The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31
MR.. POOR PLAYER HAS
A GREAT RUN OF LUCK
Old Man Greenlaw Tells Of II,
INT Fails to Impress His
Hearers.
4 PARABLE TO NO PURPOSE
BY DAVID A. CURTIS.


truth and who Is himself greatly i'm
pressed by It's importance.
Further than that his manner indi-
Gated that he was well satisfied with
himself by reason OF the fact that he
had discovered il. BY way, probably. OF
rewarding himself for his own perspica-
city he went behind the bar OF his little
saloon in Arkansas city and selecting
q box of cigars from his stock opened It
and picked out the cigar which com
mended itself most highly 20 mis- critical
taste.
After looking az II carefully and re-
placing the box he bit the cigar In two,
and being n man to whom wastefulness
was abhorrent even In little things. he
ate one fragment and lighted the other.
When the fire was burning 10 his salts
faction he went to his favorlte seat by
the window and putting his feet on the
window sill smoked In silence FOR q
time. apparently medtatlng
There were four others iu the saloon
at the time, but possibly because they
were all smoking pipes ne had made no
offer to them OF refreshment out OF tho
cigar box, and they regarded his action
with as little interest as they had paid
90 his words Whether or not they en-
joyed the silence they did not break u,
and there even seemed to be some im-
patience on their part when he pres
entity spoke again.
even then" he said 9TH amt arays
no tellin' how fur he would "a went II
no hadn't "a stopped"
Even this reused no curiosity IN his
listeners, hut II might have been OBJ
served that sam Pearsall knocked the
ashes out OF hAs pipe and put the pipe in
his pocket, as II holding himself IN
readiness to 20 away from there in case
Il should seem desirable 10 do so. II
did not Immediately appear, however,
Chat there would be any necessity for
even mo least tolerant hearer to leave.
for tho old man lapsed into silence
again after looking around as II 20 see
that they all fully understood what he
had said. II was as II he desired his
meaning 10 sink well into thetr minds
before saying more.
There was room for doubt as 20
whether or not e sank. FOR although
they seemed a little uneasy they made
no comment, and it was not until he
had vsntured third remark that tho
outburst came
He pondcred his two propositions for
long time before charging on the sub
JeCt. linen ne SAID suddenly
AN alter he's done stopped, IN amt
never no tellin' but what he'll start out
ag'in. Some Il liable to-"
mot II / stops en-, they amt" said
Joe Bassctt somewha- hotly. ana the old
man looked al him in some surprise.
81 reckon that d'pends," he said, 4
little doubtfully. 80 co'se II II was a
p't!c'lar case, they mought be n argy-
httf hyas fpf = no
tendency o. the human"
'Whar was he gwne?" interrupted
Jake Winterbottom rudely. An how
come he didn't stay whar he was. first
on?"
want gwine nowheres," replied the
old man testify. Il was speakin' meta
physical like, ilustratin' tho weakness
O."
Must "a been gwlne some'res." in
sisted Wintcrbuttom. "Tt he hadn't "a
been he'd "a stayed where he was" And
he looked around to see IL the others
agreed with him.
'Sho' would" said Pearsall emphatI-
cally, but Jim B.aisde shook his head
81 reckon he want no ways he'll bent
on gittin' nowheres In p'uclar." he sad,
IF he had "a been he wouldn't ~
stopped I'LL he got thar, an they would
MT "a been no sense N gwine no further
aTer he done stopped. Not 'thouten he
done lose his way, they wouldn't. Mobile
that was how twas" And he looked at
the old man inqurngly.
But the old man began TO swell up.
want nobody gwinc nowheres in
p'ttc'hr,' he snapped out angrily. "Nor
ne didn't lose his way. Yo' uns pears
70 be nigh bout rs dumb g the stocks
an stones in the Good Book what they
didn't none on 'em understand nothin'
what / was a-doin' was 10 say now
rnankyind In genl is gave to divaga-
tlp'."
'%Gave 20 WHAT" exclaimed Joe Bias.
set in amaZement
"Divagatin'," said the old man. That,
. Latin, an means how tn amt no tclln
where a man II 60 to. nor how nigl
he'll come 10 gittin thar"
That amt nothln' but plumb fool,
, ishness" said Blalsdell scornfullv
Everybody knows that much, 'thout er
talkin' Latin TO- TO tell II. But thai
don't 'xplain how come this yere var
done stopped afo' he got thar Must "a
been some trifln."
Tho old man glared at him speeches.
with wrath for n moment or two, Will,
his face assumed n purpllsh hue anC
The veins in his forehead became no
ticeably distended A NJ OF some sor
was evidently imminent. but present.,
he swallowed violently thrice and spok
with emphasis.
when a man is tallin' to them what
feeble minded pears Ike it's the par
q wisdom 10 talk parRbolic," he said
but them that's plain ornery, nachu
born damphools didn't ought To- to b.
'Ipected TO to understand nothln', no
oven parallels.
What I had in mind was how III
amt no tellin' whatn happen when
man what don't know q hellova lot abou
/. draw poker II do when he sets in Il
to win out speechified mount O. money
him needin' OF It bad, an not havin' n
gret show o glttin' of IL, 'cordln' L
'pearances."
"Mought "a said that thouten diva
gatin,~ said ElalsdelL as II disguste
with the feeble mindedness that ha
been mentioned but 20 all haint sal
nothin' yet bout how come he don
stopped afo' he got thar. Did no IA
TIP agin' fo's with a pat nush2-
-Wuss'n that" said the old man. stop
ping 10 relsht his cigar, which ne ha
allowed to 20 dead during the FUR