Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-03-12

Lise. -He thought he'd be back befor,
the parade was over and said YOU wers
enjoying II so much he didn't want IA
speak to you"
Called awayr'
Minnie laughed. "Oh. everybody send,
for Mr. HarkIess."
1t was farmer name OF Bowl,ier IS
ADDED Mr.. Wiiletts. His son Hartley 8
drinking again. and there amt apy one
out Harkless can do ANYTHING with
MIN. You let him tackle a sick man n
nurse or tipsy Teller to handle. and !
tell you." Mr.. WIiletts went on with
enthusiasm. The is at home. IL beats
me- and lots OF people don't think col
'ege does man any good Why. the
way he cured old Fis''- Miss Rrjscoe
interrupted him.
See! she cried pointing out OF the
window. Look out there. Sometbipx's
happenedv
1nere was swirl In the crowd be-
low. Men were running around n cor
ner or the courthouse. and the women
and children were barking after They
went so fast and there were 80 many
OF them that Immediately that whole
portion Of the yard became a pushing.
tugging, squirming jam Of people.
Its on the other side" said Lipe
I'VE can see from the hall window
Come quick before these other folks an
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. aud the crowd was thick
~ massed beyond. leaving a little semi
circle clear about the steps. Those be-
nlnd 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
soDered Hartley. On the lowest step
Jim Bardlock was standing with Sheep
fsbly hanging head and between him
and Harkless the two gambler, OF the
walnut shells. The journalist held in
bis 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 uerv-
ously about like weasels in a trap.
CLOSE up. there" said Harkless.
Don't let them out"
wy can't we git no square treat
ment bere?" one of the gamblers whin-
ed. But his eyes 5lszed with q rage
that belied the plaiutfve passivity OF
his tone I'VE amt been runnin' no
skin. wy dye say we gotter give up
our own money? You gotter prove it
was skin. We risked our money
fair"
Prove 1t! Come up here. Eph Watts.
Friends" = the editor turned to the
crowd, smiling-"friends. here's q 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
1ect lesson on the shell game"
It's pretty simple" remarked Mr..
Watts. THE best way is to pick I'D
the ball with your second finger and
the back part of your thumb, a. you
pretend to lay the shell 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 been duped that morning
there arose an angry and threatening
murmur
you all see." said HAIRLESS, raising
his voice, "what a simple cheat 1t is
an old. WORKOUT one. Yet a lot Of you
lost your own money on IL and then
stood by. staring like idiots. and let
Hartley Bowlder lose $50. and not one
OF you lifted q hand How hard did
you work for what these two cheap
crooks took from your Ah." he cried.
1T is because you were greedy that
they robbed you 10 easilyi You know
it's true. It's when you want to got
something for nothing that the con
hdence men steal the money you sweat
for and make you the laughingstock
OF the country. And you. Jim Bard
lock, town marshal; you, who con-
Tess that you went In the game 60
cents worth yourself His face was
wrathful and stern as he raised his &C
cusing hand and leveled 1t at the un-
happy municipal.
The town marshal smiled uneasily
and deprecatingly about him and, see
Ing only angry. frowning brows, hear
Ing only words OF condemnation. passed
his hand unsteadily over his fat mus
tache. shifted from one leg to the other
and back again, locked up. looked
down. and then, an amiable and pleas
ure loving man. beholding nothing but
accusation and wrath In heaven and
earth and wishing nothing more than
to sink into the waters under the
earth. but having no way of reaching
them. and finding his troubles quite
unbearable and himself unable to meet
the manifold eye OF man. he sought re-
lief after the unsagacious fashion OF
. larger bird than he His burly form
underwent series of commissions not
unlike sObs, and he shut his eyes tight
and held them So presenting a picture
or misery unequaled in the memory of