St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-02-27
The Magic Billiard Ball
By EDMUND SMITH MIDDLETON
Copyright, by shortstory Pub. Co.,

Il see a delicate pink light shining
through the ivory answered Arden,
excitedly. TT seems to move and
tremble like a rose swaying in the
| breeze"
1T is the soul Of the sacred tusks!"
cried Tuloc, triumphantly, 1.-The spirit,
The life. Therein lies the power"
What am l to do? Tell mel" de-
manded the young man.
Bring from your club the finest ball
you have. My hands shall fashion its
mate in size and appearance from the
sacred tusk. l will entrust the task to
no other. In weeks time you shall
have ball, endowed with the living
spirit Of victory"
That same evening Arden brought
from the club the desired model and
the next day Shaman Tuloc began his
self-imposed task. AS he wrought his
labor of love, patiently, silently, with
reyerentfal skill, the slender, graceful
form of his only daughter glided often
through the parted curtains and hung
on her fathers shoulder with moist
eyes and heaving bosom
On the eighth day the ball was fin
ished, and to the instructed eye
seem to throb visibly with sentient
life, as it lay, white and glistening, in
the sandal casket
Take it, my son." said Shaman
Tuloc, committing the box to him.
Let no other hand than thine use this
sacred ball. Let no other interest di-
vide your heart. Then victory will
attend"
The report that Arden was to play
his conqueror again filled the club
house. An undefinable feeling was in
the air that this game would possess
unusual features-that it was a strife
for mastery to an unusual degree.
To the surprise of his ferret-eyed OPP
ponent, Arden, playing with the
sacred ball, won the bank The balls
We're spotted and the game began. The
style Of play was 14-inch balk line, one
shot in. Without effort, by graceful,
easy play, Arden rolled off run after
run. His ball was absolutely under
control, and the audience was with
him to man, following his game with
frequent applause. But, do what he
would, Arden could not shake off his
opponent. He answered run with run,
and invariably finished a point or two
in the lead.
Arden, however, never lost conf
dence for a moment in his ball Or the
outcome of the game. AS the players
approached the goal, the 300 mark,
almost abreast, but the dark man
still in the lead, the excitement grew
intense. With only eight to go. the
latter ran six and missed on his 299th
shot. A hateful scowl showed on his
face, but changed instantly to a tri-
umphant smile, as he saw that Arden,
who stood at 295, was left an impcs-
sible shot.
Arden's ball FAY tight against the
cushions in one corner, the red ball
in the same position in the far corner
on the other side, and his opponents
ball against the cushion along the rail
halfway between the other two balls.
1t, indeed, locked to be an impos-
sible shot, but Arden, with unrufled
confidence, played masse, whose like
had never been seen on that or any
other table. His ball, with a beauti-
full curve, spun to the ball half way
down the rail, continued it's journey in
the same marvelously accurate fash
ion to the red ball, and counted, Of
course. The house fairly Numbered
its applause. The result of the shot
was to leave the three balls lined I'D
along the center of the table. A sec.
ond brilliant masse cohnted 297. and
the remaining three shots were clicked
off in rapid succession.
As Arden made the last shot, which
meant victory for him, he felt his ewes
drawn irresistibly across the table to
the tier of seats opposite His gaze
rested on pair of eyes shining with
radiancy he had never seen before.
AS he felt himself yielding to their
power and started toward them.
strange thing happened. With a sud
den click the wonderful ball with
which he had played and won, snapped
asunder and parted into two pieces.
As it fell apart Arden saw an appear
ance like delicate pink flame leave
the ball, pass through the air towards
the wonderful eyes, then over the head
of Shaman Tuloc's beautiful daugh.
ter and away
A minute later Arden was holding
her by the hands and gazing at close
range into those wondrous orbs. Tuloc
FASTENED, to the table and clasped the
precious fragments of ivory to his
breast.
Later that night, as he stood beside
the beautiful Esther in her fathers
shop, Arden asked: why did the
ivory ball snap and the pink soul fee
away?"
Because, my son, another love had
come into your heart" and then. as
Shaman Tuloc looked on the young
people, he raised his hands and said.
solemnly: THE God of heaven bless
you, my childreni"
BelIer!
Cacbg