Evening journal., 1912-10-12
A We'll
Played Game
By ALFRED W. sTowHL

Some Is continually fndin' fault
with Providence said Abner Sleek to
the party sitting around the stove in
The center Of Jones' store. They don't
teckon that the Lord takes care O his
own. 40 matter whether they're good
pr bad. honest or tricky. wise or fool
gsh What I'd the sharpers do II It
want for the suckers. ia Ike TO
know? Speakln O. sharpers, the pur-
tlest game l ever knew Of was played
b Calumet when l lived thar The
teller that played II want a real sharp
ar neither. and considerin' the circum-
stances some thort he was justified in
she doln' Of II.
''Jack Ketcham was his name. and
he was as likely a chap as you ever
seen He had fine blue eyes and a
pleasin' way with him just calculated
10 ketch the girls. He wasn't much
account--at least at that time. Them
girl ketchers never are; they get the
girls by their appearance. Well. as
WAS a-sayin', Jack Ketcham instead
q tyin' up to a girl who was free-and
there was plenty o. 'em-had to tackle
Amanda Jenkins. who was engaged TO
an old feller Simeon Ruggles a bach
elor fifty year old but woth $4,000 II
he was woth cent Amanda's father
wanted her to marry Ruggles to git
the five thousand, and Amanda al
lowed she would. but when ketcham
come along she changed her mind and
allowed she'd rather marry ketch.
But how could she. seem that he
hadn't nothin' but the clothes on hts
back? Her father could "a set I'm up
n he had wanted to. but he wouldn't
zone day old jenkins was walkin'
along the main street OF the town
when he seen a young man standin
lookin' at sumpin particular. jenkins
stopped and watched the feller. who
kept his eyes ln the same direction
right along Bimeby he says to him.
"What r. loolSln' at. young manT
''Hc had to ak him twicct before he
got his attention. Then he started.
looked at jenkins kind O. queer aud
said:
"I wouldn't n believed It n
hadn't seen It with my own eyes
"'Scen whaty
"'Why. that wooden Indian down
there in front o. that cigar store
whats the matter with himT
"'He puffs smoke out o. that wood.
en- cigar IN his mouth
"Bosh9
"'Bosh yourself, seen him doin' IT,
"'Wheny
"'Jest now He'll do it gin. /
geckon.
"'see here, young feller. II the fool
Killer comes along he'll get you shore.
Whore you 10 talk TO me that
a-way7' says tothcr I reckon l know
what I see with my own eyes
"'Have you got any money!
"'No, but mought git some II
tried right hard
well. you so git IL and I'll cover
It that wooden Indian don't smoke
"'Oh. you wouldn't pay II you lost
"I'll put up the money
Supposin' raise sumpin to bet
WILL Nutit ~ uUu Nouf
jenkins gave him his address. and
the next mornin' the young man come
20 him with three 81 1000 bills.
"Phewr says Jenkins. Where did
you get emp
My grandmother give 'em to me
20 set up a store with
"'And you're fool enough TO lose 'em
instead o settin' up the storey
I amt agoin' to lose 'em. I seen
that wooden Indian smoke, and when
a feller onct gifts the habit fixed on him
he can't stop. He'll be smolSin' ag'in.
All we have to do is to be thar to sec
him doin' it.
Jenkins was just mean enough to
take advantage OF the boy, and they
rallied in man by the name o. Becker.
and they put up the money on a bet
that the Indian would be seen smokiu'
within week by three witnesses be.
sides theirselyes.
"One day the youngster rushed into
Jenkins house kind o. wild and hol-
lered:
"'He's sraokin'l Come quick before
ne stopsr
Jenkins got up and follered the fel-
Ter who met a man. and then another
man, and still another. takin' all three
Of 'em with him 10 the corner opposite
the cigar store. and the hull lot OF 'em
stood lookin' at the wooden Indian.
"'What you bring us here furg
Rxed one on 'em. turnin' away mad.
Jest you wait minute. seen
him smokin', but he's stopped. Hell
be at it,
"At that moment the Indian com
menced BLOWN a cloud from his mouth
10 beat the band jenkins looked al
him bewidered. Jist then the stake
holder come along. and there was moth
In FOR It but to turn over jenkins
$1,000 to the other feller
Jenkins went TO the cigar store, pull
ID down the Indian and found q rubber
tube leadin from the mouth into tn,
store and the cigar holler and full o. TO
bacco. A man inside had done tn
smOkin'. Jenkins made big fuss anG
Ewore he'd have the swindler jugged
but he couldn't. because he'd skipped
''The next day the stakeholder call
ed on jenkins and explained that hi
money would be returned II he's civ
his daughter TO the winner.
'Then II come out that the WHINE
was Jack Ketcham and Amanda wa
IN the game Jenkins was so mortlfie
at bein made laughn'stock that 4