The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-28


l"'You fellows look as If you had been
= funeral he remarked setting the
Esig eS to sf Sastg what's the matter
I'VE upia him the story and he looked
serious. Back and forth he paced. his
brows contracted and his hands clenched.
Say. boys he cried at last. We can
all panhandle" enough to- eat at the
Diamond" but Mamie and the kid have
got to have something, and mighty
quick. too. Then the "old mans got to
be cared for. We amt goin' to shake
him Just because he owes US money, are
we?'
Every man in the room Joined in
these sentiments. but how to accomplish
anything WAS more than we could see.
while we were debating the matter In
came Simon Johnson, the dry goods mer-
chant. He wanted a half-page adver-
tisement in the paper. and was willing
to pay cash SIS.
Like a hungry trout swapping at .
ny. the foreman closed the contract and
took the money. We were happy then.
for we could do the right thing by the
old man and his family.
THE money was in three So geld pieces.
and jingling them merrty the foreman
started for the grocery store. the rest OF
us following.
when almost there the foreman
tripped and fell. and the coins went fly
ing into space, losing themselves in the
deep snow.
For an instant we gaxed at each other
In blank dismay. and then we set to work
like wild men to find the money.
Every inch for 50 feet in all directions
was carefully gone over. hut not a trace
Of the gold could we find.
THE foreman cried like a child. and
from the way the rest of us swore at
him I guess We felt like following his
lead.
Foreman Pawns His Coat.
1--WE searched until darkness began to
fall. when we left the spot regretfully.
On the way to the office the foreman
was seized with an idea.
HE rushed into a small clothing store
where secondhand goods were handled
and returned without his overcOat.
when he rejoined US he held in his
hand a silver dollar. Not a word was
said until we reached the Office and had
lighted the lamps. Then the foreman
spoke.
Boys said ne. in a husky whisper,
we are all going to jeff for rhis dollar.
The man who wins it is going to take it,
go to the Diamond faro game, and see
what he can do
I'm silence we threw the Quads, and
by some curious chance 1.-The only man
in the Office who did not know how to
play faro-won the dollar.
II protested, but the boys insisted, and
to the Diamond the whole push went.
A big game was running. and looked
like 'piker putting down my lonesome
silver dollar.
zone of the players at the table was
Abe Solomon, the banker, and he gave
us a nod Of recognition as we came up.
Placing the dollar on the ace. watt
ed. and I guess I prayed for the ace to
win. Anyhow. it did win.
1.-The cards were running my way-at
least so the boys said-and in less than
1t takes to tell 1t I had a stack Of reds
500 in front of me.
Bet after bet I won. and as my pile
grew larger and larger I bet heavier and
heavier. until I was betting the limit.
Six o'clock had just struck when we
entered the gambling house, and at
o'clock the dealer turned over the box.
that is, announced that the bank was
broke.
Counting up the chips, we found we
had 1895, and when the proprietor OF
the Diamond handed me that amount
in long green the boys yelled like
Indians.
The grocery store had just closed. but
we hunted UP the owner and bought
everything in the place, it seemed to me.
Groceries for the Editor.
'Then we got wagon and loaded the
stuff in, after which we rushed to Frank
Inns house.
1--WE did not attempt to do any exc
planning, hut just dumped the things
into that house as though we owned it.
"rhe old man was too sick to say
much, but he looked as though he wanted
to hug US all.
"Nannfe was all broke up, and just
stood around and cried. One of the boys
went over to the Diamond told the
proprietor how things stood, and got him
to send his wife over to Franklin's to
help out.
MRS. O'Hern, that was her name.
wasn't much of a society leader; in fact,
she was not in it, to tell the truth, hav-
Ing very dark past, but II she had COM.
mitted any sins they were all forgiven
for that nights labor.
''She was the works of the whole
shooting match and got up a supper fit
for king.
The supper was one of those informal
affairs, you know. and I'll be darned If
the boys didn't come near crying like
kids whenever they looked at Nan.
And say, what do you suppose that
woman did when we started to go to the
office to get out the sheet. :
'She stood in the door and in plain
sight of her husband put her arms around
each one of US in turn and kissed us.
and then lectured us in that funny way
of hers about 'bucking the tiger
There was not much in the paper in
the morning except that half-page ad-
which We swelled to page of Johnson's:
The Old. Old Story and a double loaded
announcement that the Hummer would
be Increased in size and otherwise inn
proved Immediately after Christmas.
This announcement was made after
decision we reached regarding tho