Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-07-05
A Stroke OfLuck.
BY JOHN j. ARMSTRONG.

T UCK, Hoppy! Why, it's all luck!
l. Ev'ry phase O. life. ev'ry Incl
dent in it. is governed by charnce.
Altar me to inform yer that wot we
mortal grarsshoppers call ''luck'' is
one O the natural laws that rules ex-
istence. Talk like bloomin' pictur'
book, do I? Well, I'll spin yer a lit
tie yarn jest for the pleasure O. con-
vincin' yer.
Five yeer ago come Bank 'Oliday
myself and Dock English wus down
at Birmingham on a little business
trip. e wus the smartest crook I've
ever worked wiz. It nearly broke my
cart when 'eard ed chucked the le-
ultimate, an wus workin' the some
fink-for-nuffink gime in the pipers.
Well, one day we wus aht pros
pectin' in the residential quarter
when, as luck would ave it, we
charmed ter parss a post orfice. Zone
moment, Ike" ses the Dock, 81 wish
to purchase a starmp.'' And e van
ishes into the orfice.
Perrin over the half-frosted win
der I could see gel inside engaged
in tallin' dahn a telegram. Annuvver
femile served i'm wiz is starmp, an
then, instead O. comm strife aht, I
sees i'm ferretin' abart in is pocket.
DRAWN forth an envelope e slides
into a corner and busies 'imself pre-
soomably wiz writin' the address.
Mar, knew is letter was already adj
dressed, an consequently I gazed at
i'm wiz some serprise. Presently I
see. the gel get up from the instru-
ment, and second or two afterwards
the Dock wus at my side. Lool1in'
into is flee, I twigged that ed got
old O somefink promisin'.
II showed a scrap O. piper into my
and, an wiz grin e said: "Read
that
Plough Hotel. Observation-Disclosures
me bedroom tonight. Arrive New Street
twelve o'clock.-Smuts.
I read alahd: ''Why, that's a copy
of telegram!''
Exactly" e said; "the message
the hoperator was takin' as entered
the orfice. Probably you are not
aware that it is possible for one who
has acquired the art to read a tele-
gram by the sound. But it is. I was
a telegraph clerk myself before I re-
tired from public ife.''
Jolly cute!" said, 'but wot good
is that information to us?"
ct should be good for a cool fifty
at the lowest estimate" e returned
smilin'. "Look ERE, Ike, you're a
KNOWN card, but you lack hintuitive
perspicacity." He was reg'la1
Cinkevalli wiz the dictionary. snow
if you'd observed the posters on the
walls, you would have seen that Herr
SHUTS is billed to give recital at the
grand concert in the Town hall this
very evening"
''Wot, SHUTS, the celebrated Ger
man pianner thumper?" exclaimed.
1.-THE same" e said; cas- ordinary
looking an individual as you'd meet
in a days walk, but he's a pinaoforte
playing marvel. Now, what's to pre-
vent two enterprisin' gentlemen kid
napin' i'm on his arrival and making
i'm pay handsomely for the privilege
of appearing at this concerto
THAT sounds all right-oh," said
''but 'ow dyer propose ter work it."
Its now few minutes after ten,
he said, shortly. eff we hurry we
can secure Charley Bing and his grow
Ter. We can procure a hotel porter:
fit-out from that marine store I no
ticed on the way up"
Its cert" I said, as I slipped
into the porter's rig shortly after
wards. s'Wen be all over thai
Dutchy. +. But 'o1d ard min
ute. boss. low abart the tin? IT.
'ardly likely the professor will 'av'
much on i'm"
I've thought o. that, Ike" said thu
Dock, ''but it's pony to a modes
brown he'll have his cheque bool
with him. Immediately he puts hi
signature on the form rush off t.
get the 1920, which arrives at Pad
dington just in time for me to ge
acrorsS to the bank before closins
time. You will take care of him un
til the clock strikes four. By theI
it will be all serene, and you can fol
low me as soon as convenient"
Five minutes later we were rollin
forwards the stition in Charley
growler. The Dock 'ad given me
description of the German, an
guessed should ave no difficulty il
sfottin' i'm.
Droppin' orr 100 yards or so ava,
from the entrance, made for the ar
rival platform and joined the waitin.
crard just as the train wus signalled
AS it slowly glided by twigged ;
little clean-shaven gent, in fur-linet
coat an SLOUGH hat, leanin' back il
. first smoker. Az the train came t,