New-York tribune., 1922-10-08
81 CON GAME
,OSE-JJP
Continued from pccs t'oo)

Continued from f'0Ve ssoV/
q. As;f in dream, he hears the
s' .xe,aiming that he has chosen the righs
p1s h,s wan $4,000 "Mr. Studebaker'
s. ,sor ss 900 and the Texan IS 'c'eaned'
-. Tsvan who never deviates from has
game snort, merely laughs at his
~ ard dives into the grip for the
- 80 ue brings it up--double-handfuls Of
.a,, of greenbacks and yeliowoaeks
''. a,.,, !, .he mases 81 delightful dream,
0..A go. I'll sis new wealth held toward
g. ~ u is about e be put into his lap.
m = !. $4,000 ahsad-all on the turn Of card
as = 80. ...sx. money Il to come from the other
& s--a''o '''0 ~ the farm is sold. 1t is his
lucky day.
s..;s - Ian the Texan pauses.
Saln srssp Il ! minute he observes. I'm willin'
lsa ..,o,,ch with this all right. You've won
\. = = . ..arev from me, and I'll pay it over to
VI - - vou. but what want to know is, Could
" " .,.r have paid me if you had lost? All
" V. !. to see the color of $4,000 from one of
rs end g. 900 from the other, to prove that
was playin with men who was responsible
financially. , r
.sTbat,s fair enough" observes "Mr. Stude-
..Lsrn aII have to go over to town and get
| &. money from my sister at the hotel"
= n. fsrmer rouses himself and clears his
shrost and says
aAnd I'll go over to the bank ana draw out
n ~
/ four thousand :. -.
Tia Texan says he will wait for them to
vo,. back, and the farmer and "Mr. Stude-
haksrs drive to town. 1t is an anxious period
& eating for the confidence man who is left
slime on the country road. Will the farmer
| ,oms back with the money or with deputy
.heriff! These are questions which have as
..lled me many times, in my role as the guile
,s,s hut insistent Texan. Many things might
4 intervene. The victim might get suspicious,
i u thirkinp things over-though "Mr. Stude-
t.ksrn keeps the conversation going so the
farmer will have little chance to think--or,
thief danger of all, some overly-curious bank
oA6cial might want to know why Mr.. Farmer
was drawing out SO much money all in lump.
But as q rule, if the farmer was sent to the
country bank for his money the rest Of the
game worked according to schedule. On ar
rival in town it became necessary for mt.
l Studebaker" to leave the farmer for the first
and only time in the play. mr.. Studebaker'
must 20 to the hotel and get his sisters money,
7 10 show the man from Texas. But our third
man always picked up the play here. He
traled the farmer into the bank. If anything
wen. wrong the third man stepped to the bank
door and signaled and my partner knew that
lt-s. he v,io olnI nm
u we would hurriedly depart for better
M
BIT "Mr Studebaker' and the farmer gen
nuy would drive back together, and knew
: tilt everything was all right. Triumphantly
tie farmer would count over his $4,000
4Ai right mister" I would say, you've
4 shown me that you could have paid If you
had lost. I'm ready to pay you what you've
won. But how about this other mani"
Here "Mr. Studebaker" would explain that
he was about 5000 shy of his $4,000 total. He
had brought along $4,000, thinking that the
mere difference of $500 would not be vital.
y dent like to be mean about this thing
he would say, "but l believe in payin' all
games accordin' to the exact rules. We've
agreed that, before pay over what I've los'
to you men, both of you must show me thai
you could have paid if you had lost. But no"
this man indicating the shamefaced "Mr
/ studebakerao is shy $780,
\ well, guess we'll have to wait till car
I get word from my bankers in Chicago" says
4 Mr.. Studebaker." 'It's sort of late in the
day now, and / can't have the money here
81 until morning"
But the Texan proved to be stubborn man
Then bright idea comes to "Mr. Studc
Mer He suggests that all the money b
MIN tin box, which he brings forth. TIL
Mwili be handed over to the farmer. to keel
a nh morning, when "Mr. Studebaker" vii
IL Aeve his 5000 from Chicago and the bet
n na then be paid.
The Texan agrees and then says, as al
lhrthought:
Well, how about the key? You'll let m
asp that, won't you, if this man is to keel
) ae nox with all the money in it?"
N such suggestion seems fair enough Th
money is put in the tin box-the farmer
money and the thousands of the Texan an
NJ. Studebaker.'
/ Then, while the farmers attention is al
/ aacted by sudden question, artfully plante
i TIE Texan, "Mr Studebaker," by an adroi
y " Of sleight-of-hand which has been prae
/ sua many times, substitutes the other tin boz
sa'ch has been behind the curtain under tn