Evening star., 1901-02-09

as his ''rake-off' from the proprietors Of
| the gambling houses. A few of the head
aes ,n ,c Of noted New York hotels are
from the gambling houses In this way.
spotting a Billiard sharp.
| The detective continued on his way to the
| billiard room. where both men and women,
guests OF the house, or freQuenters OF the
| cafe, awaiting the announcement of the
serving of their lunchsons. were playing at
| the tables.
| AT table at the far end of the room
two men were playing billiards. One of
| them was big man in the frock-coat
makeup of westerner, and the other was
| natty little chap with hawk-like face
| ana snarp gray eyes. who might have
been anywhere from twenty-five to fifty
years or age. and who was dressed in the
extreme OF the afternoon fashion for gentle
| men. Ihe westerner. playing an ordinary
| game, seemed to be winning, to his own
great satisfaction. He grinned broadly
every time he made a run of four or Ave
| buttons and he grinned more broadly still
when his opponent missed the simplest OF
| putting up an execrable exhibition at bill
| lizards. The westerner ran out. at least
| twenty buttons to the good on his string.
Disgusting bad play, mine." said the
| and all that, but there's no excuse for such
| playing as I've been doing. at that. Know
| can do better Bet you hundred l can
beat you this game
That's me-" sad the westerner, good
naturedly.
The detective strolled up then
on, Mr.. Hotbunch. I've been looking for
| you all over the house." said he, cordially,
| TO the chap with the sharp gray eyes, who
| paled slightly when he recognized the de-
tective Just got very important tele-
gram about that little deal that 1 want you
| to see. Could you just step into the writing
| room with me for half a minute2 Sorry to
interrupt the game
I'm be back in a minute" said the hawk
raced man, savagely, to the westerner.
Go ahead-business before pleasure-I'u
| wait" said the westerner.
The detective led the way to the hall, the
| hawk-faced man following at his heels.
What made you think you could butt in
| here, Jim?" said the detective. coolly, to the
hawk-faced man when they reached the
hall: Heard you'd gone to Chicago. Didn't
think we'd be sleeping all the time around
here, did your
"a sucker here is good sucker
anywhere else said Jim surlily.
Better" said the detective nonchalantly.
But they're not for you, Jim. Your
works too coarse. Went along. now-went
along. And If you turn up here any more,
there's going to be pinch. Got thatG All
| The hawk-faced man smiled nastily.
| showing sharp, dog-lke teeth, shrugged his
shoulders and passed out The detective
went back in'o the billiard room and
walked up to the westerner. who was lean
ing on his cue waiting for the return of the
billiard CRATER"
Didn't know that chap you were playing
with, did your" said the detective to the
westerner.
No replied the latter. with an express
sion of surprise. Did you?'
well. some" said the detective with a
grin. Hes the champion of all the graft
ers in his particular line. He can play
1s-inch baik-line 70 your straight game and
beat you In one rum
Can, hey?" said the westerner incred-
ulously Well he didn't show it-couldn't
play at ALL
The detective smiled broadly
He was just making a little bet with
you, wasn't he, when L came up?'
uh-huh, said the westerner, looking as
| If light were beginning to break upon
We'll. he'd have got the money, that's
| all,' said the detective, and then he went
ahead and tersely explained to the west
| erner the billiard grafter's method of pro-
| cedure
Just as well not to play billiards with
any stranger while you're in this mans
town. concluded the detective. Liable to
get swung for everything you've got by
ducks that look as if butter wouldn't melt
In their mouths-regular cherubs, some of
EN-"
well, I'll be dangedv said the westerner,
| putting up his cue
Blocking a Promoter.
The detective strolled down to the beau
! TRULY fitted wine room. Men were sitting
| IN alcoves quietly talking and smoking over
| their tfpples. In an alcove down near the
| end of the room a ine-looking man of
| thirty or SO, decked out in the extreme of
| the mode. was talking with quite elderly
man whose speech was sufficiently thick
| to warrant the belief that his luncheon had
been by no means dry one. The detec-
tive slipped into an adjoining alcove.
Its the crackajack automobile stock
now on the Market" the young man was
h1yC 10 tif..l1 fha
so obviously in his cups, land we're going
| to have it listed on the stock exchange next
week. Then you want to just watch 1t
jump. It's now going at twelve-par values
hundred. you know. Well, if it don't leap
up to seventy-hve before the end of next
week. then know a whole lot of able and
! prominent financiers who are going to be
nightly fooled. But they know what
they're about, all right. Tell you some-
thing confidentially. Perpont Morgan's
back of this deal. He ought to do. hadn't
he? Better let me sell you few thousand
shares of this at twelve"
well. I'll think it over" said the vinous
elderly man, half won over. Drop around
tomorrow morning-at II, say-and Well
more investments, but this thing of yours
looks good. 'Leven in the morning, then9'
Surely. said the flne-looking young
man, and then they separated, the elderly
man going heavily up the stairs. The fine
looking promoter of automobile stock was
passing out when the detective confronted
him.
Great chance to dump some of that pa
per, eh?" said the detective to the pro-
moter, who looked astonished.
what are you talking about? 1 don't
know you, fellow" said the promoter, in a
lordly fashion, buttoning his overcoat
about him.
well, know you. pal" said the detec-
tive, with a note of sharpness in his voice
such as he hadn't given vent to previously
during the afternoon. II know you a.
plenty and the next time see you around
these works there's going to be a whole lot
doing, and you'll be in the storm center.
Just cut out the hauteur, my man. 1t won't
do with me. l was at headquarters on the
day you were 'mugged.'
The promoters hauteur fell away from
him like a loose garment, and his face
looked waxy.
What's more" went on the detective,
I'm next to quite lot of jobs of phony
paper negotiating you've been mixed up in.
We can't use you around here. No Vacan-
cies And you don't want to see that
rummy. old party at IL tomorrow. He
won't be in. And just keep off this trail al
together from now on, understand"
The fine-looking promoter, his shoulders