Evening star., 1922-12-03
Y COT FNcER1N HIS TRIGGERS AGAIN. CocKY WAS ON HIM.

figured maybe his faith in that
fool luck piece would pull him
through, an l was glad of that. be-
cause he was a valuable piece of ba Sc
ball property. an on account Of Mary.
too, of course. But at the same time
it made me kind O. sick. There was
something about seem a full-groHn
man with all his will an courage de-
pendent on the possession c. loss of
fool rabbits foot hooked on to an
old twenty-dollar gold piece--that
seemed kind Of awful,
But for once his luck piece failed to
work: that is with anybody but
Cocky. He came out to the field the
next day as full OF pep an hign pur-
poses as ever. perfectly sure that he
was all right again. But he went
right on pullin' away an kind half
duckin' every time anybody threw a
ball at him. But it didn't worry him.
He'd step up to the plate an pull
away from one so far he cou',lr'.
have hit 1t with a telephone pole an
laugh about it an say, Never mind
1
step up an do the same thing right
over again. an laugh some more. lie
was perfectly certain that fool luck
piece of his was goin' to pull him
through. The rest Of US all knew he
was done, but he still had confidence
in his charm-absolute confidence,
what l mean. He knew nothin' bad
could happen to him as long as he
had that luck piece, an he went right
on plannin' for a great career as a
ball player long after the rest of US
had put a lily in his hand an kissed
him goodbye, SO to speak.
IF 1t had been anybody but Cocky
i Lewis, he'd got all the sympathy
in the world, but the gang were glad
enough to see him hit the chutes.
He'd acted SO dog-gone swel!-headed
-cocky is the right word-when he
was goin' good that they were all
glad to see him slip.
His contract run for all that season.
but along late in June the owners
began to talk to me about payin' what
was comm to him an lettin' him
slide. They didn't see any sense in
payin' his carfare around the circuit.
an naturally we couldn't get any
thing for him in a trade. The news
about him was out an there wasn't a
team in the league would have paid
the price of a uniform for him.
I first began to think maybe the
kid wasn't such bad sort of human
bein' after all, when he insisted on
postponin' his weddin' date. Mary
wanted to go through with 1t, but
the kid said no.
I'm goin' to be all right" he says
to me. You can laugh II you want
to. but know what this luck piece
Of mine does for me. I'm goin' to be
all right. an 1 know it! But just
now ball playin' is the only thing I
can get any real dough at, an every
body thinks Tn through. You've all
got me pegged for a dead one. I
know you're wrong, but I'm not goin'
to marry your niece till prove you're
all wrong. She'll wait for me an I
can wait for her until 1 make good
again."
We'll, Cocky," says, II don't like
to be crape-hanger, but I might as
we'll tell you you're through in base
ball. I'm tellin' you this now because
the quicker you find 1t out the sooner
you may quit wastin' time an get
started in some other business. Your
luck piece may work for you again If
you'll start sellin' automobiles, or
insurance. or somethink like that. but
it'll never be any use to you with a
bat in your hand"
II know what you think" he says,
but you're wrong. Just watch me-"
A week later we're in Chicago an
I'm up in a hotel room watchin' a
bunch of the boys playin' a little
stud. when the big stick-up comes
off. Two birds did the trick. They
knocked at the door an one Of 'em
says, "TelegramI"
Red Snider opened the door an the
two OF 'em oozed in. The first guy
had two guns. one in each mitt, an
he spoke his little piece about how
healthy we'd be IL we didn't make no
noise. He lined US up against the
wall an his pal started to frisk US.
None Of the. boys had more than a
few dollars an some small 3ewelry
on, SO we all stood for the frisk with
out maxim any sQuawk until the guy
that was goin' through US got to
Cocky Lewis.
Cocky didn't squeal until tho bird
had gone all through his pockets an
finally falt fnafde of hiR voAt whare
the luck piece was
"well, WELL" says the hold-up guy
who was goin' through him. what
have we here?"
Cocky's face was chalk white an he
was shakin' like q pair of dice in a
nervous crops shooters hand.
That amt worth nothin' to any
body but me-" he says Let me keep
1t, will youf Listen. I'll do anything
for you IL you'll let mo keep that.