Arizona republican., 1919-07-31
THE GAMBLERS

Pretty good wind we had tother night, wasn't it?" suggested AK Jones to Grandma B. as he slid into the rocker in her front yard and inter rupted her Sunday afternoons perusal of the Good Book.
 well. have a chair and set down. won't you. MT. Jones?" said Grandma My goodness, That shore was 9 big blow wasn't it? Scare you any?"
 Not 'zactlky. But the old shack did act kinda oneasy oncet in a while when she got to blowin' so bad"
 50? Well. I tell you now you had better be digging yourself one of these here what they calls cyclone cellars, Mir Jones. I see a piece in the paper where we're going to have all sorts of cyclones and tornadoes and sich. tur- rble things next November-the sev- enteenth if I ain't mistaken"
 Where did you see that?" chalanged Jones.
 Why. didn't you see it? I fergit now which paper 5twas. But the mans picture was there-I fergit his name-but there he had it all drawed out with diagrams and things all done scientific, showing how all the planets and things was agoing to be in such a way that we're going to have the most awfulest storms and things-I i jist cans explain it like he did and like the picture showed, but you must of seen it."
 "Oh," said Jones in a depreciatory tone, you're thinkin' of that sun-spot guy. Shucksi He's got to make a living some how or other and if he can conjure up some sort of yarn about | about it and sell it to the newspapers. why shouldn't he. I low I wouldn't be trying to scratch living out of the
 sands here if I could do what he | does-
 | "Mebbe not, Mir. Jones. Mebbe not But it pears mighty reasonable to me Law, me! it does seem that the world is getting so wicked that we're going
 to have some sort of c'lamity sent on
 us to make us good and repent Well, Grandma, if it'll do anything l awards bringing down the cost of ex- istence, I say bring on the scourge or cyclones or whatever they're a mind to
 send on us. I just soon die of the scourge as to be starved to death or l worry myself into the grave trying to figure out some way to make both ends meet"
 Yes, you're right there, MT. Jones Il You're right there. It's got so's body can't do nothing any more but pay out money to keep alive. It just naterly
 wicked the way these profiteers ol whatever you call them has been rob-
 ping the people. And that's just why
 I say that man is right when he tells Il of cyclones to come next fall. The I II lyn n world up, I know he will. Look, wt
 had a warning with that flu epidemic
 last fall and if the people won't heed and it shore looks as though it dont
 them no good-why, the Lord will sent some sort of pestilence on us. And that's jist the way I believe. And yor . just mark me and see if they don come some big storms and cyclone:
 beginning next September"
 "Aw, shucks, Mrs. B. That feliel was full O wind when he said that Now, lookee here. I'll just bet you z !, bushel of my hegari that just planted
 last week. to a peck O them pears or that tree there that we don't get nc extra -awordinary storms next fall" | 'Tts not right to bet, Mir. Jones, an( l so I won't But l know that scientis
 was right"
 7 "All right, if you don't want to bet Let's make a bargain of it. If then } cyclones comes. then I'll give you / bushel of hegari. And if they don l you give me a peck O them pears ? Suit you?"
 | Well, I mayn't have a peck O pear ) left after them winds gets through l You won't have to have them, be cause if the wind comes, you don t pay-I pay. And if the winds don
 come and blow your pears down, thel