The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-02-16
A QUEER BIT OF THE WORLD

Mr.. James. alias Swell. Mcconnell
awoke an hour short OF noon with all
the customary symptoms. He recog-
nized the symptoms. but not the sur
roundings. This was no Pullman berth
IN which he found himself, nor did his
blinking eyes find framed in the little
grlmy window any such picture as
they expected. IL was decidedly puz-
zling, and for the moment his cloudy
brain refused to grapple with the
problem. lie dropped his head back
on the dirty pillow with a groan
When next he opened his eyes he real
1zed where he was, in a cheap room
OF some cheap hotel. A wan gray
light filtered through the window. and
outside. in the we'll upon which il
gave, the rain was falling as cheerless-
~ and remorselessly as only a Chi
cago rain can fall. SwelTs first emo
tons were not pleasant. Memory still
played truant. but he knew he was
broke; otherwise he wouldn't be where
he was.
Thought was physically and men
tally painful. but he narrowed his eyes
and puckered his forehead and pres
emily out of a chaos of fragments
which memory grudgingly presented
he fashioned a history OF the pre-
ceding twenty-foOr hours. For a
tragic moment he regarded the re-
suit Then he turned over onto his
face and silently cursed himself, Fate
0-0 CAC 0PihC
In order to understand Swell's state
or mind 1t Is necessary to know some
thing more of that gentleman's af-
fairs. Swell was a thimblerigger, a
sheIigame operator. and stood high In
MS profession. Unfortunately for
Swell, however. the business is no
longer what il used 10 be. Newspaper
publicity is rapidly running it. And
so, in spite of the fact that Swell was
an artist In his line, for the last two
years ii had been hard shedding; as he
himself expressed il, the best he had
got was the worst Of il. Strange to
tell. the beginning OF this period of
business depression had conceded with
the beginning Of Swell's married life.
and up until now the sum OF his con-
tributions to the family excheQuer
had been lamentably small.
Nellie. who was a good girl and a
TO Mr.. James Mcconnell seemed to
her friends to indicate a temporary
lapse from Sagacity-didn't approve of
her husbands profession. The only
Getense that Swell could advance was
that lit brought in the COIN
And some day" retorted Nellie,
with wise shake OF her little red
head. it'll bring the cops. And then
wherein you be? And wherein I be -
'Copsi" laughed Swell. Don't You
worry, Nell. They amt never hepped
up to me yet. and they amt going to.
1 play it foxy, grille. An. besides.
never seen cop yet ] couldn't square
with a vellow-b back"
But Nellie's objections bore weight.
and Swell had promised to settle down
into less unconventional business
Just as soon as he got the chance. the
chance meaning the possession Of $4,-
600 which was all that was required
to buy out Curly Marwood's Billiard
and Pool Parlors- A hard working
thin blerigger doesn't have much time
TO spend in the bosom of his family,
unless his family accompanies him on
his travels. And this Nellie wouldn't
consider. So, after a twelve days hon
eymoon. Nellie went back to making
ped up into Canada and worked along
the line of the Grand Trunk. But il
seemed that Fate was trying to de-
priVe Swell of his single excuse for
thimblerigging. The farmers had been
reading the papers. and IL was a lean
year that followed. Occasionally Swell
and Nellie exchanged brief and
strangely spelled epistles, confined
principally 10 information regarding
the state of the weather and the writ
er's health. but marriage had engen-
6ered a new pride which Swell would
not have believed himself capable of a
few months before. and he didn't show
up in New York.
He wouldn't go back there, he told
himself grimly. with empty pockets.
He did go back finally. but that was
nearly a year after the wedding and
a brief run OF luck had put him a
couple OF hundred dollars to the good.
He made a brave show OF that two
hundred and was all for blowing it