The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-23
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A TIP IN COPPER
BY EPEs WINTHROP SARGENT.


OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
(Copyright)
Now 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
porter would regard even the query
of the street-crossing chicken as rare
humor.
Griscom was standing with a 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 silver dollar re-
flectively. 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 a
copper cent.
Don't throw that away and don't
make any remark. or I'll have you set
down for week. Towles is a friend
Of mine'
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" l asked. HE looks like
a pretty clever boy. and a copper ia
worse than nothing at ALL"
'I know it-but hate port RS. Look
here, you think better of that dinner
invitation tonight. and I'll tell you
why do. Is It a go?'
l nodded, though only a few min
utes before l had evaded an earnest
invitation to dinner. Griscom smiled
contentedly.
About six, then. I've got to beat
It as soon as we land. So long unit
then. Here's the she'd"
: 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 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 five feet six
but broad-shouldered and suggesting
an enormous strength. His complex
ion was that of a rosy baby, but the
thinning hair suggested the middle
thirties. He dressed quietly-no one
ever could remember just how he wa,
dressed, for ha was far removed from
the gambler of fiction with dyed mus
tache and flashy clothes.
! H. c,unoc<oI rn&Ao, ,,on ,,,x,.
like his clothes. He looked all right
l did considerable travelling, ant
Griscom had taken liking to me
Later he rescued me from some card
sharpers, though to do 80 he had t.
admit It as his own profession. ant
later, in his room in the hotel, h
had told me some things and hat
shown me some tricks Of the trade tina
had cured me of card-playing
Griscom was an artist, eschewin,
the aid of Sinners" "hold-outs," an,
the rest Of the clumsy mechanism
His clever fingers could do wonderful
things in a shuffle, and he trusted {,
y wonderfully developed memory and
on occasion, to some markings on tn
back of a deck that had not beef
printed on by the manufacturers.
It had been very decent OF him, ant
> I appreciated 1t. We we're not init
: mate, but | saw him now and then
3 and enjoyed his company. for he wa
Z, a wonderful talker.
, With an apology for a minutes tai
!, diness, he led the way to the dining
= room. where he had ordered an excel
! lent dinner, and 1t was not until VI
!, were up in his rooms with the pei
:, fectos glowing that he alluded to tn
? incident of the train.
!, 81 saw Towles this afternoon" h
!, began, as he surveyed the tip Of hi
3 cigar with a grin on his usually i'm
], mobile face. He says the porte
{, cursed me and the copper for on