The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-01-01
PART II. ,t1 !
A Christmas Story about Sam o..
Hcarn's Unexpected Present '
for His Father. -
PART IL.

Tor MS fdtheT.
It was the night Of the Column
bia,Parker basketball game. Sam
OHearn, in his basketball toys,
stood leaning against a locker In
the gymnasium of Columbia high,
where the game was to be played,
deep in thought. He was thinking
OF the agreement he had made with
Pinky Pinkerton of Parker several
nights before. Had he done right
in promising Pinky he would
throw" the game to Parker for
twenty-five dollars. just to favor
some of those crafty betting Parker
students? Somehow he felt guilty
OF having committed a great wrong.
Nonsense" he tried to tell HIM
self, Il haven't done anything l
shouldn't" but this thought had
little effect. He still felt guilty.
Better hurry out on the floor
and get a little practice before
we commence, Sam" 1t was the
voice of Mr.. Parks, the Columbia
coach. Sam stirred himself from
his deep meditation. He looked
up. Mr.. Parks stood in front of
him staring hard at him. Some
thing wrong, SAM"
Sans eyes fell. He couldn't
force himself to look the coach
squarely in the eye. It was that
internal guilty feeling.
"Naw--no, sir" replied Sam,
and with a couple Of words OF ad-
vice from the coach on how to get
the Jump on the Parker center,
Sam strobe slowly and thoughtfully
through the swinging door and
onto the floor of the big gymna-
SUM where already the other men
of Columbia were practicing.
Sam saw that the balcony of the
gymnasium was crowded to over.
flowing with eager spectators,
Leaning far over the railing of
the balcony Sam saw Peggy Hart
man with host of her girl friends
She waved. Sam waved back.
Father back in the crowd Sam
saw his old pal, Jimmy Perkins
good old Jim. Jim yelled a ter
rifle war cry to Sam. Sam waved
and smiled.
Somehow the feeling of guilt
sdrged through him with greater
force. What = oh, what would
they say If they ever found out?
And they might-there was a
chance of it.
Columbia high had finished her
preliminary practice. Parker had
taken hers. The referee was STEP
ping out from the locker room,
whistle in hand. The game was
about to start.
Sam O'Hearn had returned to
the locker room. He was in a
quandary. He was positive now
that he wasn't doing the right
thing to take that filthy money
from Parker's betting crowd.
And I'm not going to do it,"
Sans lips compressed in straight
line. His jaw frightened.
He hurried to his locker. TAX
ing from it his big brown dressing
gown. he threw it over his shout
ders. Then with quick stride he
dashed up the circular stairway
and onto the balcony OF the gym
nasium. Getting his bearings. his
quick eye hunted out Pinky Pin
kerton and his group of bolster
GUS followers. He wormed his way
quickly through the crowd to where
they were.
"Pinkerton," he called.
Pinky turned, looking GROSSLY and
questioningly. What d'you want
now?" .....
I'm here to tell you that / am
not going to take your money and
l am not going to throw the game
to Parker" With these words.
sharp and pointed, Sam quickly
turned, leaving the startled Pinky
staring open-mouthed after him,
and made his way back to the
locker room. How much better he
felt! Il am going to play harder
than even in this game" Sam told
himself. He did. -.
Well, Columbia won.
Sam, feeling light of heart and
happy. hurried home through the