Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-12-01

Chinaman, an besides. thats what IL
SAYS on the cases, don't IL. Glib? ORR
entail goods. Scraggs. is silks an satins.
rice, chop suey, punk, an idols an
fan tan layOuts."
III there amt Swiss cheese move
ments In that head block OF yours,
Mac. YOU and Scraggsy can divide my
share O. these two boxes o ginseng
root between you. 10 you get It. you
chuckleheaded son OF n Irish pOtatol
Gin Seng. ia Dupont street Ginseng
IA root or a herb that medicine Is
made out 81. The dictionary says it's
a Chinese panacea for exhaustion. an
l happen 70 know that It's worth i've
dollars a pound an that them two
crates weighs a hundred and nifty
pounds each II they weighs an ounce"
His auditors stared az Mr.. Gibney
much As might a pair OF baseball fans
az the hero OF home run with TWO
strikes and the bases full.
"Gawd." muttered McGufey.
Great grief. Glib Can this be pos
sible:" gaSped Captain Scraggs.
ffty-dollar bin and handed il too
McGufTey. He never trusted Captain
Scraggs with anything more valuable
than a plpeful Of tobacco.
"ScrGggsy." he said solemnly, I'm
wlllin' 70 back my imagination with
NY cash. You an McGutfey hurry
right over 10 the warehouse an butt
in Oh the sale when they come 10 them
two boxes. The sale is just about
Startin' now. Go as high as you thrS,
you can in order 10 get the ginseng az
a profitable fgser. an pay the auc-
tioneer fifty dollars down 10 hold the
sale; that Will give you boys time 20
rush around 70 dig UP the balance o
the money. Tack right along now,
lads, while l 20 down the street an
get nc some breakfast. don't want
Blumenthal 70 see me around that sale.
He mieht get suspicious. After l eat
I'll meet you here aboard Ii Maggie.
an Wen divide the loot"
With a fervent handshake all
around. the three shipmates parted.
After disposing Of n hearty break
fast OF deyilled lambs kidneys and
coffee. Mr. Gibney invested in a ten
cent Sailors Delight and Str0ued down
10 the Maggie. NeilS Halyorsen, the
lone deckhaud. was aboard. .and the
moment Mr.. Gibney trod the Maggie's
deck once more as mate. he
exercised his prerogative 10 order
Neils ashore for the remainder
of the day. Since Halvorsen was not
In on the ginseng deal. Mr.. Gibney
concluded that IL would be just as well
to have him ont or the way should
Scraggs and McGuTey appear unex-
pectedly with the two cases OF gin
seng.
For an hour Mr.. Gibney sat on the
stern bits and ruminated over a few
advantageous plans that had occurred
10 him for the investment OF his share
Of the deal should ScraggS and Nc
Guffey succeed in landing what Mr.
Gibney termed the loot" About eleven
o'clock an express wagon drove in on
the dock. and the mates dreams were
pleasantly interrupted by a gleeful
shout from Captain Scraggs. on the
lookout forward with the driver Nc
Guney sat on top OF the TWO cases
with his legs dangling over the end
of the wagon. lie was the picture Of
contenment.
Mr.. Gibney hurried forward. threw
out the gangpank, and assisted Nc
! GuGev In carrying both crates aboard
the Maggie and into her little cabin.
Captain Scraggs thereupon dismissed
the expresSman. and all three part
ners gathered around the dining room
table. upon which the boxes rested.
well. Scraggsy. old pal. old scout,
old socks. I see you've delivered the
goods" said Mr.. Gibney. batting the
skipper across the cabin with an affec-
tionate slap on the shoulder.
II did" said Scraggs-and cursed
Mr.. Gibney's demonstrativeness.
Here's the bill O. sale all regular.
McGuffey has the change. That bunch
O lsraeliteS run III price up 70 $1,000
each or these two crates o ginseng,
but when they see were determined
10 have EN- an amt interested In
noihin' else. they lets EN- 20 20 Us.
McGuney, my dear boy. whatever are
you a-doin' there-standn' around
with your teeth in your mouth? skip
down into tn engine room and bring
up a hammer an a col chisel. Wen
open her up an inspect tn swag."
Upon McGufrey's return. Mr.. Gibney
took charge. He drove the chisel IN.
der the I'D Of the nearest crate. and
prepared 10 pry II loose. Suddenly
he paused A thought had occurred
10 him.
Gentlemen" he said (McGuffey
nodded his head approyingly), "thiS
world Is full o. sorrers an disappoint
ments, an it may well be that these
two cases don't contain even SO much
as a smell o ginseng after all. Il
may be that they are really Oriental
goods. What | want distinctly under
stood is this: no matter what's inside
we share equally in the profits. ever
II they turn out TO be losses. That:
understood an agreed 10. amt it,"
Captain Scraggs and McGuffey indi
Gated that ii was.
There's a element o. mystery about
those tvvo hnxeS" continued Mr. 9Th