The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1936-12-05
Tricks t Of Trade
By Harry Douglass


tered table in his room. The tapering
brown fingers on his left hand held dol
lar bill tight against the paper, while
those on his right crippled and guided
keen razor blade along it close to the
edge of the bill.
Careful work-this. The flags of paper
had to be the same size of the bill. Thirty
of them would do. Street hookers called
them "feelers." Well. He Strengthened
up, fingered the strips he'd cut into little
sheaf. A perfect Michigan" Yeah.
A sly grin slouched its way across his
brown face. He lowered his left eye lid,
cooked his head to one side, and arranged
the sheaf neatly in plain envelope.
Funny how suckers feel that and think
it's dough. Yeah. Funny but they do. He
sealed it, smacked it flat with the heel of
his hand, picked up another plain enve-
lope from the table and dropped both in
to his inside coat pocket. He then turned
towards the dresser.
His snapped-brim hat was already
dipped to the right angle. He tugged at it
anyway, nudged up his tie and wiggled
his neck. Not bad. Those padded should
ers were ready; Had to sting and get an
other toy like that. Yeah. At the door he
paused and slid his lean hand into his
pocket. Fifty-one smackers. Well, he'd
work anyway. A good trick ought to
bring him ifty-one more.
Sauntering out a beaming sun bathed
his trim, natty form. Swell day out. Plen-
ty suckers would be in the loop. Especial
ly breads. They got boot out of window
shopping on a day like this. Say. an
idea! Clothes. He'll yeah Why hadn't he
thought of that angle for them before?
He whistled at a drifting cab.
9TH loop, Bud"
hu, 70 cd
back at Buster admiringly when he step
ped into the cab. His ebony face lit up as
he meshed the gars.
Beat-out right. :. yeah. The look on
the cabby's mug sal dso. Poor sap. Wheel
ing hack and wanting clothes. Why
didn't he get hepped to himself? A
chump, that's ALL That clothes angle fit
ted all of them.
All traffic seemed to be rolling the
same way-the loop. The chump really
could wheel a hack. He slipped around
that corner like old Barney himself. And
look at the suckers! They were walking
in all directions. There was prosperous
looking dinge broad. A "dray boy" would
NEEDLE her sure. He bent forward.
Right here, Bud"
The cab nosed out of the traffic to the
curb.
Buster stepped out.
Whats on tn meter?"
The cabby grinned and told him.
Buster watched the cab wheel back in
to traffic with grin on his face. Just
chump. Should've "hyped" on him: Bet
he thought l had slice of Joe Louis or
something giving him that buck. Huh
Poor sap His grin faded when his dart
ing eyes picked up trim brown girl
standing before window just up the
block. Huh. A beaut. He tugged at his
hat, squared his shoulders, wiggled his
neck and saunterd towards. her.
Pardon, Miss" She was really going
for his smile. "Pm Lane-Bert Lane,
agent for the Better Dressed Women's
Inc of New York"
He dark brown eyes were like filigreed
saucers. Ready, too. Willowry, the show
girl type, with a sassy little hat hugging
her fluffy head. She smiled said:
"Yeeeas!" Her voice was disturbingly
feminine. She was an answered prayer
for sap; smart guy, too. Yeah.
He cleared his throat.
I'm stranger here" he said. "My
firm has just established branch here.
Our aim is to employ nice-looking colored
girls like you to act as models for our
clothes" He paused. That English was
rye, no 1--WE Look at her blush He went
on, You see, we're trying to reach the
better class of colored people here. We
know one way to do so successfully is TO
have young ladies like you modelling our
clothes at socals and dances"
Her mascara lids blipped. A sort of
joyful anticipation flashed in her face.
Buster bowed like a well-groomed &C
tor.
cts your job =. if you want it. All
you do is attend socials and dances and
tell the people about our Clothes
The angle was a honey. She looked as
if she wanted to mug him. Yeah.
"Pll-Tm-Pll take it!' She giggled at
her own confusion. 1t reminded him of
Something's the night he clipped Louis.
She was expensive-looking too. Better
start her at a hundred.
"S'pose we go some place where can
explain it to you" He grinned down on
her like a politician who'd just received
his lend"
She took his arm. They strolled to a
park near the shopping district. A lot of
buns around but no dicks. This was going
to be easy Yeah