Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-17
MlG9Fl MO RAJ

1t was truly rural party that waited 10
| narrowing Suspense for the train which was
to leave In two or three hours Every time
bell sounded they made a rush for the
| gate to make sure that the conductor and
engineer had not carried out a conspiracy to
get away without them. They had been to
| fair, and in their periods Of comparative
repose passed the time recounting their ex-
periences and Observations.
Il can't pe'p bein' anxious" the old gen.
tleman said ALPHABETICALLY to gate tender
''Ye see there amt nobody to home, an
somebody UP Inf our country is developin' a
terrible appetite fur Leghorn chickens-which
is my speciality. 1 don't like the idee of
staytn' here over night. dodgin' bunco steer
ers when we orter be chasin' chickin
thieves"
Haven't you got hired man on the
placer"
I've brought i'm along. He was willin'
| ter pay his own way. an ez he'd OF quit eff
I he'd told i'm he'd gotterr stay, thort it
'ud save trouble In the end"
"Yessfree,' chimed in the hired man. who
came up just at that point In the CONVERSE
ton. II had ter move weth the percession.
An wouldo't Of missed SEEM what did
fur nothtn'. I guess l got through weth
more sights than anybody else In the hull
outfit"
II reckon We didn't come across any
more that was new an startlin' than some
O. the rest of u.s." replied the old gentle
man. in a blase tone of liberation. Il know
of one thing tibet We didn't see. fur mother
says she had her eye on We all the time.
Hev We got any money!"
Two dollars an sixty cents" was the
self-satisfied response.
Then We didn't see whut I'm talkin
about. You run over to tibet store an buy
three cents wuth O. English walnuts an
I'll show 1t to you. I'll be over whur
i mother an zeb is, cause it'n interest
When the hired man came back from his
errand the old gentleman was saying tc
his wife: II was out fur experience, an We
cant git experience wethout its costin'
leetle somethin'. l learnt a new game, an
l. want Zeb an the hired man ter know
about it, SOS ter put 'em on their guard
again the wickedness O. this here world
All We need Is some walnut shells an
paper wad.''
The members Of his household followed
him to the window ledge, and, after few
preliminary passes to loosen up his mus.
cles for feats of legerdemain, he paused to
remark:
Now, yen understan', of course. tibet
this here amt no lesson in gamblin'. |
Jess Wanter show we how it's done; when
you go ter town yen know jes' ez much
about 1t eZ them sharpers does, an be on
yer guard. It's game whur the man ez
somever."
He manipulated the shells and the paper
.Wad In imitation Of the man he had seen at
the fair, and. stepping back, said:
-. Course don't want We ter bet nothn',
cause that 'ud be jes' like robbin' yer. But
1t won't do no harm fur ye ter make a
guess, SOS ter show We how the dag-on-ed
swindle operates
IN bet ye my new knife agin that buck
horn handled one O. yourn tibet l kin pick
out the shell ez hez the paper wad under
II" remarked the hired man.
Il wouldn't let we do ii. Don't We onder-
stan thet this is a skin game IN a-showin'
ye?" - ,.-r
II don't keer nothin' bout that I've got
that Their paper wad located an you da'sn't
bet tibet l amt"
II da'sn't t, da'sn't 1? / don't like ter take
no advantage of you, but ye're a man
growed. an responsible fur yer own acks.
Put up yer knife"
The stakes were laid on the window ledge
and the hired man promptly selected The
right shell.
by hokeyw exclaimed the old gentleman:
we've guessed it, 1t must "a been by
miracle" T.
He tried 1t again, and this time not only
the hired man but Zeb and the old lady
risked all their available small change.
Again the amateur thimble-rigger juggled
the shells, and with the same result.
Better own up an quit. father" sug-
gested Zeb.'
Il won't do nothin' of the kind" was the
reply. - .-
In the course Of time he issued prom
issory notes for saddle blanket, pair of
bcots,. six pearl collar buttons. q calico
dress, pair Of bearskin gloves, seven plugs
OF tobacco and $3.50. But he was not dis
couraged. He was preparing for another
shuttle OF the walnut shells, when his wife
exclain ed:
''Eihu, amt 1t purity near train timer
There was . simultaneous rush for the
gate Their train had been gone nearly
fifteen minutes.
''Wal," said the old gentleman, "its dis
app'intin' ter hev ter set here tell the mex
one goes, but we've he'd the benefit Of the
exposy, anyhow. Ye kin allus drer a moral
from most anything that happens. 1t all
goes ter show thet there amt any way of
hefn' rely safe in games O. chance, no
matter which side yere on"
eyes," said Zeb, 'it all come ter pass
long of hevin' ter kill time in this here
place."
"Whur's the hired man?'
HE tor me. tibet eZ 1t would be a good
while tell the train went, he reckoned he'd
take some Of his winnin's an paint the
town a little bit"
The old lady passed around some red
apples and remarked:
ITO my way O. thinkin', there's another
eternal truth tibet this afternoon hez de-
.monstrated."
Whit is 1t, Mirandy?''
. "a fool an his money are soon parted"
And her husband never took the trouble
to inquire whether she meant him or the
hired man.