Evening star., 1923-02-25
he saw two figures approaching.
"All right, Monte. Start EN- up"
K 4 II

he saw two figures approaching.
"All right, Monte. Start 'em up"
THREE CARD faded past the bally-
i hoo stand. The figures came
closer, Blackbird Jordan pointing out
the banners behind the ticket sellers
and going through all the set formu-
las Of the regulation gambling cap
per, while beside him a fiashily dress
ed young man talked in animated.
know-it-aU style. and allowed him
self to be led onward. Sweetie Papa
ducked into the sideshow, scooted
around the minstrel show, dived un-
der a piece OF sidewall. and then.
other shillibers, or cappers, beside
him. moved forward, took his place
! at the knock down pins" and began
a droning conversation.
I'm here to lose, you're here to
win. Easy to play. nothing to learn.
nothing to deceive. Knock down the
little pins, boys, and count 'em up.
Every winning number brings you
Ave to one. Five for one, everybody.
You lose little and win big-knock
'em down. boys, knock 'em down"
Saying which, he knocked down the
pins, counted the numbers OF the
painted squares into which their
heads fell, then with pull on lever
set the pins up again.
Every time they're Knocked down
somebody wins!" came his droning
voice again. Here you are-try your
luck-try your luck"
Three-Card Monte drew a bill from
his pocket and placed IL on the board.
Blackbird Jordan and the fiashily
dressed young man had just come
under the sidewall. Sweetie Papa
looked inQuiringly around.
Anybody else now? Odd numbers
for one, and you can have Ave num-
! bsrs. What's fairer, what's easier,
| what's simpler7 Lay your bets. gem
tlenen, lay your bets"
One after the other the shillibers
placed their money on the table. The
pins were knocked down. In stream
| ing sequence. Sweetie counted:
Sixteen - eighteen - forty three -
| ffty-nine-sixty-on Sixty-one and
| odd The odd wins. Who bet on the
| odd-oh, yes. right here"
And I had sixty-one!"
"Sixty-one pays"' Sweetie Papa
passed out the money. "Sixty-one wins
and"
Ever play for real money!"
Sweetie Papa looked up sharply. The
questioner was the flashy young man,
and he was reaching into a pocket.
The circus owner stared
Depends what you cal, real money!
! "Tve got a hundred that says can
| Guess EN-
1--WE 30. more than that to say you
| can't. Put upr'
How about Ave hundred, as a
| teaser7'
"Just a. you please"
"And four hundred more to make it
. ehousandr'
| "lts your samer'
KNOCK 'en down" The young man
had placed his bets on the table. A
sweep OF the arm and Sweetie had
nattened tho pins. Again ne started
to count:
"Five--nine--"
"Forty three. I wini"
T>HE addition had come almost be-
i fore Sweetfe could look at the
squares into which the pins had
fallen. He stared suddenly at Black
bird Jordan and gasped. It Is part Of
the pin game to outcount the sucker
to add UP the numbers SO swiftly that
he has no chance to see whether the
gamekeeper 10 right or wrong, then to
sweep the pins back into position be-
fore the total can be verified. But thi.
time the stranger had done the out
counting, even before sweetie Papa
had gotten . good start! What was
more, the stranger had been correct
SwAstis Papa paid. and Swestie Papa
watched the placing OF another bet
Then, quite deliberately. he knocked
the pins into the section of the board
1 having the largest numbers Of all
And again he had begun to count:
"Fourteen-twenty-e eight"
"Ninety-four!" had come the Ia
comic interruption. PAY me-"
Again Sweetie Papa looked at the
Guiping Blackbird. and there was
venom In his glance. The CRATER ran
. finger under his COLLAR ana moved
hastily forward.
n don't like this game" he ours.
Tout, 'Iet'e try.