he is soon
completely in Tapley's confidence, and
makes the latter really believe that he
has met a fellow tovnsman. The steer
er does not hurry matters. He leads
his victim by easy stages to the trap set
for him, walks with him toward the
Joint. as they talk. Near the door of the
latter, which is always a drinking sa-
loon. the steerer says:
"'By the way, John, if you're going
lack again tomorrow, as you say, you
might take up something l have or
dered for nv uncle and the folks. 1t
will be a big favor, and will save me
the necessity of cutting short my visit,
as ! feared W uld have to. Tou see
WANT to stay a few days longer on
some private business. The packages
are right in here now, guess
"Ihey enter the saloon, where the
bartender has been expecting their COM
ing for some time.
:. Have those packages come for me
yeti? asks the steerer
mo, sir; not yet responds the bar
tender.
'..Ah, that's funny re:oins the
steerer. They ought to be here by
this me- Then he turns to Tapley
and says: Let's take drink and wait
q little while.
The bartender produces the liquor.
and the steerer catches a glimpse Of a
dice box near the cigar lighter. calls
for it, and begins to toss about the
ivory cubes listlessly. He produces
five dollar bill, meantime, and tenders
itin payment for the drinks. This act
is simply prearranged signal, and an
accomplish, seeing the bill, suddenly
opens the front door, and dashing in as
if in hurry, inquiries of the bartender:
...Can you change me tiYe-dollar
bilIp'
The bartender laughs pleasantly.
4 can change one bill. he remarks, but
this gentleman also wants one changed.
| can't accommodate both.
The new conner studiously avoids
recognizing his confederate. He SIM
ply says, with marked suayty.
"tOh, well, no matter The gentle
man was here first He's entitled to
the change. just Jumped Off Third
avenue car moment ago because the
conductor could not'change more than
a tWo-dollar note. i have no doubt T
can get the change next door,
Not to be ontdone in gentlemanlv
behavior by stranger, the steerer, who
has the countrymanIfrom North Adams
IN tow, replies
= Won't you join us, sir? We were
ust having social glass together when
you entered.
'tIhe confederate hesitates about ac-
,epting the invitation, being "a perfect
stranger, you know but at length, as
! happy compromise, he says:
Mel, I tell you what III do, I'll
brow you for the drinks, and the man
Who loses pays. That viii settle whose
ill viii be changed, TOO
IN 10y