Evening star., 1925-01-11
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| his hands decided him. Besides. the
risk was negligible. Betting on
Loony Biddle was like betting on the
probabl rise Of the run in the east.
"Right-o" he said. make it so,
old friend"
Archie walked back to the Cosmop-
oils. He hummed as he crossed to
the cigar stand. The girl behind the
counter welcomed him with a bright
smile.
TITS great day. Mr.. Moffam."
zone of the brightest and best"
agreed Archie. Gould you dig me
cut two or possibly three cigarettes
of the usual description? I shall
want something to cmoke at the
game"
You going to the ball gamer"
Rather! Wouldn't miss It for q
fortune"
Say, you're getting to be quite the
fan-aIn't you, now?"
Wouldn't miss it," repeated Archie
earnestly, for a bally fortune"
"No?"
Absolutely no. Not with jolly old
Biddle pitching"
The girl laughed
"Is he pitching this afternoon?
Say, that fellers nut! D'you know
him?"
know him?' Well. i've seen him
pitch and so FORTH
I've got girl friend who's en-
gagged to him"
II say, that's frightfully interest
ing"
ITS funny about that guy" said
the cigar stand girl. He's a nut.
He's crazy about m'girl friend,
y'know, and whenever they have a
fuss 1t seems like he sort OF flies
right off the handle"
Goes IN OFF the deep end, eh?"
Yes, siri Why, the last time him
and mgirl friend got to scrapping
was when he was going off to Pitts
burgh to play In that series about a
month ago. Well, m'girl friends got
q nice disposition, but she en- get
mad, and she just left him hat and
told him all was over. And he went
off to Pittsburgh, and when he started
to pitch the opening game he just
couldn't keep his mind on his job
and look what them assassins done
to him.
So this was the explanation OF that
mysterious disaster, that weird trag-
edy which had puzzled the sporting
press from coast TO coast.
Good Heavens! Is he often like
that?"
'Oh, he's all right when he hasn't
had fuss with m'girl friend" said
the cigar stand girl.
'Yes-but l say! What I mean to
say, You know-are they pretty polly
now?"
"Oh. 1 guess everything's nice and
smooth just now. l seen m'girl friend
yesterday, and Gus was taking her to
the movies last night. So 1 guess
everything's nice and smooth"
X Il
ENCOURAGED, Archie lunched with
an untroubled mind. He then
proceeded to the lobby. He observed
that at the cigar stand, which ad-
Joined the coat and hat alcove, his
friend behind the counter had become
engaged in conversation with another
girl.
This was determined looking
young woman in a blue dress and a
large hat of a flowery species. Archie
happening to attract her attention,
she gave him a glance out OF a pair
of fine brown eyes. Then, as IL she
did not think much of him, turned to
her companion and resumed their
conversation. which. being OF an es-
sentially private and intimate nature,
she conducted in a ringing soprano
which penetrated into every corner
of the lobby
Right from the start I seen he
was in ugly mood. You know how
he gets, dearie. Chewing his upper
lip and looking at you as If you were
so much dirt beneath his feet. How
was l to know he'd been shooting
craps and had lost $15.55? And, any
way, I don't see where he gets a
license to work off his grouches on
me. And told him so. I said to him.
Gus I said, IF you can't be bright
and smiling and cheerful when you
take me out. why do you call around
at alp 1 said. Was I wrong or right,
eearie?"
The girl behind the counter heartily
Endorsed her conduct.
What happened then, honey?s
We'll. after that We went 60 the
movies"
Archie started convulsively. A mon
strous suspicion had begun to take
root in his mind.
We'll. we got good back seats, but
we'll, you know how it is, once things
of mine, the one with the daisies and
cherries and the feather. I'd taken IL
off and give 1t to him to hold when
we went in, and what do you think
that felPr done? Put 1t on the floor
and crammed 1t under the seat, just to
save himself the trouble of holding II
on his lap. And when I called him
down, all he said was that he was
pitcher and not hatstand."
Archie was paralyzed. His whole
being was concentrated on this fright
full tragedy which had burst upon him
like a tidal wave. No possible room
for doubt remained. Gus" was the
only Gus in New York that mattered,
SiIN