Evening star., 1923-02-25

Then, listen. This sucker that
I've got in tow
Lou was sure q swell little WON.
an" Sweetie Papa broke in. she
sure was, Blackie. The only trouble
with you was that you didn't appre-
ciate her. Now
But who's talking about Lou? l
amt. I don't care nothing about her
and l never did. What l was saying
was that this sucker"
That's just II. Blackie. You never
cared anything about her and you
never appreciated her. Lou was sure
too fine a woman to be hooked up
with a grifter like you--one thatd
even turn his friend for a piece OF
change"
Who ever turned a friend"
"Oh, I'm not mentioning any
names But 1t seems to me that l
remember a fellow like you coming
TO me in Salt Lake and putting up
just the same sort OF stall that
you're trying to slip over today-all
part with some real money. If
remember right, Just about thu time
everything got to going good, there
was a fight In front of the ktdshow
that somebody or other'd arranged.
and while I'm out Strengthening II
up, somebody switched the cards in
the faro box. and come back TO get
trimmed for 10000 bucks by this
poor, simple sucker who'd been tout
ed up to me as not knowing one
card from another. And then-just
correct me if I'm wrong-then this
good friend OF mine that Tdf,gotten
out OF Jail more times than once and
talked my fool head OF trying to
make him appreciate a good wife who
wanted TO make a gentleman out of
him, instead OF petty larceny
cheap skate--as I say. this good
friend ups and trims his confeder-
ate. cops the whole thirty thousand
and blows town and the circus busi-
ness and everything else. or course.
Blackie. I wouldn't mention names
for a million dollars, but some way
or other. when met the kid the
other day and she told me what q
bum her father was. we'll. you know
how !t is-a person always likes to
have somebody else Ginning In with
'em when they're telling their
troubles"
X 4 y X
DLAcKB1RD JORDAN swallowed
- for lack Of anything else to do.
Then, for a moment, he became al
most interested In his offspring.
What kind Of looking Jane is
she, Jimmy2"
who, the kid? She's grown now,
you know; looks tust like her
mother"
"Honest?''
Sure. She's a fine girl. Janice is.
a pippin. Honest, I never saw any
thing like II. Blackie--the way she
takes after her mother. She ain't got
q single trait Of yours, Blackie.''
"IIumph!"
Honest. You wouldn't think It
now, would you? I was sure proud
Of her mother when looked at her"
The eyes of Bla,okbir,l Jordan mar
rowed. The jibes had gotten beneath
his skin. But there an armor mot
them. DETECTING them. an armor
built Of anticipation, and the lines OF
! anger gave way to a grin.
still the same old kidder, amt
you, Jimmy2 But let's cut out this
. post-mortem stun. Maybe / done you
; dirt. It always seemed to me It was
straight and fair. A critters in the
game to gyp other people and to
keep 'ern from gypping him. II he
falls for q frame. up. that's his own
fault. That's the way look at f.
It's just the same as this here finesse
that they talk about In card games
That's oil It is--just flnesse."
GOOD word. that finesse, whatever
| It means"
well, It's straight stun, anyway. I,
means to get the other guy first
and that's always been my watchword
I trimmed you and / trimmed YOU
quick and pretty. and I had enough
sense to pull out Of the show game
before you could rig up something on
me and trim me back again. That'f
all. Seems to me you'd recognise
genius and not go around all the res,
Of your life playing sorehead."
'who. me?" Swsetie Papa looked ur
at Blaokbird with childish blue eyes
I'm not playing the sorehead. I'm
just playing sAfe---that's all. I don''
want to get trimmed again.
"But who's-- sz
AREN'T you just trying to pull thu
same old racket On met Aren't yoS