Evening star., 1923-02-25
Presenting Some Evidence That Even
the Shrewd May Be Fleeced Sometimes
by the Professional Sure Thing Man

. great deal He didn't look like the
name, didn't act like Il, wasn't a
papa; dressed IN the quiet. business
i!ke style which is Supposed to be
entirely foreign to circus grafters.
and At times could be exceedingly
sour. TO wit. al,ghting from his pri-
vate car and standing moment on
the bottom step IN contemplative dis
gust az ne surveyed the railroad ap-
proaches to the metropolis of Blue
Ridge, Ohio. meanwhile waiting un-
III Bart Edwards. the fixer, should
approach TO very private converse.
ton
The fxer was tail and we'll built
and dressed In - manner which gave
the impression that he might own Il
circus His tob consisted OF the task
OF persuading city councils to admit
that when a man tries to get some-
thing for nothing and loses. he IN
reality Is not gambling. II also In
cluded the vocation % inducing Jus
tices OF the peace to take one-day
vacation on circus dates. buying new
hats for sher!ffs. accepting liability
in attachment suits. restoring lost.
bauling children to wild-eyed moth
ers; reducing license fees, settling the
damages of the Inevitable runaway
and other duties demanding the pres
snce OF some one conspicuous, some
one who could be pointed out, found
s.t any moment. easily identified and
OF Il type distinctive.
SYeette Papa looked as X he might
run a respectable neighborhood cash
and carry or own 4 last years auto
mobile His eyes were mild and blue
and retreating in their gaze; his man
ner was innately apologetic; his
clothing OF that cut which tailors
make for men who have ceased look
ing for Jobs. Sweetie Papa owned
the show and he owned Bart Ed
wards And more, he owned the
brains which allowed q grating or
ganization. carrying all those mild
educational devices such as the "big
Joint" the old. familiar, three shells.
the Cologne joint" with It's Capital
cash county advertising prize" the
"knoci down pins" the faro box.
"oLea-y's Belt" and a number of
other "stores' OF !ncorsp!cuous but
highly lucrative returns. TO operate
as family circus. with an excellent
name fo- truth. quietude. uprightness
and satisfying performance. Sweetie
Papa's circus was all that one could
desire from a point OF morality,
cleanliness and safety for the casual
observer. but for the man whose
blood ran red hot and who thought
he knew more about a roulette wheel
than the fellow who only that morn
:ng had tested the batteries-weu.
that was q different matter. All Of
which had = bearing upon the lugu-
hrious expression OF Fixer Bart as he
cane forward and grasped at the
brass rail Of the private car steps.
Thought I'd better tip off Three
Card Monte 20 tell the crowd at the
,ot 70 stay under cover unless you
passed 'em the office" he began. You
had the dope"
CwEETIE PAPA studied an iri-
y descent ray from the diamond on
his left hand. with mild. harassed
eyes.
"Didnt even try TO fix, huh?"
me? No, ! laid OF like a section
hand on a holiday. It's his town, all
right"
"Biackoirds?"
yep. Owns the biggest bank, the
livery stable. two garages. the city
council and the police department,
three farms Just outside town, con-
trolls the politics and"
"All on my money!! said Sweet!e
Papa. "How is he as . person these
daysT
"Tighter'n a warped window"
Same old Blackbird. then7"
Worse Lends money at 10 per
cent interest and sits up all night to
foreciose the mortgage. Got more
CRAFTS around town than a fish has
eggs II we'd ever start the pr'vi-
leges here. we'd pay out more in petty
souawks and shakedowns than we We
taken in for the whole season. l
didn't even try to cut the license. I'VE
rented lots on all four sides af US so
some bird can't sashy in with an at
tachment suit because we walked over
tho ground. Blackbird'd be behind It.
framing the whole thing up on fifty
nifty basis. We're in bad baby. this
town. and I'm laying low and saying
nothing. O. K.?'
Sure Get back to the lot and tell
the gang TO keep all the stores closed
unless 1 pass the word"
Sveetie Papa turned back into his
private car to an hours dictation on
routine circus business. then slowly
made his way through the railroad
Yards to the streets which led to the
downtown district.
There. den1ure, inconaequential
ngure In the midst OF the gathering
parade crowd, ne stood for long
time on the main corner, studying
with q mild. interested gaze, the let
tering which proclaimed Blue Ridges
most important bank. and, almost
boyishly. watching the busy activi-
ties Of the giass-inclosed money CEN
ter. at last 20 turn at a pinch on his
arm. It was Bart Edwards, the fixer.
Here's q funny hunch" came ex-
citedly. They've cut the reader"
"cut it? How?"
Can't prove Il by me. All I know
is that about q half hour ago the
license clerk comes buzzing out TO the
lot and looked me up. Asked me II
ia 60 down to the city hall with him
for @ minute. When got there he
hands me back u century note and
tells me tha. good friend Of ours
in town here had pointed out the fact
that q circus right at this time was