Gunnison news-champion., 1916-07-14

bsigandaee o. nonactiouab:e thrift
ness that you could point to. with or
without pride. N an evidence Of your
qualifications for the positionr
why says be In his kind OF south
eru system Of procrastinated accents.
'hain't you heard tell: There ain't any
man. black Or white. In the Blue Ridge
that can tote Oh q shoat as easy n I
can without bein' heard. seen OF cotch-
ed can lift q shoat.' be goes on. out
Of n pen. from under q pinxxa. at the
trough. In the woods. day or night. any
where or anyhow. and l guarantee mo-
body won't hear a squeal. It's all In
the way you grab hold Of 'em and car
~ 'em atferward Some day. goes on
this gentle despotler Of pigpens. 4 hope
to become reckernized as the champion
shoat stealer OF the world
"It's proper to be ambitious says
I. and hog stealing will do very well
for Mount Nebo. but in the outside
world. Mr.. Tatum. 1t would be consid-
cred as crude 4 piece OF business rs
bear raid on Bay State Gas. However.
II will do as a guarantee Of good faith.
Well go into partnership. I've got
$1,000 cash capital. and with that
homeward plods atmosphere Of yours
we ought to be able to win out q few
shares Of Soon Parted preferred In the
money market
$50 attaches Rufe. and we go away
from Mount Nebo down into the low
lands. And all the way I coach him
for his part In the gratis had I'm mind
I had idled away two months on the
Florida coast and was feeling all to
the Ponce dc Leon. besides having so
many new schemes up my sleeve that
I had to wear kimonos to hold 'em.
II intended to assume funnel shape
and NOV a path nine miles wide
through the farming belt of the mid
die west, SO we headed In that direc-
ton. But when we got us far rs Lex
ington we found Binkley Bros circus
there and the blue grass peasantry
romping into town and pounding the
Belgian blocks with their hand pegged
sabots as artless and arbitrary as an
extra session OF Datto Bryan duma
l never pass circus without pulling
the valve cord and coming down for n
little Key West money. SO I engaged
couple Of rooms and board for Rufc
and me ut n house near the circus
grounds run by a widow lady named
Peevy. Then I took Rufe to n cloth
ing store and gents outfitted him. He
showed up strong. as knew he would.
after he was rigged up in the ready
made rutabagn regalin. Me and old
Misftzky stuffed him into bright blue
suit with Nile green visible plaid ef-
feet and riveted on fancy vest Of n
light Tuskegee normal tan color, red
necktie and the yellowest pair of shoes
in town. They were the first clothes
Rufe had ever worn except the ging-
ham layette and the butternut top
dressing Of his native kraal. and he
looked ~ self conscious ~ an Igorrots
wah . new nose ring.
THAT night went down to the cir
Gus tents and opened Z small shell
game. Rufe was to be the capper. I
gave him roll Of phony currency to
bet with and kept a bunch Of 1t In a
special pocket to pay his winnings out
Of. No, didn't mistrust him, but l
simply can't manipulate the ball to
lose when see real money bet. My
fingers 60 on strike every time !
try II.
Il set up my little table and began to
show them how easy 1t was to guess
which shell the little pea was under.
The unlettered kinds gathered in a
thick semicircle and began to nudge
elbows and banter one another to bet.
Then was when Rufe ought to have
singlefooted up and called the turn on
the little joker for few tens and fives
to get them started. But no Rufe. I'd
seen him two or three times walking
about and looking at the sideshow pic
lures with his mouth full Of peanut
candy. but he never came nigh.
'The crowd piked little. but trying
to work the shells without capper Is
like fishing without bait. closed the
game with only $42 Of the. unearned
increment. while had been counting
on yanking the yeomen for 500 at
least. went home at II and went to
bed. supposed that the circus had
proved too alluring for Rufe and that
he had succumbed to 1t, concert and
all. but meant to give him lecture
on general business principles in the
morning.
Just after Morpheus had got both
my shoulders to the shuck mattress l
hears a houseful Of nnbecoming and
nbald noises, like youngster screech-
ing with green apple collie. opens my
door and calls out In the hall for the
widow lady. and when she sticks her
head out says. Mrs. Peevy. ma'am
would you mind choking Oh that kid
Of yours SO that honest people can get
their restT
Sir says she. It's no child Of mine.
It's the pig squealing that your friend
Mr.. Tatum brought home to his room
couple Of hours ago. And II you are
uncle or second cousin or brother to
It I'd appreciate your stopping Its
EmOuth air yourself n vou nleasa'