Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
THE BUNKO MAN.

little table IN the Holman house.
eyes, I" he said, II was played for a
sucker once, but hate to tell about it.
You ought not to ask man to give
himself away. Well, since you insist,
III try to hide the pain it gives me and
I'll tell you a tale that will make you
weep for the perfidy of mankind. A
mean trick, was it? ''WeIl, [ should
say it was. Why, Nero would have
blushed if he had ever done anything
half as mean. 1t was so mean that /
doubt if I'd have had the heart to do it
myself.
ut was like this: / was coming
down Broadway one evening in the fall,
about two years ago, when / was en-
gagged leading Out-of-town gentlemen
against bunkO. That don't pay now
The newspapers have exposed the
thing so often that the worst yahoo
from Michigan knows the game, and
as soon as you say anything about be-
inc the nephew of his bank he gets
scared and calls the police. In those
days it was running pretty well,
though, and, as / was saying, [ was
coming down Broadway with my side
partner, Tony Goodheart. Tony was
the tlyest man in the profesh to size up
duffer and do the preliminaries. He
looked so green that anybody could
tell in minute to look at him that he
wasn't up to anything crooked. Why,
he had the most vacant, innocent face
a man ever wore, and he was embar-
raised so easily and blushed so much
that everybody pitied him. But talk
about cheek! He had the hardest nerve
you ever read about. | believe he'll
have the face at the Judgment day to
calmly walk over and take his place
with the sheep, and then make a big
kick if they say he's made mistake.
Well, [ was telling how he came down
Broadway, and there, in Il doorway In
the Fifth avenue hotel, stood a young
fellow that | put down for the most
blooming sucker | had come across in
many a day. He was just ripe enough
to be picked, and Tony and [ nudged
each other as soon as we put eyes on
him. | sized him up right away for
dude from ST. Louis or Milwaukee or
Buffalo, who had come down to see the
city and brought enough to have good
time. He had a smooth, round, pleas
ant face, was dressed very nicely, and
leaned against the hotel pillar as if he
was just triie lonesome, and we know
he'd be right glad to find an old friend
to show him about the city.
''Well, | went over and sat down on
a bench in the park and Tony walked
by the hotel. As he passed the young
fellow he glanced at him, gave a start,
looked again and recognized him.
"'Hello. old man, he says, rushing
up and Selling his hand in the regula-
ton way. How are youP What are
you doing down here? Why didn't
you let me know you were coming?'
The young man looked at him very
hard while Tony still kept shaking his
hand and inquiring about his mother
and his sisters, and then he said: Re
ally, you've T1.ade mistake. [ don't
recollect ever seeing you before.
You never saw man so embarrass-
ed and distressed in your life as Tony
was. | could see him blush clear across
Broadway.
81 beg thousand pardons," he
said but it's a most extraordinary re-
semblance. Why, even now [ could
almost swear that you were my old
college friend, Henderson, of Chicago,
at Princeton, if [ hadn't heard your
voice"
The young man fell right into the
trap as beautifully as anybody could
wish.
Its very complimentary to your
friend Henderson, I'm sure" he said;
but I'm very different maa. My
name is Thomas, and [ come from
Cleveland.
"''That's singular, too, said Tony,
with more embarrassment than ever.
I'm sure you'll excuse me asking the
question, but it isn't Thomas Thomas,
is it? My sister met young gentle
man of that name in Cleveland last
summer, and she's been talking about
him ever since. Is it possible that you
are Thomas Thomas?"
'''Under the circumstances return
ed the young man politely, / am very
sorry that am not Thomas Thomas.
My name is Isaac Thomas
Then Tony begged his pardon again,
blushed great deal more, and walked
on across the Fifth avenue crossing,
and came along and met me at 22d
street. He's the easiest sucker 1 ever
worked, Tony said to me after he told
me the name and address. You ought
to finish him before midnight. Meet
you in the old place, help
''Well, then my part of the contract
began. | took Broadway car up past
the hotel, so as to come down the other
way, and the young follow was still
standing by the pillar. gotof at oath
street and came down Broadway. He
was there yet [ started into the hotel
and looked him in the face as | passed
him. Then | came back and stared at
him again. I'm be hanged, said to
him, if you're not key Thomas grown
up to be a man! Permit me to squeeze
your flesh. And [ held out my hand.