Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12

"It was an article about Tod Bling
ham, saying what a good chap he was
in private life and how he always sent
a telegram to his old mother after
each fight and gave her half the
purse. There were tears in that
chump Billsons eyes as he showed me
the article. Must be a nice Teller" be
said. Well, ask you. l mean to say
it's a bit thick when the man you've
been pouring out money for and
watching over like q baby sister starts
getting sorry for n champion three
days before he's due to fight him.
champion. mark you. i saw the only
way of counteracting this pernicious
stuff was to get him so mad with Tod
Bingham that he would forget all
about his old mother, so l suddenly
thought: Why not get Flossie to pre-
tend that Bingham had cut him out
with her? Well, it's not the sort Of
thing you can ask a girl to do with
out preparing the ground n bit. so |
brought her along to Tuppy's dinner.
1t was n master stroke. laddie. There's
nothing softens the deicately nur-
tured like good dinner. and there's
no denying that old Tuppy did us well.
She agreed the moment ! put the
thing to her and sat down and wrote
that letter. ] think she thinks it's all
hearted girl"
'Must be-
It'll give poor old BilsOn a bit of
a jar for the time being, I suppose.
but it'll make him spread himself on
Saturday night, and bell be perfectly
happy on Sunday morning when she
tells him she didn't mean it and he
realizes that he's got n hundred quid
of Tod Bingham's in his trousers
pocket"
Il thought you said it was 200 quid
that Bingham was Offering"
II get hundred said Ckridge.
dreamily.
THE only flaw is the letter doesn't
give the other mans name. How is
Billson to know It's Tod BinGham?'
why. ladd!e. do use your intelli-
gence. Bilson isn't going to sit AMI
yawn when ne gets thar letter. He'll
buzz straight down To bennington
and ask tlossie.,''
And then she VIII give the whole
thing away"
NO she wont. slipped her q
couple OF Quid to promise she
wouldn't. And that reminds me, old
man. it has left me a hit short. so if
you could possibly manage
Good night" | said.
But, laddie--"
<Ai'A pICHo N't' di'Nie'i,
x x
I1iE ShOreditch Empire is a roomy
house. but it was crowded to the
doors when | reached il on the Satur-
day night.
A stout man in evening dress step
ped out from the wings
Ladies' and gentlemen"
A voice. Good ole Tod cCheese
it,
Ladies' and gentlemen" repeated
the announcer. Deeply regret to an
nounce. Tod Bingham unfortunately
unable to appear before you tonight
howl like the howl of wolves balk-
ed of their prey greeted these words
"Wot's the matter with imp" de-
manded the gallery hoarsely.
The announcer sided uneasily to-
ward the prompt entrance.
&c as 'ad an unfortunate AZ.
cident." he declared. ION is way
ere TO this all e was unfortunately
run into by a truck, sustaining
bruises and Commissions which render
i'm unfortunately unable to appear
before you tonight. Ladies and gen
tlemen,' concluded the announcer.
stepping nimbly off the stage. II
thank YOU one and all"
i withdrew, and the audience started
knot of Shoreditch's younger ser
were hanging on the lips of an excited
orator In a battered hat and trousers
which had been made for a larger
man. Some stirring tale which he
was telling held them spelbOuno
Words came raggedly through the
noise of the traffic.
like this. Then e its i'm
another like that. Then they start
on the side of the jOr-''
Pass along, there" interrupted an
official voice. Come on, there, pass
along"
The crowd thinned and resolved IT.
self into its elements ! found my
self moving down the street in COM
pany with the wearer Of the battered
hat. He enrolled me at once as a
nucleus for fresh audience.
f comes up, this bloke does. just
as Tod is goin' in at the stage
door"
TODD" I queried.
Tod Bingham. e comes up Just
as 'e's gOin' in at the stage door,
and e says, Ere" and Tod saws
EN- up" and Tod SAYS Put wot up?'
and this blOke says Yer hands and
Tod says 'Wot. me?'-sort Of sur
prised. An the next minute they're
hghtin' all over the shop"
But surely Tod Bingham was run
over by a truck"
The man in the battered hat sur
veyed me with scorn.
Truck. f wasn't run over by no
truck. Wot 'ud e be dom bein' run
over by a truck? f 'ad it put across
i'm by this red 'eaded bloke, same
as I'm tellin' yer"
great light shone upon me.
Red headed?" 1 cried.
"Yus."
"A big MANI"
"Yus"
And he put 1t across Tod Bing
ham,"
Put it across i'm proper. 'Ad 10
go 'ome in a keb. Tod did. Funny
bloke. that could fight like that bloke
could fight admit the sense 10 20 and
do it on the stage and get some
money for 1t. That's wot think
Across the street an arc-lamp shed
its cold rays. And into it's glare there
strobe a man draped in yellow d.
macintosh. The light cleaned on
his pincenez and lent a gruesome pal.
Tor to his set face. 1t was Ckridee
retreating from Moscow
Others" / said. ARE thinking the
same
And l hurried across the road TO adj
minister what feeble consolation
might. There are moments when q
fellow needs q friend