The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-09
PLAYING GAME OF WITS
 IN WHICH OLD MAN LOSES

1 that's Granaday, all right. Never satis-
 fled to let the other guys make an hon
 est living, but wants 1t all himself. Comes l over here and tries to steal my game away from me, does, she?, I don't go after his players, do IT'
 The latter consideration started a new i train of thought. In a vague sort of way he figured it would be a permissible move to go after Gramadays players if the
 chance should suggest itself Then the Old Colonel came along and bet five
 spot on the high card, and Lorenzo turned back to business.
 He turned the thing over in his mind that night and took counsel with The Missus It may be remembered by the followers of these annals that it was due
 to A well-executed move by Lorenzo and
 The Missus that the former not only
 averted financial calamity, but picked up
 A substantial stake from Granaday with
 out the knowledge of that watehful 1 Croesus.
 Hes a regular old skin," decided Mrs. Lorenzo, but her good man cut her short.
 You just can that stuff" he advised. ! Everything that a man can be called 1 , have called Granaday. You can't have anything new to say on'that subject Get busy with the conk."
 And Mrs. Lorenzo did, so that next day, as Lorenzo was pulling 'em out of the steel box with the strong spring, he threw out a suggestion casual and inno- cent to the lone customer, who happened to he Checks. the boy who looked like waiter. but bet 'em out like Davy, John son at his best.
 How you making out with Granaday?" asked Lorenzo.
 Checks reply Is not to be printed in polite type The substance of It was, Granadav was a thief, and such were all the members of the house. The prices he laid would nave been repudiated by Rowery pawnbroker. Lorenzo silently pulled out two more cards. 'I don't mind laying against 'em myself" he said soft lv q sure would be more liberal than that fellow"
 well any time you feel that way said Checks, coppering the queen you can get my play"
 The upshot of it was that Lorenzo oe clared his willingness to go a point bet fer than Granaday on any proposition that might arise in connection with the improvement of the breed of the tnonr cuqhhred. and several of the heavy bet ters among the regulars were tolo the news. Just keep 1t dark said Lorenzo "and I'll stall along with this taro stuh' and the game don't count, see' while the races are on.
 They all enjoyed the prospect hugely. Seven of the rnainstays of the Granaday establishment surrounded the faro table, and apparently took a most absorplng h- terest in the game, even alter Grahd- day had called out:. Come on' poys. Here's the betting. Haven't got mueh time on this one
 Checks stro.led over'to the ringers ter ritory. swiftly copied down the odos or fered by the proprietor, ana then sliaNins his head and saying he guessed ne Wat for inc second races hurried back to the faro layout and showed the prices to Lo- renzo, "A point better on all Of en- said Lorenzo briefly, and the bets began to come in. They registered their plays on the tally cards, and any one Who wasn't watching too closely would nave thought it a part of the anclent game with the fifty-two-caru deck.
 Granadav waited for the play to come from the plunging contingent, but It didn't materialized. They're bug on that faro thing" said the Boss, bitterly, and he wished for the hundredth time he was in sole possession of that device. I When the odds came in on the secona the Armerian Prince stroIled over to the l booking end or the eSldpiiSilAioHN e'N1 made rapid notes of the way Granaday held the field He. too, shook his head and guessed he didn't want shy of them at the price. HisAfellow conspirators never left the layout.
 Before each race different member or the rnutinous crew wandered to the F1n- gers desk and brought back the odds, and then Iorenzo received all bets and pleased every one with his urbanity and gener- csity Granaday didn't get nickel our of the crowd during the whole afternoon, and though he enjoyed a strong play from such as were not In the secret, still ba grieved because his standbys had de- serted him for tEe Vaccinations of faro.
 Next day the same rule was observed. Lorenzo having occasionally to turn Tor lxeens when some one he didn't care to let into his confidence sat in at the game. He had made a good stake from his first days operations and he was ready to gu right ahead with his liberal policy, based on the price laid by the Boss. AS Granaday observed the crowd around Lorenzo he fumed inwardly. He couldn't understand the hold this game suddenly had acquired over ordinarily sane and safe sports. Just fad, l sup
 pose" he figured, "and it'll wear off l soon But what I can't savvy Is how | French Aleck sits in there so steady. | There's a guy that I never give credit for 1 being daffy on the cards He'd rather | play long shot any time" l The third day Granaday could stand it