Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-11

for Mr.. Harkless.'
at was farmer name Of Bowlder, .
added Mr.. Willetts. His son Hartley s
drinking again, and there amt any one
but Harkless can do anything with
him. You let him tackle a sick man to
nurse or tipsy Teller to handle, and
tell YOU" Mr.. Willetts went on, with
enthusiasm, "he is at home 1t beats
me, and lots Of people don't think col
lege does man any good. Why, the
way he cured old Fis''- Miss Briscoe
interrupted him.
"See" she cried, pointing out of the
window. Look out there! Something's
happenedr'
There was swirl in the crowd be-
low. Men were running around cor
ner of the courthouse, and the women
and children were barking after. They
went SO fast and there were so many
Of them that Immediately that whole
portion of the yard became pushing,
tugging, squirming jam Of people.
Its on the other SIDE" said Lige.
eve can see from the hall window.
Come quick before these other folks Ell
it up
They followed him across the build
ing and looked down on an agitated
swarm Of faces. Five men were stand
ing on the entrance steps to the door
below them, and the crowd was thick
~ massed beyond, leaving little semi
circle clear about the steps. Those be-
hind struggled to get closer and leaped
in the air to catch glimpse Of what
was going on. Harkless stood alone on
the top step, his hand resting on the
shoulder Of the pale and contrite and
sobered Hartley On the lowest step
Jim Bardlock was standing with sheep
ishly hanging head and between him
and Harkless the two gamblers Of the
walnut shells. The journalist held in
his hand the implements of their pro-
fession.
Yes; give up every cent" he said
quietly. you've taken $50 from this
boy. Hand it over
The men began to edge down closer
to the crowd, giving little, swift, des-
perate, searching looks from left to
right and right to left and moving nerv-
ously about Nike weasels in trap.
"Close up, there" said Harkless.
Don't let them out"
IVY can't we git no square treat
ment here?" one Of the gamblers whin-
ed. But his eyes blazed with rage
that belied the plaintive passivity OF
his tone. 1--WE amt been runnin' no
skin. wy dye say we gotter give up
our own money? You gotter prove 1t
was a skin. We risked our money
fair"
Prove it! Come up here, Eph Watts.
Friends" - the editor turned to the
crowd, smiling-"friends, here's man
we ran out Of town once because he
knew too much about things Of this
sort. He's come back to us again, and
he's here to stay. He'll give us an OBJ
ject lesson on the shell game"
Its pretty simple" remarked Mr..
Watts. THE best way is to pick up
the ball with your second finger and
the back part of your thumb, as you
pretend to lay the she'll down over it
this way" He illustrated and showed
several methods OF manipulation with
professional sang froid, and as he
made plan the vulgar swindle by which
many had 'oeen duped that morning
there arose an angry and threatening
murmur
"You all see," said Harkless, raising
his voice, "what simple cheat it is
an old, WORKOUT one. Yet lot Of you
lost your own money on 1t and then
stood by, staring like idiots. and let
Hartley Bowlder lose $50, and not one
Of you lifted hand. How hard did
you work for what these two cheap
.rooks took from you? All" he cried.
1T is because you were greedy that
hey robbed you SO easily! You know
It's true. It's when you want to get
for nothing that the con
idence men steal the money you sweat
Tor and make you the laughingstock
II the country. And you, Jim Bard
lock, town marshal; you, who con-
'ess that you went in the game 60
,ents' worth yourself His face was
vrathful and stern as he raised his ac-
using hand and leyeled it at the un-
happy municipal.
The town marshal smiled uneasily
nd deprecatingly about him and, see
ng only angry, frowning brows, hear
ng only words of condemnation, passed :
lis hand unsteadily over his fat mus
ache, shifted from one leg to the other
nd back again, looked up, looked
own, and then. an amiable and pleas
ire loving man, beholding nothing but
ccusation -nd wrath in heaven and
arth and wishing nothing more than
. sink into the waters under the
arth, but having no way of reaching :
hem. and finding his troubles quite
nbearable and himself unable to meet 1
he manifold eye OF man, he sought re-
eff after the unsagacious fashion of
larger bird than he. His burly form
nderwent series of commissions not
Mike sobs, and he shut his eyes tight II
nd held them SO, presenting Il picture
{ misery unequaled In the memory OF