The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-28

|
You thought I'd cut out Ticker since
I'd found the gum drops? Well, have
cut out Ticker. but 1 didn't say any
thing about wine. did T? Besides,
| consulted my lawyer, who advised that
/ gum drops was a pure evasion and that
| had to keep on drinking or forfeit
my charter That's how 1t is
But you can't expect me to support
tNish and nine other Skillitts on rabbi,
scalps in the face of high living
Something had to be done. Me and
Nish was discussing 1t when an idea
got into my headpiece / remembered
that last year at the fair a foreign
/ lady was telling fortunes. and l went
in, crossed her palm with six bits. and
waited for reading. She told me
that | would be married second time
soon; that my new wife would be a
blonde with millions of money and
with a family tree that would make
sapling; that she would be queen
and had to be fed on soft talk and
wine. Thinking that l was getting a
correct line. and needing incidentals, l
took Nish to see the life insurance
agent. who was requested to write a
policy as big as the law would allow.
He looked Nish over, got her age. her
weight, story of her life. and then
brazenly told me that she didn't need
no policy. that she was the healthiest
thing he'd ever seen, and that she'd
never die. Right there 1 was faded
But Nish tumbled to the fortune
telling stunt. She got me a sleeveless
bath robe, kicked my stray locks up
into curl papers, put some paint on
my face. and told me to wait for suck
ers. We put signs all over the place.
Knowing something about those who
would call, it was just like robbing
little Bits toy bank while he was
sleeping off a buttermilk jag. Be
sides. all the neighbors wanted TO get
out of the zap class. / knew they
wanted to shine without paying the
bootblack. l knew they wanted to fly
high, and was there to give them the
wings If they had tho price. Mean
while the word had been passed that
Skillitt had hiked back to Texas, which
made it safe.
With that old bath robe over my
system waited for them to come
a-running Who do you reckon came
first? The Dumbarton widow. She
didn't know me: | didn't want to take
the money, but I needed 1t, she bucked
on the price, Seems 10 me- | said
that when you are trying to make a
grand slam in lociety you ought to be
willing to pay more than so cents and
with that she emptied the purse III
my hand. Right there was where
needed advertising. l took her hand
squeezed it and smiled. What you
don't know, lady l said. is torn out
of the book. / see the long. graceful
life line and the marriage line. Also
/ see that there is a skeleton in your
closet and that it used to wear Tux
edo coat l had her going. Give mo
full reading she said. as she flashed
a bank roll and passed it over. You
are going to marry a rich prince
said as she dived for more money
He is going to be grand l says. as
took it. and he is going 10 wear side
whiskers. I couldn't stand for that.
she said, but looked closer and shaved
the gent then and there, and that made
her come across with another bank
roll. He'll leave YOU widow SOON
/ says. and you'll be so rich you'll he
bughouse.' / knew she'd come again
when ] talked about throwing out the
life lines.