Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-06-27


real estate along Lake
Shore drive, when all at
once we discovered that we were talk
ing about poetry in the most earnest
manner. / looked at Miss Clement;
she looked at me. Both of us smiled
foolishly.
.What on earth ever switched us
from real estate to poetry?' ASKED
and she laughed. We were strolling
along through the damp of summer
mist Our jaunting clothes on, happy
Ga the freshness OF the atmosphere
and the GOODNESS of the breeze as 1t
drifted in from the lake; not caring
whether we became wet or not-Just
Joyous in the knowledge that life was
good and that we were a part of it.
Miss Clement and take many a stroll
that way. Sometimes do the talking;
most of the time, however, draw her
out to make the conversation, for she
is the interesting one. And as l
looked into that face of rosy cheeks,
full red lips and swapping eyes, won
dered what today would bring, what
experience of the past. She was still
endeayoring to trace back our CONVEX
sation to the point where real estate
had become meter and rhyme-but
she had failed.
81 can't trace the poetry" she said
with little shake of her head, but l
can remember the time when poetry
traced a green goods man and traced
him into the penitentiary at that. 1t
was not so very long ago either"
There was a time, when remini-
seence crowded upon her, that Miss
Clement would ask me if cared to
hear the story. That time Is past
now, for she knows better. And so
she began the recital as we strolled
along the dripping drive, where the
trees hung low and where the birds,
impriso ed by the dampness, cheeped
disgustedly at the weather.
"For couple of weeks" she began
as We strolled along, men of every
type had been walking into detective
headquarters with looks of disgust on
aheir faces and long stories on their
tongues. 1t was the old green goods
story--or rather story that was lit
ale better, for this was the case of a
money machine"
"a money machine?" | asked.
EXACTLY; put in dime and draw
cut a dollar, Or better still, draw out
thousands. There were cattlemen,
there were farmers, there were
even business men. 1t seemed that
they would meet their money ma
chine friend at night, around the
CITY somewhere, become interested
IN the fresh, clean bills he had, aud
finally become excited enough to be
Iieye his story. And the story was
not bad Miss Clement added with a
little smile. ale had formerly worked
in the Bureau of Printing and Engray
ing. Finally he got the secret Of how
TO make the impressions of money and
then print more just like it. 1t was
mint, you see. But the difficulty was
every green goods man has a little
difficulty, you know, which keeps him
from turning out all the money in the
world, and keeping it for himselt-tha'
all this money he made was branC
new, and if he kept spending new
money all the time he would be
caught. And therefore, he was now il
the philanthropic business of exchang
ing new money for old. at reduced
prices. So, If you had $1,000 on which
you wanted to make quick invest
uent. he would be very glad to put /
into the machine and turn you ou
$4,000 in clean new bills for it, simpl,
10 get the old money Nice littl'
scheme, don't you think?"
But" ! interrupted.
SHow did he fool his victims? Yer,
easily There would be two package
OF supposed money One really con
tanned bills. The other contained moth
ing but tissue paper. He would tax
his victim to some out of the wa,
Mace, pretend to give him the pack
age of money and hand him the pack
are of tissue paper instead, with in
ssructions that it was dangerous t
omen the same before he got home
And then--well. when he got home
he would hurry for the police static
with his tissue paper in his hand.
@And so this thing had gone alon
for two weeks. 1t seemed that tn
maker of money was everywhere, an
there was no way to stop him. A gel
eral alarm was sent out among the d.
receives and l was one of those VIII
receiycd it. Description? Odd
enough, there was none. 1t SCENE
the green goods man was man VIII
could disguise himself naturally On
man would describe him with
twisted mouth. Another time ne woul
have a Jewish appearance. on otht
occasions he would seem somewh'
epiieptc and his face would nave
rontortionistic appearance. All we ia
10 90 on were his height. weight al
the color of his eyes and hair. And
that. I've seen mighty few person
Who cond describe the same me
alike even In these details.