The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-05-29
DIAMOND cur DIAMOND.



when holiday times come around
they make me think of clever swim
die that was played on the bank i was
engaged in seven or eight years ago. y
II might be rs well to mention the
fact that the speaker wns an ex-man-
ager of a prominent faro bank, which
once existed near Broadway and Four
teenth street.
You pencil singers continued he
to the reporter don't hear about all
the fiy movements or ingenious opera
tions of crooks. Here's story l
didn't give away at the time it hap
pened. / was too much ashamed of
myself to squeal.'
1T was Christmas eve. and we had
an awfully SWELL crowd in the house
give you the namesi What do you
take me forP If there's honor among
thieves there should be at least de-
cency among gamblers; no, no names.
Well, was saying we had as fine a
blue-chip racket as / ever saw spread;
it beat old-time Saratoga. Three or
four of the party stacked right up to
our Observation-Disclosures limit, and the
game was making big money deal
after deal.
Just before II o'clock there came a
ring for admittanee; the porter peeped
t0TOuHn Lne SLUG anu SudueuiJ SiE-
nailed me to go to him.
WHO is itp' / whispered,
t.Policemani' he gasped, his face
showing that elephant-skin sort of hue
which a genuine Africans face as
sumes when he's really scared.
II muttered something that you'd
better not print; If the officers visit
meant the notice of raid, which we
sometimes got in friendly way, or an
order to close up for the night, why.
up went our magnificent game. Be-
side. / disliked to let the stylish guests
present feel that they had been leopard
| ized-bad future advertisement for the
place. So l told the porter to give a
bluff to anybody who inquired about
me in the room, and slipped outside
20 interview the cop in the dimly-
| lighted yestibule. He was one i could
not remember as belonging in the
neighborhood, and that gave the visit
serious tinge.
"sWhats upa' l asked. nervously.
He smiled. and with slight Irish
accent replied: oh. Just nothing at
all; yer needn't get yerself ratified in
the least. The captain has the prisint
of Christmas check from some of the
big storekeepers in the ward. but it
didn't reach him until about an hour
midnight train to spend Christmas,
and he wants to take the cash with
him. So he sint me to ask you if yon
will oblige him with currency for it,
| He's writ his name ON the back of it.
and the man handed me "A neat looking
check. drawn for $3.50. bearing lead
ing merchants name as signer. and
Captain -'s Endorsement
Il ear assure you the explanation
and request put a more cheerful color
to the affair. l lost no time in diving
into my inside pocket and drawing out
five crisp tifties. | handed them to
the policeman. with the check as we'll.
Tell the captain said |. I'm glad to
accommodate him; that he may return
the money at his own convenience and
that prefer that he should hold the
check. as his Endorsement 10 me might
compromise him. Tnis was diplo-
| macy; would help TO strengthen my
pull; make things more solid. Seep
''+All right. said he, turning to go
out.
'.'Let the porter bring out drink
for YOU I suggested. He declined
with thankye. | don't want the old
man to smell liquor on me; I'll have a
cigar though
Il gave him one out of my case; he
lighted it and took the peculiar stroll
ing gait of n cop toward the-the pre-
/ cinct.
.-Ou the morning after Christmas !
got an express package. Il contained
a police uniform, helmet and all. a
dark-brown wig and a full dark sandy
beard; also n note which read: i
apologize for ugain intruding upon the
palatial Jungle of the ROYAL Bengal,
old fel. but. If you viii kindly return
these things to the cosIumer. whose
card is inclosed. you may keep the $l5
deposit left ON them ON the 24th in
stapt. Nothing mean about me-" =
N. Y Tribune.