The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-19
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| TIP IN COPPER
BY EPEs WINTHROP SARGENT.
(COpYright.l

(Copyright)
Nov you GOMEZ" cried Griscom, as
the porter appeared in the doorway
of the smoking compartment of the
sleeper with a 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 a 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
q 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 were gold
pieces in the mass Of quarters and
halves, and Griscom selected one Of
these.
Quietly Griscom sorted out the gold
and put 1t in his waistcoat pocket
while he regarded a silver dollar re-
fectively. The grin on the porter's
face was less expansive. but he still
smiled.
Griscom eyed the dollar for a mo-
ment and dropped it back upon the
pile of change. then he picked out
copper cent
Don't throw that away and don't
make any remark, or I'll have you set
down for q week. Towles is a friend
Of mine"
Apparently there was magic in the
name Of Towles, for the porter pocket.
ed the coin without q 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"" I asked. HE looks like
a pretty clever boy, and a copper is
worse than nothing at ALL"
II know it-but l hate portors. Look
here. you think better Of that dinner
invitation tonight, and I'll tell you
why do. Is 1t q go?'
I nodded. though only a few min.
utes before I 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 until
then. Here's the she'd"
We we're just pulling up to the plat
form, and by the time l 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 he
was In Chicago, no one would have
taken him to be one Of the most ex-
pert card-sharks on the continent.
He was not more thar Ave feet six,
but brOad-shouldered and suggesting
an enormous strength. His complex
lon was that Of rosy baby. but the
thinning hair suggested the middle
thirties. He dressed Quietly-no one
ever could remember Just how he was
dressed, for he was far removed from
the gambler Of fiction with dyed mus
tache and flashy clothes.
He suggested rather-well, that was
like his clothes. He looked all right.
did considerable travelling, and
GriscOm' had taken a liking to me.
Later he rescued me from some card
sharpers, though to do 80 he had to
admit It as his own profession, and
later In his room in the hotel, he
had told me some things and had
shown me some tricks of the trade that
had cured me Of card playing.
Griscom was an artist, eschewing
the aid Of sinners" ''hold-outs," and
the rest Of the clumsy mechanism.
His clever fingers could do wonderful
things In shuttle, and he trusted to
a wonderfully developed memory and,
on occasion, to some markings on the
back Of deck that had not been
printed on by the manufacturers.
1t had been very decent of him, and
l appreciated II. We were not init
mate, but saw him now and then,
and enjoyed his company. for he was
a wonderful talker.
With an apology for a minutes tar
diness, he led the way to the dining
room, where he had ordered an excel
lent dinner, and 1t was not until we
were up in his rooms with the per.
fectos glowing that he alluded to the
incident of the train.
Il saw Towles this afternoon" he
began. as he surveyed the tip of his
cigar with grin on his usually i'm.
mobile face. He says the porter
cursed me and the copper for one