The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-12
MARX TWAIN AS A BOWLER.
eewioerins Results Ne Achieved In
His First Game

] More iudu loItN AtUt~ ago IN san
/ Francisco the office stan adjourned up
on conclusion of its work ut = o'clock
! In IA" morning to n great lowing cs
| tah.lshmcut where there were twelve
alleys WIS invited. rather perfume
/ tor,y and as matter ut etiquette 10y
/ which | mean that WAS invited pn
| lit"ly. hut not urgently But when I
| diludculy declined with thanks and
/ explained that | knew nothing abuu:
/ the ruuc those lively Young fellows
/ became at once eager aud anxious and
/ urgent 10 have my society This nut
| tered me, for | perceived mo- trap. and
| iunp"cutly and gratefully accepted
| their invitation. was given an nlley
/ all to myself The boys explained the
/ game tO me and they also explained To-
me that there would be an hours play
aud that the player who scored the
fcwcst ten strikes in the hour would
have to provide oysters and beer for
the combination. This disturbed me
very seriously. since IL promised me
bankruptcy, and was sorry that this
detail had been overlooked In the he
ginning But my pride would not nj
low inc TO back out now. 80 STAYED
In aud did what could 10 look salts.
fled aud glad had come II is NOT
| likely that looked as coutcn'cd ~
wanted TO. but the others looked GLAD
enough to make up fur &c. Tor the
were quito unable to hide their cvu
JOY They showed me how to stand
and how to stoop and how to aim 'hc
bail and how To let fly. and then the
game began.
The results were astonishing. In
my ignorance | delivered the balls u
apparently every way c,ocpt the right
one. hut N matter during half nm
hour | never started bali down the
alley that didn't score ten strike
every tim" at the othcr end The 9th
ers lost their grip early and their joy
along with IT, Now and then one o.
them got ten strike. hut the occur
renee was 50 rare that II made no
show alongside Of NV grant score. The
boys surrendered at the end Of the
half hour and put ON DIR coats and
gathered around me am, In courteous
but sufficiently definite language cN-
pressed their opinion Of nm experience
worn and seasoned expert who would
atoop to lying and deception In order
TO rob Kind aud well meaning friends
who had put their trust in him under
the dclu"ion that he was honest and
honorable. I was not able to convince
them that had not He'd. for now my
charnctc" was gone. and they refused
to attach any value Ia ANYTHING | said
The proprietor of the place stood by
for awhile saying nothing; then he
came TO my defense. He said. 1T looks
like Il mystery. gentlemen. but IL isn't
mystery after it's explained. That
Is n groovcd alley: you've only TO start
ball down 1t any way you please
and the groove will do the rest: II will
slam the ball against the northeast
curve Of the head pin every time, and
nothing can save the ten from going
down.
II was true. The boys made the OK
pertinent, and they found that there
was no art that could send ball
down that alley and fail TO score
ten strike with II. When had told
those boys that | knew nothing about
that game ! was speaking only tire
truth. But it was ever thus all through
my life whenever have dNergrd
from custom and principle and uttered
truth the rule has been that the
hearer hadn't strength Of mind enough
TO believe it.-From Mark Twain's
Autobiography in North American Re
view.