Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-01-23
..Done it y Purpose" ;"

cardigan jacket and look OF woe got
on the train, and as the car was a little
crowded, he sat in the seat with me.
He had that troubled and anxious ex-
preston that rural young man wears
when he first rides on the train.
When the engine whisled he would al.
most Jump out of that cardigan jacket,
and then he would look kind of foolish,
like man who allows his impulses to
get the better of him. Most every one
noticed the young man and his cardi-
gan jacket. for the latter had arrived
at that stage of droppiness and jaded-
across-the-shonlders look that the cheap
knit jacket of commerce acquires after
awhile, and il had shrunken behind
and stretched out in front so that the
horizon. as you stood behind the young
man, seemed to be bounded by the tail
Of this garment, which started out at
pocket with good intentions and sud-
denly decided to rise above the young
mans shoulder blades.
"Do you live at GreeleyYn / in
quired.
mo, SIR" he said, In an embarrss.
sed way, as most any one might in the
presence Of greatness. 81 live on 4
rancho up the Pandre. was just at
Greeley to see the circus"
l thought Iwould play the tenderfoot
and inquiring pilgrim from the cultured
East, 50 / SAID, "You do not see the
circus often in the West, 1 presume;
the distance is so great between towns
and the cost of transportation is so
great?"
No, sir. This is the first circus l
ever was to. have never saw a circus
before"
"Did you go into the side show?"
'No, sir. l studied the oil paintings
on the outside, but l didn't 60 in. l
met handsome looking man there near
the side-show, though, that seemed to
take an interest in me. There was a
lottery along with the show, and he
wanted me to- go and throw for him."
'Capper, probably" -,..- -.--
Perhaps SO. Anyhow he gave me 8
dollar and told me to go and throw for
him."
why didn't he throw for HIM
self?''
80, be said the lottery man knew him
apd wouldn't let him throw"
"Of course. Same old story. He
saw you were a greeney and got you TO
throw for him. He stood In with the
game so that you drew big prize for
the capper, created big excitement,
and you and the crowd sailed in and
lost all the money you had. I'll bet he
was man with a velvet coat, and
mustache dyed dead black and waxed
as sharp as cambria needle"
''Yes; that's his description TO dot.
l wonder if he really did do that a-pur-
pose"
"Well, tell US about 1t. 1t does me
good to hear fool tell how he
lost his money. Don't you see that
your awkward ways and general green
ness struck that capper the first thing,
and you not only threw away your
own money, but two or three hundred
other wappy-jawed pelicans saw you
draw big prize and thought 1t was
yours, then they deposited what little
they had and everything was lovely"
well I'll tell you how it was fifth
do any good and save other young men
in the future. You see this capper, as
you call him, gave me 81 bill to throw
for him, and put it in my vest pocket,
so, along with the dollar bill that faith
er gave me. l always carry my money
in my right-hand vest pocket. Wall, L
sailed up to the game, big as old Jum-
by himself, and put a dollar into the
game. As you say. l drawed a big
prize, $40 and a silver cup. The man
offered me s. for the cup and took
it.
''Then 1t flashed over my mind that
l might have got my dollar and the
other feller's mixed. so 1 says to the
proprietor, will invest for gent who
asked me to draw for him.
''Thereupon l took out the other
dollar, and I'll be eternally chastised if
l didn't draw a brass lOcket worth
about two bits a bushel."
1 did not say anything for long
time. Then l asked him how the cap
per acted when he got his brass locket.
''Well, he seemed panied and grieved
about something and he asked me if 1
hadn't time TO go away into a quiet
place where we could talk it over by
ourselves, but he had a kind of cruel.
insincere look in his eye, and said
no, l believe didn't care to, and that
1 was poor conversationalist anyhow,
and so l came away and left him look
ing at his brass locket and kicking
holes in the ground and using profane
language.
Afterwards saw him talking with
the proprietor of the lottery, and 1 feel
somehow that they had lost confidence
in me. heard them speak of me in a
as | passed by: There goes the meek
eyed rural convict now,' and he used
horrid oath at the same time.
''It it hadn't been for that one little
quinc:dence there would have been
nothing to mar the enjoyment of the
occasion"