Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
HOW 1T FEELS TO
WIN AT LONG ODDS

thing with the spouse of his bosom.
Coming away from the jewelers. with the
brooch in his pocket, he passed by his tai
lor's and that reminded him of something.
Il need three or four suits Of toys. he
said to himself Might just as well fit In
here now and pick out some woolens," and
into the tailor's he went.
Il want a hull lot of Clothes" he said
to the tailor. It's wonder you wouldn't
pull me in off the street and make me order
a suit two occasionally, when you see
that l need the front stuff this in an easy.
off-hand, sort of reproachful tone to the
tailor. Lets see what you got
The tailor began to unravel the bolts, and
the dead game picked out four fabrics to be
made into four suits, at 500 the throw.
II might as we'll settle for these rags
now. said the dead game, while the tailor s
eyes glstened delightedly, Ito save you
from writing me those pin-headed dunning
letters like you're always writing to me
when I'm twenty minutes behind in dig
ging up, and he spread out four fftles on
the heap of goods and took the tailor's re-
ceipt. and then got measured for the toys.
Pretty soft for me-" he said to himself
as he emerged from the tailor's having
old kite like that Adbell thing dropping
a thousapd or two into my lap
Thus musing, he passed by the little store
of a shirtmaker. He stopbed to look at
the display of made-to-order shirts.
Look good to little Sunlocks.' he said
to himself. Its only pkers that wear
ready made shirts. I've always been dead
jealous, anyhow, OF these dubs that order
their shirts made by the couple dozen.
Think III just step into that game myself.
as long as I'm out in front, and he went
into the shirtmakers. The colored shirts,
with cuffs attached. made hit with him.
and he had his measurements taken. order
ing and paying in advance for two dozen
of the shirts at 81 the one-SsH worth or
under-tunics which l hope" he said to
himself when he came out of the shirt
makers. that the same will hold these
plugs for-a while that are always flashing
their made-to-order shirts on me.
Then he met three or four of the fellerS.
and he told them that they might as well
have few of the missy suds as not, con-
sidering that he'd grabbed out a little piece
of money on good thing that got by for
him at New Orleans that afternoon and he
bought six more quarts. and all hands were
there with the big mitt for him, and he
felt good deal like a kings almoner when
he got out on to the street again.
Passing one of the department stores, his
eye was attracted by rich display of pad
ded and heavily embroidered silk and satin
kimonos.
II like those thinks on women he said
to himself as he stood before the window.
by jnks, come to think of it, I've often
seen Pat''-"Pat being his nickname for
his wife-''looking at these Jap arrange
ments with her eyes sticking out of her
head" B'lieve I'll go in and price en- any
how. She'd look all to the candy in that
pink thing"
He went in and inquired the price of the
pink kimono. 1t was only $4S-"was s69''-
and he bought that one and another one
that cost only s34
Send 'em home for you?" the saIeswo-
man asked him.
Nope, l II lug EN- along with me-" he
replied, and the kimonos were done up In
a nice box, and he carried them away with
him.
Il spose she won't do any dance steps
when she gets a peek at these, eh?' he
unused. delightedly, as he got out into the
open again.
Then he began to figure on about what
time his friend would return from Balti-
more. He was anxious to find just what
price his pal had got against Adbell.
There's no telling, but what he may
have got as good as so to IT, he said to
himself Those sharp mugs down in New
Orleans do sure whack the dickens out OF
price when they know that they're in
right, and Adbell hasn't been doing thing
for himself for about ninety-four years, and
of course the layers had to chalk up the
long stuff against him at the beginning.
and-well.- IT'S just as likely mat l get so
to l for my kale not, and thatll make
me $3.50 to the nice"
This reflection comforted him. He had
pretty well cleaned up the 5000 that he'd
had in his clothes when he received the
pleasant TO hope that he'd bought all of
that stuff and still had big wad Of velvet
to follow.
Fact is" he reflected, maybe I'll take
a bit of<a wallop at the game right on
the ground. Might well as not. Could
put in a month there as easily as not,
and I'm pretty lucky right now, and there
isn't any reason why / couldn't slope back
here with the bells on
Filled with these roseate notions, he ar
rived at his home and found dinner wait
ing and his wife with a headache But
she didn't have any more headache when
she caught sight of the brooch and the
two magnificent kimonos, and the way she
danced about the place clapping her hands
with delight caused him to swell up like
a deep-sea drumfish.
Glad you like the junk, Pat" he said
to her in that easy way ''Tickles me
TO see you tickled. Thought I'd fetch you
home trifle or two, seeing that l snagged
out little easy change-oh, thousand or
two-on a horse today. Jim Gittitt handed
me that old plug Abdell and he win. Don't
know what the price was, but it may have
been as good as 100 to I, and I had $50
down. I'll see Jim in the morning and he'll
tell me-
Just at that moment the doorbell rang
and he answered the ring himself.
His pal was standing in the vestibule,
looking very disconsolate.
Hello. there. jim" said the dead game
nervously. noting his pals downcast ex-
preston. Come in. Say. what price did
you get?''
Jaw. don't ask me-" broke out his pal
despairingly. 1T win, too. Just think o
that. 1t win!
"Of course it win!" said the dead game
But what price did you get?'
.Oh. / didn't get any price," gloomily
replied his pal When got over to Bal
timore l took the Westport trolley car, and
it wasn't till I got away out there that I
found that Johnnys room is closed. The
grand jury in Baltimore or something is in
session and Johnny has put up the blinds
till it's all over. / tried to dig around in
Baltimore for some handbook guy that l
could take a chance with but / couldn't
find any that I'd give a nickel to and a
blocks start, and the first thing l heard
when l got back here to town was that. Ad-
bell win-and here's your fifty" he wound
up, the picture and figure of grief he
handed over the dead games $50 note.
AS We observed at the outset of this
strictly veracious narrative, a bet Is won
after tho money Is collected, and 1t takes
more than the yanking down of the red