Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11


Better give up trying to run class in
handball, Wally,' laughed Bill when the
game was over, @and start a nursery.
You're little slow for the kindergarten.
Then in about eighteen years we'll take you
on and teach you few simple principles.
But to Henderson he said, as they went
down to the locker room, "Those fellows
get my goat. What do they want to play
that way for? What's the fun of steal
ing points? 1t isn't smart. Any fool can
win by cheating: it takes a good man to
win by skill Where do those fellows get
their ideas, anyhow"
Henderson only grunted.
why the crouch, Joe?' asked Bill.
@Never saw you quite as down in the mouth
as you seem to be. We won, didn't we?'
Business, explained Henderson sourly.
4On the blink questioned Bill.
@Just on the edge of ruin, that's all, said
Henderson. a can't fight much longer. l
cont kick at the legitimate competition. l
can stand that built my business up in
the face of it,-but the trust got after me,
and they've just about got me. never told
you any of my personal affairs before, Bill;
but I've just got to roar to somebody, and
l think of you as a pretty good friend of
mine
Shoot ahead with your troubles said
Bill. I'm listening"
no you know Slocum of the Universal
Manufacturing Company asked Hen
derson.
Al know of him. said Bill, as he fumbled
with his locker key. "Why?'
Friend of yours?"
an way; but won't shed any tears if
you roast him. Got anything against him9'
Nothing much, said Henderson, Except
that he's the man who's putting me out of
business"
That's quite lot to have against
man. said Bill, smiling.
SWELL" continued Henderson, al don't
know, but don't think I'd be very bitter
about it if he wasn't such a rotten bad
sport. That's my holler. I've heard you
say hundred times said it today
that anybody could win by cheating, but it
took good man to win by skill"
@That's right, said Bill.
"Now my kick is that Slocum is one of
the men who think it, all right to cheat if you
can get away with it. He thinks the game
isn't to win honest1y-but to win. / don't
like that; but the game isn't handball: it's
business, and I'm in it, and I've got to play.
The trouble is that | can't play crooked.
Maybe would if COULD but I'm not built
that way guess. All know how to do is
to fight hard, with all my skill, and let the
OJneT fellow 90 tne CneaI11lS as you say
When my firm was young didn't have any
thing but little crooks to buck against, and
they didn't bother me; but when the firm
began to grow big enough to compete with
the Universal, Slocum-the big crook the
crook with brains-got after me. And he's
putting me out of business. So it looks like
the end for Henderson and the Acme. What
makes me bitter Henderson went on, "is
that Slocum isn't getting me because he's a
better fighter than l am: he's doing it by
fouling and cheating, by dirty work and
rough house. Think that's right, Bill?'
Business is business" said Bill.
(Which means that thievery and crooked
ness and cheating are business sneered
Henderson. @That's bum sports motto,
Bill, and I'm surprised to hear you use it!7
But look here!' protested Bill. maybe
this man Slocum thinks of that as part Of
the game. He may be looking for results.
They are what count, you know, after all,
and if he gets them, it justi6es his game,
doesn't it,"
at does not, said Henderson, 9and never
did. Why, that's the theory some of these
smart handball players go on-and you say
they are crooks, just plain thieves. Great
guns! if a man is bum sport who tries to
steal handball game, isn't he lot worse
sport to try to steal in the game of business,
where there iS something mp R,1t then 7