Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

sendin' out whole turkeys and stuff, even
Christmas day, without maxim an investi-
cation. So 1t looked like a sucker bet.
We was dead certain Slim was goin' to
lose. SO certain that We concluded there
wasn't no use to wait. SO the stake
holder got Reddy's permission to use the
whole bet in settin' EN- up for the crowd,
which he done, and which caused peach
of scrap between Slim and Reddy after
Slim come back.
cause Slim won the best. Sure he did.
Did he bring back one entire turkey. Say.
he brought back about two and a half
turkeys. not to mention sweet potatoes,
mashed potatoes, mince pie, plum puddin'
and more junk than You could get at a
swell table dote with real money. 1t was
a cinch the way he worked 1t, too,
cinch after he started, although it took
some brains to think of it. How'd he do
it Easiest thing in the world. Ever see
Slim, Dad?"
Dad said he had never had that pleasure
or words to that effect.
WELL" continued the speaker, "as you
might guess from his name. Georgia Slim
come from the south-an' he had that
slow drawlin' way of gettin out his
words that folks down there have. Also
he had nice persuadin' manner, al
ways kept himself shaved pretty clean
and kept his clothes lookin as nice as
might be expected, everything considered.
I've always had it in my bean that Slim
had some pretty good folks once. and
that he turned something crooked and
had to jump. Wonder what the long
skinny fellow did?"
He paused a moment and pondered-
then:
Anyhow. as said. Slim had a per-
suadin' way, an 1 guess there's lots Of
people who wouldn't think to look at him
that he was bum. That's how he got
by on his bet. All he did was this. He
waited until about o'clock in the after
noon, when most folks is eatin' their
Christmas dinner, before he started. Then
he goes up in a neighborhood that's good.
but where they wasn't apt to have serv-
ants, picks out house, an rings the
bell. When the man or woman. or who
ever it was, comes to the door, he starts
In with that sad. slow voice of his.
"'Ma'am,' he'd say. looking down at
the ground sort Of II he was ashamed,
I want to ask you if you will be good
enough to give me just one tiny piece Of
your Christmas turkey-it's for my little
girl He'd get that last part out quick.
before the fall guy could say anything.
Then he'd hurry on:
Her mothers been dead nearly a
year-and she's all I've got. Live
been out Of work some time now, and
while I've got a home for her 1t has
taken nearly all my little savings to keep
1t and feed her. 1.-the fact is, mas am.
all we're goin' to have for our Christmas
dinner today is potatoes and bread. l
can stand it for myself-but you see, my
little girl-she-she's-well, just this
mornin ma am, she asked me, Papa,
amt we going to have turkey and plum
puddin' like We had when mamma was
here-an' SO you see. ma'am. IL
thought
THAT was about as far as he'd have
to go. That pleadin' voice an that honest
lookin' face Of the crooked fellow made
'em fall over themselves getting back
into the dinin' room and slashin' UP the
turkey for him. An, Of course, they
wanted to make sure he'd have turkey
for himself, too-so they'd slice off plenty
and then they'd start dishin' up the
other stuff they had for him to take
away.
$50 Slim would get big bundle from
one house, cache ii away in some handy
place, then walk back a block up to
another street and try 1t again. When
he got through We had enough turkey
wings to ny an airship. enough OF them