The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1945-07-19
Savin' Coins
By EDWIN T.
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Features.

tlon there's always Somethlng
missin', or the change is wrong. But
never any proof. He's slick or has
no nerves. Got away with things be-
cause he'd pull them right in your
face. Dave won't accuse him be-
cause he wants to beat him at his
own game. Things are pulled so
often that Dave commences to feel
like a fool. To tell Keecee to stay
out would be no satisfaction. Dawes
too contrary himself for half-justice.
He wants to turn the tables.
Well. me an Dave are playin'
checkers on the side counter. Kee-
Gee is perched up on the end. Sittin'
there lookin' innocent. He can't
reach anythin' from there, so We
don't pay too much attention to him.
Dave. pretendin' he doesn't know
the game. is takin' me over with
his smooth moves.
Keecee's down. Glides back of
Dave to the refrigerator for a bot
tie OF chocolate milk. Dave keeps
his face toward me an the board.
but moves his eyes watchin' Kee-
Gee. Keecee gets his bottle, comes
back. opens the slide. takes a bag
Of peanuts. from right under the
checkerboard. He lays a coin at
Dawes elbow. Dave glances at
the money. But he doesn't say a
word. Not to Keecee. To me he
says, "It's yore move"
I think, Is he gonna let him get
away with that? He can easy
enough see it's a cent and not a
dime. But it's Dawes business. I
make my move an keep my face
straight. Dave sees through it.
"Somethin' slick. amt yuh?" he
grins. But it happens I pulled that
one on a guy oncet. myself"
I look up, an 1 see on Keecee's
face a sly grin which says plainer'n
Scripture. "Yuh old fools, anybody
could outslick both Of yuh."
Dave picks up the coin. absent
like. drops it in his pocket. Keecee
is perched again. eatin' peanuts
an, O. course. much to the good.
Guys start comm fer gas. Dave
has to 60 out once in a while to
fill a tank-or give 'em their stamps
worth anyhow. Sometimes there is
quite a bit of business per square
inch. So. while Dawes out I just
keep an eye tailed on Keecee SOS
he don't shin up the chimney with
the cash register or nothin'. But he
sits there. sweet an good as a
bouquet of lilacs.
A guy comes in fer change. an
up speaks Keecee! He says: Il get
change. too. Dave!"
Dave looks puzzled. why? What
did yuh gimme?"
Il gave yuh a quarter. I got a
chocolate milk an a bag O. pea
nuts Hmm! So this is how it
works, I think to myself.
Dave fishes all the silver out of
his pocket where he's been putin
it all evenin'. why. I amt got no
quarter"
Il gave yuh a quarter, because I
had a nickel and a quarter. and
here's the nickel" An sure enough
he pulls out a nickel. He looks at
me. He wants me to speak up for
i'm. Nerve! Whew!
"Yuh laid yer money down." l
e,re corooc{io lilo ssI,,% 7 {l1,,rhf
it was a nickel" But burned if Dave
don't give in and hand him three
nickels change!
II reckon yuh wouldn't lie fer is
cents Dave grins.
Keecee perches himself up on the
counter again. four coins in his
jeans stead of the two he started
out with, an a bag of peanuts glidin'
along his gullet. Washin' 'em down
with his free chocolate milk! Natu-
rally, I'm wonderin' if Dawes nuts
or blind, when he gives me a look
which says. Shut up! Everythin's
hunkydory."
Soon Keecee goes out, lookin'
thoughtful. Dave starts GRIMM all
over his face, an Dawes face COW
ers a lot of territory. He gets all
his change out of his pocket. He
fiddles around through a fistful of it
till he comes to Keecee's bit. He
hands it to me. an l see Keecee's
right! It's NOT a nickel. But it's
somethin' I have only seer twicet in
IS years Of steady lookin'. An while
I'm maxim plumb sure, Dawes
reachin' for a big mo Loafng"
sign. I'm ahead of him now" he
chortles, land sur as guns iron
I'm gonna stay ahead!"
He hangs up the mo Loafng" so
it'll look Keecee right in the eye
when he comes in. He stacks empty
pop cases. old boxes and sticky oil
rags two feet deep on Keecee's end
seat. Now I'm sure he's moi nuts!
For that piece I'm a-gapin' at it is
a big copper cent. It's a 1899
model in beautiful condition. An
Dave knows it's the real thing. He's
been huntin' one a long time. He
pulls out his Rare Coin Encyclo-
pedia an points to somethin', still
GRIMM a-plenty. Its value is