Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-04-17
HE TRIED THE WRONG MAN.
Two Confidence Men Meet ana Enjoy q
Ride in Railroad Train,

Two Confidence Men Meet and Enjoy q
Ride In . Railroad Train. f.
A tall, red-haired young man with an
innocent face and a black necktie sat
alone in a car seat on one of the swift
flying trains of the Pennsylvania Rail
road bound for Washington. He had
just begun to read q copy of the Chris
tian Advocate when benevolent look
| ing middle-aged man entered and sat
down beside him. For an hour the
young man read his paper, and the old
man watched the telegraph poles go BY.
Becoming tired of this amusement the
stranger 1ished a half dozen little pill
boxes out Of deep pocket in his over
coat and placed them in his lap. The
young man put away his paper and eyed
his neighbor, who pulling ont roll
of bills from his vest pocket, selected a
note and placed it in one of the pill
boxes. "
EDO you suppose you could select the
| box containing the bill ?" he asked OF
the young man with smile, and q
look that seemed to say, let US be
sociable." @..'
! Don't think I could" laconically
| replied the latter pulling his NOUS
tache.
The stranger himself picked out tn
box, took out the bill and put $40
note in its place. This time, however,
corner Of the bill was left sticking
out after the cover had been put on the
box.
Nov do you think you could pick il
out ?" he said, showing his teeth
"Of course I could, replied the young
! man.
well, if you will give me dollar, I
let you try"
ooh, no, I wouldn't do that. You're
not sharp at all. You've left corner
of that bill sticking out of the box SO
any fool could pick it out"
"Why, of COURSE" said the sharper,
apparently confused by the discovery.
GLOW could I make such blunder %
Thereupon he took out the $40 bill and
! put in it's place bright, new $40 note.
| The corner of the bill stuck out as be-
! fore, but the man pretended not to
notice it.
Nov will you try it ?" he continued,
after wiping his forehead with a red
] 1,r Il &c Il III y
take your pick you've got q chance
to make $40 in clean money"
The young mans face did not show
the least animation at this declaration
If there was the beginning of smile
| hidden under his moustache it did not
| reveal itself when he answered.:
"You are stranger to me. I don't
want to take $40 out of you ; it wouldn't
be gentlemanly in me to do so. If we
were old friends the case would be diff
| ferent. But I see plainly you are not
used to the w:rI:ed ways Of this world.
You are not sharp. You have left the
corner of that $40 note sticking out of
the cover just as you did the other.
You ought to go and work on a farm
1 awhile, you ought"
! The perspiration poured from the
sharper's forehead. He had caught q
Tartar, and had had q hard time of it
too. The red-headed young man took
the boxes out of his neighbours hand,
and, after returning the 500 note, said !:
"Perhaps you would like to try your
hand at picking out the lucky box?
I'll put this $50 bill in this one and II
$40 note in this box. Give me SIS and
you shall try your luck"
The man reluctantly paid over the
money, and after the young man had
shaken up the boxes in his hat, took up
one from which the green corner of a
note appeared. When he had pulled off
the cover he found it contained only a
piece of a revenue stamp. His face fell
at the discovery.
Try it again." said his tormentor.
He tried it again, but with no better
luck. -
take the lot" laughed the young
man, pouring Them into his neigh
bors' lap. f= u r. s. D. ~,
| The hwindler opened every box, but
rot sign OF bill appeared. .
| "Here are the bills safe in my pock-
ct" said tie bright young fellow, pro-
ducing the notes from his vest pocket
and shaking them in his neighbours face.
THE next TINE you want to try your
game on q stranger, don't pick out a
man who is in the same business as
yourself. Taltaln
The red~haired youth was an expert
confidence man from Frisco. s.