The Bismarck tribune., 1922-11-28

~ saw everything that was goin
through him, same as if you'd rolled
lit out on the picture-reel.
"The 'old friend, no manners, daril
the difference stuff, had hooked
him. And there were two other
hooks; this girl had some property
that he didn't know of, and the
friends of the family, like me, was
a-coming to him about it. t<.
He set up now pleasant as you
please.
"'Ah-er, yes,'" he says; he
hadn't got the name was playing
under.
II beloved at him, an he mighty
near Jumped.
"Johnson!'1 said. 'Alonzo John
son. Kansas City!" , .
"Quite so, Mr.. Johnson, he says,
quick, safe as you'd apologize,
there's some business affair to dis
cuss, I :'auncy?
"Hc fell right in with the line Of
dope mighty easy and comfortable.
You see it was something like the
way they do things up in his coun-
try. The .old uncle or the family
lawyer calls on you, when ma thinks
that things are pretty we'll under.
stood with the young people, and
gifts down to figgerin'.
"It was near enough to my line
to go across with him. He knew
that the girl hadn't got any men
folk, so an old friend of the family
would fit the form as sort of next
of-kin, as the law-books say"
The big man linked his fingers to-
gether on the chair-arm.
"As l was sayin', he walked right
in and made himself at home with
the notion. He called her Carrots
straight back at me; it was, kiss
her pap; she's our'n now,' and he
begun to grin.
"He bounced up and got BOX of
cigars and little dish full Of
matches and showed them across the
table. l took one. bit the end off,
scratched the match on my foot,
lighted it. and went ahead.
"'It's the butt end of what she's
GOT I says, AN it's in the door,"
"He knew all about business, and
he picked the things right out.
"'You mean,' he says, that her
solicitor has invested her fortune in
q stock on margin and the market
is declining?
"'You got it, says, only she
done it herself, on some tip from
her. swell friends
""How extraordinary he ypiped;
his voice got thin when it hit money.
is it a legitimate atock?'
"'Sure,' answered, 'one of the
six good ones.' didn't know how
manv good ones there was.
"'Why does it decline" His voice
went up like singing-school.
"'The steel bunch are clubbing it!
I says.
"He understood that, and began
to finger around his little wax mus
tache. e
"'Quite so,' he cheeped, quite So
Then he squared toward me.
"'Ah-er, Mr.. Johnson he says.
I fauncy you came with some plan
about it.
plan nothin', says; the stuff's
got to be covered-they'll git it beat
under her figger in another days
poundin'.' H.
"'Ah-er-quite so,' he was' cool
as a julep; you are intending, I
fauncy, to cover the margin?'
~ leaned over the cable and blew
a mouthful of smoke on him.
Sure! I roared in his face, If I
can get fifty thousand dollars quick
"He ducked out of the smoke.
That's very large sum of
he says.
II lolled over the table an smoked
on him like Dutch uncle.
Big money! l gurgled it, like "a
man choking on a laugh. DO you
know how much Carrots has got
hanging on it?'
"He didn't answer that; I knew he
wouldn't.
Where, precisely, do you expect
to get this money! he says.
II set up more calm-like at that.
We'll, I says, 4 thought maybe
we could raise it together
"He wanted that fake fortune
saved for him, so it would come
along with the girl, but he wanted
somebody else to carry the chance.
II knew it, and smoked on him.
I hung over the table and puffed it
in his face. H tried to duck out Of
it, and l followed him around. 1t
done me good couldn't spit on the
little: tightwad.
"'Now, look here, Mr.. Westridge,'
I says, don't you git wrong notion
in your head; I'm not agoin' to let
you take any risk on this. I'm
agoin' to take the risk; there amt
none, in fact; the stuff's got to
bounce back. It'll 60 to the sky
when the steel bunch get all they
can grab of it. But whatever risk
there may be, 4 sputtered it out On
him, lis mine. I'll put up the back
ing an you git me the money by
tomorrow at noon.' was nearly
across the table, an l didn't wait for
him to cut in with question. took
a big envelope out of my pocket and
flashed the etuff on him. He came
up with chirp.
".My word!' he says, where did
you get this?'
"Well,' l answered, Tondon's
hie se]lirg-roin+ with us-you can't
trade with the English and not take