The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-04-07

guise ourselves and lead Uncle Peter
up to our own specially engaged book
maker, Ikey Schwartz, at the race
track, in order to conserve the coin
he was losing by betting on the
ponies.
Uncle Peter left Ruraldene quite
early on the day of the race and an
hour or two later I met Bunch at
Zurberg's roadhouse near the track.
Bunch had engaged room and was
in there unpacking trunk when l
answered roll call.
whats the deal with the duds?"
inquired as he hauled a lot of farce
comedy clothes out of the kick and
tossed them on the chairs.
These are for the makeup" he
answered. You don't suppose we're
going to pull this play off in straight
face, do you? Bite into the strych-
nine, John, and get nervous! get
nervous"
Bunch was General Jackson at the
head of the brigade for sure, and the
interest he took in the scheme to save
busy Uncle Peter was astonishing.
What am l supposed to play in
this production?" l asked, as I gave
the laugh-rags the freely look over.
WELL" replied Bunch, lin the old
college days you were considered one
of our best little smile-pullers. In
those days you were rated high as a
comical cuss when it came to acting
out, so you for the little bunch Of
Billallys on the chin, and do Reub!"
II do Reub!" I gasped Am
supposed to put on the Keokuk coat
and the Piketown pants and chew hay
around the track all day."
Say, is Uncle Peter your relative
or mine?" Bunch came back. Are
you going to back pedal now when
the show is ready to open? If you
want to save this money-spilling old
Gazizzum you'll have to roll up the
sleeves and play ball, tell you those.
How are you going to tout him up to
our counter 80 we can get his coin
If you don't wear the binders, huh -
And what fat part have you cast
yourself for?" 1 asked, more than
half way inclined to let Uncle Peter
go the whole distance on the Per-
dition pike.
why I'm going to do Dago boot
black" Bunch replied, I've got all the
goods right here. Say! this whole
scheme hits me just about right. 1
anticipate rolling up large bundle of
laughs, and, besides, doing that fool
ish old man big favor. Say, John,
can you catch me shining old Uncle
Peters shoes and steering him on to
a sure thing, eh, what? It's a pipe,
that's all it is
Bunch's enthusiasm soon dispelled
all my doubts and in a minute we
were into the details of our makeup
Presently Likely Schwartz called as per
agreement with Bunch and we went
over the whole plan. Bunch had
enough dough in the overalls to
square things in case anybody caught
Likely with long shot, but the latter
promised to make the prices so unin.
viting to outsiders that there would
be nothing doing around the bazaar
except for Uncle Peter.
1t looked like cinch trimmed with
pansies.
All we had to do was to coax Uncle
Peter up to the receiving teller and
hold him there till he had a headache
In the bank account. Then we'd lead
him out in vacant lot somewhere
preach him few lines on the evils
of the betting ring, and give him
back his faded cush.
In my minds eye I could see crate
full Uncle Peter falling upon ou1
necks and blessing us in seven differ
ent languages because through oul