The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-05-05

~@A SA0 AS""s ~
I would buy 1t and that goes
providing you will never let !
be known that I own It,"
Delighted! I'm not anxious t
have it known I sold to you. PEG
pie will think I'm about fiat"
And you must be, to sell it Il
me. What gave you the idea
could afford to buy ~"
Il know all about you." he f.
nally admitted. II had you looked
up, I know who you are, ! know
about your share in the big bak.
cry chain, the money you made
and are making now in the show
business"
I gave him a merry "Ha-ha" at
this.
Tried to dig up a lurid and
wicked past, hold it over me and
run me out of the country. eh2"
Something like that, but who
Is supposed to be the owner OF
this ball team"
I'll let you know when we get
to San Guardo. I can't paw you
until l get there, because I must
have the papers right"
We'll. make it snappy when you
get there, I can use the money"
and without q word of thanks
or anything else he left me.
As SOON as I was settled back
in the big San Guardo hotel
IN my same old comfortable suite
of rooms, and had fixed up after
my long train trip, I went down.
town and dropped into Sam Mer-
rillS office. It was q real estate
office, but he also made it head
quarters for his baseball enter
prise.
Hello there-ahead OF time,
Bert. old timer" was his greeting.
Nov look here, SAM" I said,
and he seemed surprised for l
never called him that before. "As
n owner of a ball team to an
other, is that q dignified greet
ing?"
What the heck are you getting
II own, or am about to own, the
Avalda outfit"
your jokes aren't funny" he
said.
So I sat down and told him all
about it.
"Wait, business first" he cried,
as I was about to elaborate. He
called in one of his men and gave
him some orders.
Investigate and keep mum, but
II he can't come across, foreclOSe
on that property before we get
Stung," were part Of his orders.
Nov about this deal, Bert. Since
it is to be a secret about your
ownership, what's your plan? It
won't do for me to pretend to
OWE rival teams, and gosh, what q
funny situation for you to play
on , 3ne team n on salary and own a
How about your brother?" I
suggested.
He thought a moment.
Hot stuff - good business,
brothers supposed to be rivals in
baseball, I can see the publicity
now"
Half an hour later Sam Mer-
MI and I were in my little sport
car that I haG put in dead storage
last fall, and we're heading for
John Merrill'S home. All I could
think OF was that I might see
MaviS. I hadn't heard from her
or read a line about her since I
To my disappointment Mavis
was once more abroad.
However, her father was agree
able, SO I took his note for the
price of the club as security, gave
him the cash and telephoned FOs-
dick.
"I've sold out to John Merrill"
I told him, land he will hand you
the cash tomorrow if the papers
are right"
"I1l bet you made a profit" he
But the deal was made. While
I really owned the Avalda bali
team, it was supposed to belong to
the brother of the man who
owned the San Guardo outfit.
SPORTED around for q week
or more, for it lacked several
weeks of time to start training.
1 had come on to get the good
weather, as I was fed up on the
cold back East. I also had hoped
to find Mavis, and I was lodging
Dolly Dawson and her sudden
freak notions concerning myself
and a possible alliance she was
kind enough to disguise as com
panionate marriage"
MI. Merrill appeared at my
hotel at the dinner hour about
this time and introduced the to q
chap. He left us, saying, II think
he Is the man you want"
II understand you are a
pitcher?" this chap said, handing
me his card.
mot for the MOVIES. I an
swered. He was q technical man
or something like that with q big
picture concern at Hollywood.
What we want Is a man TO
double for our her0-the big lolli-
pop can't throw q ball down to
first. You won't be seen. but the
story calls for some curves and
things. real pitching. Only In
long shets win you appear, and
then, with your cap down, you
won't be recognized"
I'm ahead of you, mister" I
said, you'll take q closeup Of the
hero. doubling up to deliver the
ball. Then you'll photograph the
ball, but the ball you photograph
will be one that I throw"
He began to laugh.
It would take about q week, he
thought. The pay was SURPRISING.
considering that I wasn't doubling
In any stunts or dangers, so /
beat it to Hollywood with this
chap.
The next day I was introduced
to this movie hero, and I'll call
him Claude, because that isn't hts
name and he's still "heroiug'' on
the flicker screen.
THERE would be q days wait
while q uniform was made to
lit me one that would duplicate
Claude's. I stumbled around tho
lot and studio like other gawkA
Finally I went outside for q smoke
and was l0afing in front Of some
tiny bungalows, In the shade.
when some dame came from one
Of the tiny little bungalows. She
bad on a daring evening costume.
A .colored maid followed with
makeup box and stuff. As she
turned toward me to take the
abort walk tn tina akNdin r hnnv,oN