The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-03-12
Day of Reckoning
By MARTIE RANSOM
q Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.
WNU Service.

0UR story deals with two impor-
~ tant characters. There's Solly,
the wise guy, who is always trying
to outsmart somebody. forgetting that
a day of reckoning Is always sure to
come. Our other character is Julius.
a Jack of all-trades. Most times, julius
would stick to q legitimate busi-
ness, but IL there was money to be
made In any other line well,
why not?
julius had never known Solly; prob
ably never would have met him If 1t
had not been that in nineteen hundred
and thirty one julius was the owner
of a clothing store and Solly was In
the market for new suit.
Solly had on money with which to buy
suit, but he did have swell looking
diamond ring which he offered to sell
julius for the sum Of one suit and
hundred dollars cash. Julius didn't
know a great deal about diamond rings.
He had never owned one, nor had he
ever had any occasion to buy one.
However, he told Solly that If his
friend, who was in the jewelry bust
ness, thought it was worth the money,
he'd make a deal with him. And so
we find Julius and Solly at the jewell
err friends appraising the ring.
Its worth the money, julius" his
friend told him. You're not stealing
anything, but a hundred and fifty dol
lars it's worth"
And so the deal was consummated.
Solly picked out suit which would
be altered and ready the next day, and
as ii was late In the afternoon and
Julius didn't have the right amount
of cash on hand, Solly was to bring
the ring in and pick up the suit and
the hundred dollars.
What happened to Solly after the
ring deal was concluded, no one knows.
Probably left town. drifting around
trying to make an easy dollar here and
there.
julius was soon out of the clothing
business and in something else. In
the next few years he was in many
businesses, some Of them legitimate
and some a little off color. At this
particular time we pick him up run
ming a book joint and doing thriving
business. On the little finger of his
left hand was diamond ring, the same
that had been there for four years. He
hadn't changed in appearance in that
time, except that he was now wearing a
mustache, and, while working, an eye
shade.
Whether or not he saw Solly enter,
one could not tell by his facial expires.
sion. do know that when SOlly
walked up there and said. Five on
Deckboy to win." he did not recognize
julius.
Deckboy ran a close third, which did
not help Solly out any. So, cursing
his luck and peeling off one of the re-
| naming two ten-dOllar bills. he bets
] the ten on Kit-Kat, with ''Stick this on
Kit-Kat's nose"
| Without comment julius gave him a
duplicate ticket, took his ten dollars
and put it in the drawer with num-
Der of other bills. Why not? The
sheet saws six to one on Kit-Kat which
means that Solly has just one chance
in six to win. That ten spot stayed
right in that drawer. Kit-Kat ran out
of the money, and Solly was running
out of Gus words.
Two races went by without julius
seeing any more of Solly's money. He
kept a wary eye on him and even
wondered what the conference could
have been about in the corner of the
room between Solly and two other
players. The conference over. Solly
gain walked up and, slapping down
his last ten, called for "Ten to win
on Springfield ar the price, and the
dirty dog had better come home In
| front"
Springfield was fifteen TO one. the
eight other good horses running. But
| as far as SpriBgsteel was concerned,
| there was no other horse in the race.
| He finished eleven lengths In front of
| his closest competition. and brother,
right here 1 wanna tell you that who
one should go back to school and learn
elementary arithmetic all over again.
Was Solly happy? Sure. who
wouldn't be? When Springfield was
officially announced the winner, he
strutted up to Julius, slapped his ticket
down and said, 81 guess that's pickln'
'em, amt it?"
julius stood up, removed his eye
shade, looked at Solly for long min
ute and then spoke:
I've waited a long time for this
| day, young fellow. A hundred and six
ty bucks is what you've got, comm.
Right? Well" handing him the ring,
heres a hundred and fifty of it. and
here's ten in cash. l won't charge
va any interest on a four-year loan
Say" hollered Solly, what 10 hi
va call this?"
This" said julius quietly, lis the
| ring with the piece Of glass va stuck
in there. where the diamond was.
| shoulda known better than to give q
guy like you an extra day to pull il
on me-"
Then turning to one of the boys
alongside him. Julius quietly contin.
ued: "ShOw this guy the way out
| Louis"
TT.al an. .L.k CroeeO