Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27
JUST COULDN'T LOSE

'.It's-a good thing for us. suppose. that
whenever we get it all settled and arranged
in our minds that we're too everlastingly
bright and crafty to be done by anybody.
we usually get fall that takes the perk-
mess out of u.s. said Washington de-
partment store buyer who makes frequent
trips to New York. up to certain day
last week. for example, 1 hal pretty
thorough understanding with myself that
there was no old kind of New York bunce
game that I'd bite on. I'd been going tc
New York too often and for too long a
time for anything like that. Well, listen.
"A week ago Monday morning last 1 was
standing, after breakfast, on the 18th street
side of the Marlborough Hotel. in New
York. taking sun bath for myself and
mapping out my program for the day. Two
or three other men were standing near me
doing the same.
Our attnetion was lazily enlisted, as we
stood there. by the spectacle of boy,
wearing chefs cap and apron, reckleSsly
swinging an empty crockery pitcher above
his head. The boy was rugged up like a
hotel kitchen apprentice. He moved along
10Th street from Broadway on his way to
9Th avenue. carrying the large crockery
pitcher m his right hand and describing
half-arcS and full circles and many strange
and curious geometrical figures with it as
he swung 1t through the air, whistling mer-
rily the while.
What Internal whelps most boys are
anyhow remarked a sporty looking man
standing near me, to a plain-looking indi
v1dual who was standing alongside of him.
Now, just look at that cub foOling witt
that ptcher-it's cinch that he'll drop ii
and smash it to smithereens before he gets
to 1th avenue
"'Oh, l dunno was the reply of the
plain-iooking man. I guess the kid knows
what he's about-he's got a pretty good
clutch on the handle of the pitcher. He'll
hang onto it, all right
Bet you five he drops it before he
reaches It'll avenue was the quick re-
Spouse of the man with the sporty look.
guess I'll take that bet answered the
plan-looking man. and he produced his
wad. The sporty-looking citizen peeled d
V from his roll. and both men put up thei!
money with the uniformed carriage-openeI
stationed outside the Marlborough. Then
they took up the jog together toward 18th
avenue to keep an eye on the boy, who was
still swinging the pitcher wildly. l held my
ground and watched the proceeding. 1t
looked like pretty good bet for the plaiu.
looking man-no idea of a .frame-up' had
percolated through my mind then-until,
when the boy was only about ten feet from
the corner of 18th avenue, the pitcher Ilew
out OF his hand as he was trying some sim
gularly difficult piece of juggling with it
and was dashed into hundred fragments
on door step. The sporty-looking man
and the plain-looking individual returned
to where l was standing. and the former
took the two VS. from the stakeholder with
a grin. saying. I thought sure l was going
to lose out on that when the kid got SC
near 18th avenue without anything happen
ing to the pitcher
well. perhaps I am thicker than l have
any right to be, but. even then, it did not
occur to me that this was all prearranged
scheme on the part of the Sporty-lOokinS
man and the boy in the kitchen appren
tees makeup.
Two days later 1 was standing along
a no nf 1n
and 18th street. in Harlem, waiting for
a downtown electric car, when l saw that
self-same youngster, with the identical
kitchen apprentices toggery, swinging
along Sth avenue. again wildly swinging d
pitcher. Then l cast my eyes about me-
and there, only three feet to the left of
me, and leaning against an L stanchion
was the sporty-looking man. He blinked
lazily at me when he saw that 1 had OBJ
served the boy with the pitcher.
What Internal whelps most boys are
anyhow he said to me in precisely the
same words and the same tone he had used
In making the remark a couple of days be-
fore to the plain-loo;Sing man who had lost
his v Now, just look at that cub fool
ing with that pitcher--it's a cinch that he'll
drop it and smash it to smithereens before
he reaches the next corner
What a foxy way this fellow has Of
making a living 1 mused But I'll just
give him little run for his money. SO I
will
Hat tfle DettlllS eilu VI 1t, 4 Sd q
aloud, to the sporty-looking man, that I'd
be willing to take myself
"'Oh. WELL he replied. laughingly any
old thing to pass the time away--its about
an even thing. way or the other,
suppose
Just about said l.
Well he said. good naturally. then.
I'll bet you that he doesn't smash it
before he reaches the next corner
You're on said I. and we put up our
five spots with the newsdealer on the cor
ner.
This said 1 to myself. as 1 fell into
step with the sporty-looking man, is like
wheedling gran'ma out of nickel for
cookies. There's way that this crafty
con man can pass the tip to that kid not
TO drop that pitcher, according to the usual
frame-up. without my getting next to the
dodge and calling him down on it. think
l see a new five-dollar bonnet for myself
this afternoon
My reflections along this pleasant line,
however. were interrupted. The boy was
already crossing the street, still swinging
the pitcher wildly and whistling merrily.
He reached the other side, and went right
along his way. taking tremendous chances
with the pitcher and whistling with all the
ferver of youth-and I had lost.
How had the sporty-looking man passed
the signal to the kid not to drop the
pitcher on that occasion? 1 give it up
didn't stop to inquire of him. I felt too
cheap to stop for any purpose whatever,
but swung on board the downtown surface
car with a whole lot of the kinks of con-
ceit combed out of me-