Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-09
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A TIP IN COPPER
BY EpEs WINTHROP SARGENT.


OF the smoking COmpditulSHL " tho
sleeper with whisk-broom and an
expectant smile.
"Yassir. Mos in now, sir" with a
glance out Of the window where the
strings of cattle-cars proclaimed the
railroad environs of Chicago.
you ought to be all In" grunted
Griscom, and the porter laughed as
he gave me perfunctory brush-off
for the quarter he had seen In my
hand.
| had come ON the train at Omaha
that morning, but Griscom told me he
had come from the coast. Coast pas
sengers should be good for a dollar.
at least. AS tipping time approaches
a porter would regard even the query
of the street-crossing chicken as rare
humor.
Griscom was standing with hand
full of money he had just taken from
his trousers-pocket, and the porter's
eyes cleaned, for there we're gold
pieces in the mass of quarters and
halves, and Griscom selected one OF
these.
Quietly Griscom sorted out the gold
and put it in his waistcoat pocket
while he regarded silver dollar re
flectively. The grin on the porter's
face was less expansive, but he still
smiled
Griscom eyed the dollar for mo-
ment and dropped it back upon the
pile of change. then he picked out a
copper cent.
Don't throw that away and don't
make any remark, or I'll have you set
down for a week. Towles is friend
of mine" Isl
Apparently there was magic in the
name of Towles, for the porter pocket
ed the coin without a word, and
| brushed Griscom's coat with three
sweeping strokes before he backed
out OF the compartment.
What had the boy done to deserve
the "copper"" asked. He looks like
pretty clever boy, and a copper is
worse than nothing at all"
f1 know it--but hate porters. Look
here, you think better of that dinner
invitation tonight, and III tell you
why do. Is 1t go?"
nodded, though only few min
utes before l had evaded an earnest
invitation to dinner. Griscom smiled
contentedly.
About six, then. I've got to beat
1t as soon as we land So long unit
then. Here's the shed"
We were just pulling up to the plat
form, and by the time was pos
sessed of my grips Griscom had dis
appeared.
That night, as he came into the un
pretentious lobby of the little family
hotel that was home to him when h.
was in Chicago, no one would hav'
taken him to be one of the most ex
pert card-sharks on the continent.
He was not more than five feet six
but broad-shouldered and suggesting
an enormous strength. His complex
ion was that of rosy baby, but tn
thinning hair suggested the middl
thirties. He dressed quietly-no on
ever could remember just how he wa
dressed, for he was far removed fron
the gambler of fiction with dyed mus
tache and fashy clothes,
He suggested rather-well, that wa
, like his clothes. He looked all right
/ did considerable travelling, an
Griscom had taken a liking to me
!, Later he rescued me from some caro-
sharpers, though to do so he had t
. admit it as his own profession, an
later in his room in the hotel, h
, had told me some things and ha
! shown me some tricks OF the trade tha
: had cured me of card-playing.
! Griscom was an artist, eschewin,
! the aid of sinners" "hold-outs,' an
y the rest of the clumsy mechanism
His clever fingers could do wonderfr
things in a shuttle, and he trusted t
wonderfully developed memory ant
:. on occasion, to some markings on tn
!. back of deck that had not bee
a printed on by the manufacturers.
r. 1t had been very decent of him, an
a appreciated It. We were not int
4 mate, but l saw him now and the
! and enjoyed his company, for he we
/, wonderful talker.
il With an apology for minutes ia
4 diness, he led the way to the dinin
!. room, where he had ordered an exec
! lent dinner, and 1t was not until v
l. we're up in his rooms with the pc
fectos glowing that he alluded to IL
incident of the train.
Il saw Towles this afternoon" !
a began, as he surveyed the tip of
4 cigar with a grin on his usually IL
! mobile face. HE says the port
4 cursed me and the copper for OF
1 solid hour.
" HE could appreciate that joke. +
,f knows my reason for hating the pc
a ters This boy is new one on Il
d western run. Most Of the porte
Il know / don't like them and they lea
le me alone.