The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1925-12-31
1T WAS
THE KIDS
GAME
By WHITNEY PAYNE
90 by Snort stoY-S6b.op.)

l. place In northern Michigan
- was the etfeat unique. Each
fall. after tho close Of the rae.
ing season, the SAME CROWD of i'm.
maculate. cold-eyed ~-obookmakers
fiashy bejeweled owners, and certain
OF the more prosperous followers, with
here and there portly, genial chap
from the racing towns, came up to
take Tins cure as an antidote for
the rigors Of the past season at La
tonia and to get an idea for the COM
ing winter campaign at Havana or
New Orleans. BY day they sat on
Tins cool, deep porch overlooking
the lake and talked horse. At night
the bachelors and certain Of the
hothers who could escape the "Missus"
sat tense and quiet until dawn over
no-limit games.
Tim and the first arrival of the
season, young stranger bringing the
necessary credentials for admittance
to Tins, were sitting on the veranda.
The young man looked up from the
paper he was reading. swell, I see
they've landed a couple more Of these
con men down in Cinncy-pretty slick
pair from what 1t says here. Don't
look like crooks, either, do they?'' he
asked, handing the paper to Tim.
Tim took the paper and glanced
idly at the pictures of the two crooks
one young man of likable looks,
the other, somewhat older, looked like
prosperous meet them as they
come" drummer.
YES" Tim answered, "I sees this
write-up this mornin'; it took heap
Of load off my mind, too. I got right
chummy with these guys once"
The young man looked up, about
to ask a question, when Tim ex-
ploded angrily:
1T certainly makes me peevish
when some gay little bee passes me
his singer an then buzzes Off without
putting me Jerry as to how he done
it."
did these fellows get to your" the
young man asked humbly.
did they? They got to me and
stayed some time before they left, and
I never knew how they put it over
on me till reads this big spiel about
EN-"
''They must be pretty slippery" the
young man ventured.
you're right, they're slippery, an
I know several guys who'd like to
slide on 'em-but I'll tell you about
it; it's too good to keep"
His cigar Lit to his satisfaction,
Tim began:
''Y' see, makes 1t rule to let no
strangers in, just the same old bunch,
SO when any new guy blows in I hangs
out the HSO sign for him unless he's
friend of the bunch. Well, last fall a
young fellow, this bloke," pointing to
the younger of the two men In the
picture, drops off the bus one day
after the gangs all here. Nobody
waves the Welcome to Our City ban
ner at him, so l dopes him out for a
ringer and passes him the not-a-bed-
left line of bunk. Well, sir, he shows
me letter from Andy Andrews-you
know Andy, best old top in the game
-introducin' him. Andy bein' friend
Of Our'n l thaws out an makes the
kid welcome. The bunch took a shine
to him from the flag, an the DANES
on the level, he had 'em all on his
list before night-it makes hit with
the spliced boys, cause their wives
didn't have time to nag 'em, they were
so busy pettin' Jimmie; Jimmie Tag
ney-that's the label he worked under.
Well, after a couple O. days, Jimmie
comes up to me with a innocent Papa,
give me penny look an says he
hears there's game goin' on, an
can he sit in? 1t happens that Spike
Denton's wife goes nuttier n usual
about then an keeps Spike out every
evenin' rowin' around the lake with
dinky lantern tryin' to break the
law an spear that overweight pickerel
somebody almost caught in 81, so we
let's the kid sit in our game to fill out.
On the square, felt sorry for the
sucker. He plays a fair hand-tells
us that he was the rah, rah little
poker player in college-but you've
got to play more'n a fair hand If you
keep your pants with that crew-all
on tn level, you know, but they played
tn game before the kid learned tn
grand game Of or Madam then his
luck was putrid, never helped his
hand. Well, sir, he played five nights
and was about 5000 crispos to the
worse. l has talk with him then
tells him to stick to the penny-ante
game an the ladies, but he says nix
says he has a bunch that he's due fol
a KILN. 1 argues and DULLES him. but
he finally pulls out roll about the
size of good, healthy cannon and
says, What the HI, Tim, can't mar
spend his money the ways he wants
tor-a regular nursery sports line Of
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