Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03

boys, an two mo- whut got run out UniOntOwn
yestiddy."
"Tomorrer US finishes up-puts out all de
rest desc numbers at two bits apiece" recapitu-
lated Latham cheerfully. "An' Samson Bates
still lookin' to Gladstone TO- de rent. Samson
tell me he own SET he CANT talk to nobody but
de head man when de rent git behime. OATS
Gladstone. Gladstone pay de bills Samson
done toll him dat too"
Oats de ideal" approved Mr.. Toombs.
Never seed a boy Parn Eastern you. You
amt never gwine git rich payin' mother mig
gers debts. If Samson staht out to collect
from Gladstone, let him do hit. An, like
says, Fewer de splitters, de bigger de split"
Amt hit sol" agreed Latham. Gladstone
ought paid dat rent befo' now. Sho git him
in trouble, all time standin' off de landlawd."
Morning but proved the correctness of Mr..
Toombs prophecy. The country Negroes
hadn't even started coming in until now. The
remaining tickets began to go with rush.
Which induced in Mr.. Toombs a touch of mel
ancholia founded on the discovery that there
had been most distressing lack OF foresight
on his part. He had sadly underestimate the
capacity of colored Demopolis and environs to
absorb tickets With Lathams speeding pencil
all but developing hot-box as he wrote the
names Of purchasers, 1t became apparent that
the worthy pair could have sold far more than
they had had printed
'whar I come from las had to run a niger
git money out of him! mourned Mr.. Toombs.
Down heah dey fetch hit to you-an' Us
amt print 'nough tickets!"
Hits de iscursion money" painted Latham,
chewing his tongue in the throes Of penman-
ship. IAN desc niggers wuz gwine Mobile next
week. Amt nobody gwine now"
"Sho Is noble causei" intoned Mr.. Toombs
in his best manner as he raked in their money.
Finances de lodge an puts yo'sef in line to
win de big red car wild de loud hawn. All 20
friends an kinfolks see you ridin' In hit! Step
on de gas an de sidewalk niggers stahts spit
tin out dusti Bar down on de 'celerator, an
heah de cut-out tellin' 'em how big you ISL
Don't push, an don't 60 home twel de las
ticket is gomez
Steadily the mob showed forward. Appar-
entity every Negro In the country was In 1t
except Gladstone; an omission which neither
Latham nor Horace J. Toombs had time or
tendency to mourn.
"Goin'l Coin! Comet" chanted Mr.. Toombs.
"An' me an Mist Hooper retires an spins
de wheel whut picks de winner!"
THE crowd showed no tendency to leave. In
every pasteboard- holders breast was Inn
planted the frm conviction that he or she was
the winner. Something In Mr.. Toonnbs look
and voice when he passed out each ticket had
made that certain.
Mr. Toombs at least gave service. In no
time he was reappearing Latham ct his heels.
In q moment somebody was going to be luckyI
Each purchaser felt sorry for all the other
unlucky purchasers.
Ladies an gent'men," proclaimed Mr..
Toombs at the top of his voice, hit give me
'streme pleasure to 'nounce dat de big red car
Wild de lour cut-out is done been won by
number twenty-six fawty-two. held by Negro
name holland whut run on de Pullman passin'
thru Yawk, Albania, over heah, eev Tuesday
night. Us drives de car over an give hit TO
him now"
But just here some detail In MIR. Toombs'
scheme seemed 10 have slipped cog. For,
instead Of being good sports and accepting the
dictum Of Mr.. Toombs and his mythical wheel,
o murmur Of active dissatisfaction began to
run through the crowd. Indeed, one over
sized member with q wagon-spoke even loudly
pointed out that there were only 2,5O0 tickets
hence any winner number rs high Is twenty
six forty-two was an obvious fraud
The murmuring Immediately grew worse.
Mr.. Toombs seemed to lose poise and avoardu-
pois simultaneously. Painfully his memory
began to recall to him the time that he had led