Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-09-02
BY CLINTON HI. stage
lie Frank A. Munsey Co.


see. But was going to beat the
game!
Not for the money so much, but for
., job where could get easy money
Easy money! That was the luro. II
brings smile to my face now, that
thought Of easy money. It brings a
smile of bitter recollection when
come in from nineteen-hour days
work, ready to drop from sheer ex-
haustion, hands and face bleeding
from fighting the floodgates shut, and
battling against the raging water and
wind and sleet, earning the only easy
money had ever had.
The circus came. didn't steal
away this time. l told old Simeon
that I was going, and l stood him off
with pitchfork as he came at me
with his blacksnake whip. didn't
intend to come back.
The shell-game was the center of
the biggest crowd, and I edged in, my
forty-four dollars tightly clutched in
my trousers pocket. The game in
tended to play is old now, but it was
original with me then. / think Pm
the first man that ever put it over.
There was lull. The suckers"
were wary and the "cappers" were
unable,to arouse any enthusiasm. AS
1 edged to the front rank before the
table the shell-man spied me.
"Take chance, sonny" he hailed.
LET you in for dollar. Easy mon
ey for wise one like you"
was just the ignorant country lout,
playing my game. 1 pulled out my
roll of dirty bills. "I bet ye forty
four dollars kin pick it," boasted.
1 knew could play but once.
"It's Coal-Oil Johnny in disguise,"
he grinned. "Ill give him real
sports chance. Here's five-X against
It: fifty to forty-four."
He put the money on mine and he
gan to move the shells, talking every
minute and eyeing me shrewdly all
the while.
"Now pick the little pellet" he in
vited. "Pick the little pea and buy q
farm with the money 1t may be un-
der number one, it's likely to be in
number two. and probably number
three is hiding it, One guess, one
fifty"
got closer to the little table.
squirting down at the three shells
with loutish wisdom. Suddenly l put
ont my hand and covered the middle
shell.
, TITS under this one," I said.
Remove the cover lift the SHE'LL"
he urged. Uncover the elusive,
fifty-dollar pea"
Instead, my hand went out quick rs
a flash, turned over the one on the
left, switched over and lifted the one
on the right before he could make a
move. Then lifted my hand from
the middle shell.
"If it amt under them two 1t must
be under the one had my hand on"
grinned, and there was just bit of
wink in my eye.
1t took him only a second to decide.
The crowd was all around him. 1t
had lost some money, and it would
probably lose more. But If the watch
ing men discovered that there had
been no pea under any of the shells
when they had bet the gamblers life
would be just about worth the speed
of his legs. Nothing more.
"You win," he grinned, showing
the money toward me and lifting the
shell to show the pea his little finger
| hoI tod of ha In nP
moving.
leaned over the folding board
"Job?" l whispered out of the corner
of my mouth.
"Plug hat, diamonds" he grunted
in the instant before he again raised
his voice in it's Invitation to the wait
ing farmers. l slid out of the crowd
to look for the man who wore plug
hat and diamonds.
Near the entrance of the one-ring
top found him, told him that l want
ed a job and about the slick game
had just played on one of his men.
He looked me over a minute with
his blank gray eyes that never showed
an emotion, or thought, or light of any
kind, pulled cigar from his pocket,
handed it to me. and bit the end of
another.
"You can cap for the three-card
table" he said finally Learn It and
I'll put you on. Slides been getting
drunk too often lately. Pm going to
have him pirched for murder soon as
get somebody else. Go to 1t and
keep away from the booze. or you'll
get the same road some day."
He nodded his head jerkily, turned
on his heel, and went inside the main
top. That was my first meeting with
Mike Garvin. the greatest con man of
them all; the man whose boot-lichdns
cur I became; the man who had nei-
ther heart nor soul; who fastened
| murder on me and took nv all bu.