The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1890-10-25

/, ItI. | .'tr -------- ~. t1f'f5
A she'll man and bis confederate Or
''oapper" boldly opened up Z game
yesterday under the shadow Of tho
Chatham square station on the Third
avenue Z road. says the N. \. Evensng
Sun.
The she'll game il played with three
walnut shells and little india-rubber
ball. The thimblerigger rolls the ball
about on Z little white board that rests
on three legs and you bet 81 or ~ that
It rolled last under the middle shell
and you are invariably wrong.
The crowd was quite large, but II
was impecunious; and 1t watched the
capper win and lose to his partner
with sKeptical interest. Every now
and again the shell man would let some
one In the crowd pick up the. shell
'just for fun" and whoever II was
would always pick out the right she'll
with the little ball under it. but when
he put up dollar bill against the shell
mans two-dollar his luck always went
against him. 1t was really very pecu-
liar.
A smart young man saw the crowd
and stopped to look on. He was Just
the sort Of speculator the shell man
wanted. and the shell man .'played at
him" at once. The young man smiled
at him contemptuously and looked as
II he had been born knowing which
shell the ball was under. and cast
plying smile on those who bet and
lost. He pulled his cigar blandly and
smiled In a superior manner that was
very irritating to the man who lost and
very pleasing to the shell man, for he
guessed It would not be long before the
young man who knew 1t all would DO
putting up some money.
The shell man asked IL this gentle
man would like to name It Just for fun,
and the gentleman said he would not.
Then somebody In the crowd named it
for fun and picked 1t out correctly. Of
course; at which the young man who
knew 1t all smiled IN preternatually
knowing and most irritatingly offensive
manner. So the shell man laid for the
young man who knew it all. and rolled
the ball slowly. SO very slowly, under
the middle shell. and moved the other
two just for bluff. for everybody saw
1t 60 under the middle one.
Even the smart young man saw that.
Then the shell man looked up careless
ly at the young man and said: Like
TO try your luck, sirP pay you to 1
If you win."
He had been working up to that play
for some time, and he had the smart
young man just where he wanted him.
My" said the capper in q stage
whisper, SO that the young man could
hear him; II wish / had a flyer, I'd
put it up on the middle ono for sure"
This seemed to decide the young
man. for he pulled out IS bill and
slapped 1t down on the table, keeping
safe hold of one end of 1t with one hand
and remarking quietly. keep your
hand of the board"
Certainly" said the shell man, APP
parently Just trifle abashed.
Then the young man smiled again
and passed the middle shell by and
lifted the right end shell, which dis
closed the little black ball lying under
meath.
Ten dollars please" said the smart
young man.
The crowd murmured its admiration
and decided the shell man that it would
perhaps be better to pay up, SO he
handed over the two fves."
YOU'RE good guesser. sir" he said
with sneer.
NO" said tho young man. "but
once paid crook so cents to teach me
your game, and this is the first chance
I've had to realize on my money!"