The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-10-28
PAYSLIP'S KILLING.


all figured out on Wednesday forenoon as
he leaned toward the hot-air register and
waited for the chief to summon him. Algie
was going to kill EN- out at Benning. He
wasn't going to hog-saughter 'em, or put
the whole card over, or cut a bunch of wa
termelons, or drive 'em all off the block
he was just going to kill 'em. He had so
announced to three of his particular friends,
with a crafty light in his eye, on the night
before, and he meant it, Algie Payslip al
ways means everything he says.
II don't know" he unused, as he leaned
closer still to tho hot-air register, whether
I'd better resgn this miserable little 81 200
job tomorrow morning, or hang on until
the end of the month, SOS to give 'em
chance to get another shorthand man. len
be hard to hang on, though, when III have
about $4,000 in cool yellow cash in my
homespuns when / get back from Benning
this evening"" and Alge leaned back and
closed his eyes dreamily and thought of
the pleasant, patronizing manner he'd as
sumo toward the chief of the bureau of
adumbration on the morrow.
Hes a good enough old codger in his
way" reflected Alge, "but he thinks the
measley little old $1,000 year he's getting
is big money, even for the support of his
large family. -
And then, Algie, freed from his steno-
graphic cares, was out at the track with
the little roll of $40 in his vest that he had
screwded with great difficulty from a
brusque gentleman who had not only re-
quired an indorser, but the somewhat usu.
rious interest of 100 per cent. per annum.
Algie also had carefully tucked away in
his waistcoat pocket the slip given to him
on the afternoon before by sharp-fea-
tured young person from New York The
slip contained the names of the winners of
each of the six races on the card, each guar
anteed to be at a price of 30 to | or bet
ter, and the ten-dollar remnant of his last
pay day which Algie had cheerfully given up
for this potential piece of paper had seemed
a mere bagatelle to the talented young ste
nographer when compared with its posi-
bilities.
"Caninus to win the first race" unused
Algie, as he made his way into the betting
ring before the states went up. "And guar
anteed to be at least 80 to l. I'll put ten
dollars on Caninus-$500 ought to be enough
for a starter"
Forcing his way up to a booklets stool
when the betting began, Algie Payslip was
delighted to find that Caninus was the rank
outsider at 100 to l in the betting. And so
he got $1,000 for his ten dollars, the book
maker smiling at him sardonically as he took
the money. Then Algie mounted the stand
to watch the race.
No description of that remarkable race is
necessary-the news report of the day S
races gave it in full. Caninus got off last,
gradually worked his way to the front and
won on the wire by a nose from the odds
on favorite. Agie repressed his inward ex.
element in dead game manner, and when
he collected the $l,0l0 from the bookmak-
er's cashier he favored that chagrined in
dividual with satircal smile that was
meant to be, and probably was, exceedingly
cutting.
"Um-a fair start, that" said Algie to
himself, languidly, as he strolled over to the
bar and refreshed himself with a quart OF
/ the restless amber product of Gaul. Steam
Roller to win the guaranteed to be
at 90 to / !" my information reads. 81 shall
invest little matter of $500, then, on Steam
Roller to win"
Which Algie did. He had, however, to
take odds which were cut before his ad
vance along the line-the rumor of a new
| plunger having spread with its customary
rapidity in the ring. Algie felt an inward
sense of triumph when he per ceived that
the bookmakers were not only gazing at
him with respect, but that they were rub
bling out the prices on their states when he
made his appearance. Algie got some OF
| his $500 down on Steam Roller at 20 to l,
but when the scared boollies saw him com
ing they quickly began to shave, so that he
had finally, at post time, to accept four to
one. When he had placed all of the $500
he stood to win about $4,000 if Steam Roller
romped home, as Algie had every reason to
expect.
And, as will be recalled by readers of the
race reports, of course Algie's expectation
was realized. 1t was Steam Rollers race
from start to finish, and he won pulled up
by five lengths
"0h, well, not so bad, said Algie to him,
self, as he invested in handful of cigars
at one dollar each and coolly inquired of the
bar caterer if he didn't have in stock a few
bottles of Johannisberger Of the vintage 81
go BY this time news of the immense sue
cess of the stranger in the ring had spread
all over the grand stand, so that when AL
gle, after betting $4,000 on his informant
selection for the third race at ten to one
was positively embarrassed over the way
the pretty girls in the boxes pointed him
out coyly with their programmes. How
ever he contrived to hold onto a bearing
that was both debonair and Indifferent. He
was particularly delighted to observe that
number of his fellow clerks, seated in the
stand with their wives, were regarding him
with green-eyed envy that, however, never
theless had in it also CLEAN of admira-
ton. He was generous enough to Danish
the resentfulness he felt over the predic
tions of some of them, made the day before
that he wouldn't win a bet, and to give them
the name of the horse he had played to win
the third whereupon, needless to say
they rushed down to the ring and tapped
themselves upon Algie's word.
The melancholy yellow sun drew close tc
the horizon as Algie, $4,000 to the good al
the finish of the fifth race, reached the
stand to watch the sixth and last event. He
had bet enough to make his afternoon win
nings an even 100000, As he staod on the
grand stand steps, with his glasses placed
jauntily at his eyes, men and women paid
more attention to Algie Payslip, the mar
velously successful stenographer of the hu
reau of adumbration, than they did to the
horses parading to the post, He had, it was
known, compelled at least II Of the book
makers to take down their states and clos,
their satches, and it was whispered arounC
the ring that if he won the last race, too
one of the most famous of the hookmak
ers, after years of unvarying success, woult
have m mt nm the shutters