The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-17
A SMOOTH GAME.

where did We pick EN- upy' Inc
sergeant only growled.
..He had a ggowl comm, ! guess.
big Martin Malcolm answered. lin,
he went on impressivey. you're the
only man on the police force Ia ten
OF this, and see that We keep yer
mouth shut. 1t was like this; was
standin' on the corner talkin' with the
dago newsboy there, when up comes
them three old women, ali OF EN- more
excited than a pack o geese, sayin
that they lost their com n didh
know how they was goin to get nome.
Well. | digs into my pocket an hhda
that amt got nary cent SO. THINKS
/. III just run EN- into the sclty haii
an make the sergeant shake down car
fare for EN- Right then my troubles
began. I've run down fooipads, an
ya remember the time caught
softy Jake, but nary in all my NE
on the police force did | ever nave
such a. hard or exasperatin' time as /
had in gettin' that crazy bunch o
hens 10 the city hall.
First the whole bloomin Dunch
rebellcd al goin' to police station
~ nary was in police station IN
ny lfe says one.
An we'li set our names Ill lhe
newspapers, says another.
".Oh. an what will Alyra say.
Gays tother one.
"Finally / got en- punched up to-
gether ahead o. me an we started
down the street. II il WASH TOT 70
stop an look into show winders II was
for to stop at street cross'ns an
wonder whether it was safe 10 cross
the street. One OF 'em would see d
purity in a window an then they'd all
rush over TO see 1t.
"Qh, Betsey. says one, look at
that purity pillar cover. It's jest IKE
one Mrs. So an Sos got. Wen, an
how, / rounded EN- up. got EN- past
the county buildin', an when got
'em beyond them swugin' doors in the
city hall / guess | was the tiredest'
most disgustedest what ever walked
"'What have We got here, Martin!
says the sergeant.
"A bunch o trouble, says !.
"'Come up here, all ye old ladies'
saws the sergeant, an all three OF EN-
came mp to the desk.
WHAT'S the matter" says the ser
geant.
zone of EN-, who called herself
Betsey. spoke up and says: 1t was
like this. Jane an Mrs. IompkihS
here, they give me all their money
cause my purse is pinned to my beit
an theirs warn't. We'd set out u
buy Christmas presents. an dldn
. notice nothin wrong until | was abou
to pay for some things. an | couldn
find any money.
"tHow much did We lose? the ser
geant asked her.
"WeH, says she. I had 70 cents
an Jane had e.
"sNo. says Jane, I had GO.
IAN Mrs. Tompkins must o ha'
AZ. Didn't We. Mrs. Tompkins"
"The sergeant had gone down Ill nj
pocket, an then lie asked to look a
the pocketbook.
80 ,ot me see it, says he. Are y
sure We looked 1t through carefully
The sergeant gives me the wink, an
then he says: Why, what's TINS
Look here, We didn't lost it at al
Here it is, every cent He dumpe
, II out ON the desk, an they counted Il
an there was jest one dollar an
. eiphtv4six cents. exactly what the
. said they'd lost
Ian sakes, one of EN- says, no
, on airth did it get there.
"Well, they was the uckeldeS
= bunch ever see. and laughed all tn
!. way to the car-they lived out on I'll
e west side some place-an' as l wa
Z goin' out Patty Malone saw me al
= says:
t "tWhere We takin' EN-? says he.
x Harrison street., | laughs, Iokh
s like
when I got back l met Patty
j the hall.
g well says Patty, see tl"'
A rounded 'em up all right. Talk abo'
d confidence game. They are the lin
l. they are!
1t who? says /. | couldn't see "h'
d he was eettin' at
y "'Who?' he says doubtfui-hh
Is Why, them three old women ye Ju
run in. They've been workin' ii
lie west side. didn't know that TN
le mad come downtown
Is patty Malone says !, what a
IL ye taliin' about. | didn't arrest the
d women. | was just takiH' EN- to the
II car lie stared at me minute an
" looks over at the sergeant. he WASH
:, listenin'.
- Mart says Patty. do ye kne
- what we've done? we've let go L
- slickcst buncn of con people wh
=, ever was in Chicago. They get |
: innocent please-help-us-ou'-mis'
= look on 'em sayin' that they have iC
= their carfare. an then shake down 1
! individual for about all the dough h
% got. Hart. says he disgusted-lil
I'm surprised at you-you a pom
u man. I Looks at the sergeant.
AZ e Say, sars. says |. how much
I'd We give en-
q -aaE