Part 19 (1/2)

”Wha'th the mattah? Up againtht it? You look a little ol' to be doin'

the gay an' frithky.” But Schwalliger's eyes were kind.

”Well, I'll tell you des' how it is, suh. I come f'om down in Ma'lan', 'case I wanted to see de hosses run. My ol' mastah was moughty fon' of sich spo't, an' I kin' o' likes it myse'f, dough I don't nevah bet, suh.

I's a chu'ch membah. But yistiddy aftahnoon dee was two gent'men what I seen playin' wid a leetle ball an' some cups ovah it, an' I went up to look on, an' lo an' behol', suh, it was one o' dese money-mekin' t'ings.

W'y, I seen de man des' stan' dere an' mek money by the fis'ful. Well, I 'low I got sorter wo'ked up. De men dee axed me to bet, but I 'low how I was a chu'ch membah an' didn't tek pa't in no sich carryin's on, an' den dee said 'twan't nuffin mo' den des' a chu'ch raffle, an' it was mo' fun den anyt'ing else. I des' say dat I could fin' de little ball, an' dee said I couldn't, an' if I fin' it dee gin me twenty dollahs, an' if I didn' I des' gin 'em ten dollahs. I shuk my haid. I wa'n't gwine be tempted, an' I try to pull myse'f erway. Ef I'd 'a' gone den 'twould 'a'

been all right, but I stayed an' I stayed, an' I looked, an' I looked, an' it did seem lak it was so easy. At las', mistah, I tried it, an' I didn' fin' dat ball, an' dee got my ten dollahs, an' dat was all I had.”

”Uh, huh,” said Schwalliger grimly, ”th.e.l.l game, an' dey did you.” The old man shuffled uneasily, but continued:

”Yes, suh, dee done me, an' de worst of it is, I's 'fraid to go home, even ef I could get dere, 'case dee boun' to axe me how I los' dat money, an' dee ain't no way fu' me to hide it, an' ef dee fin' out I been gamblin' I'll git chu'ched fu' it, an' I been a puffessor so long----” The old man's voice broke, and Schwalliger smiled the crooked smile of a man whose heart is touched.

”Whereth thith push wo'kin'?” he said briefly.

”Right ovah thaih,” said the old Negro, indicating a part of the grounds not far distant.

”All right, you go on ovah thaih an' wait fu' me; an' if you thee me, remembah, you don't thee me. I don't know you, you don't know me, but I'll try to thee you out all right.”

The old man went on his way, a new light in his eyes at the hope Schwalliger had inspired. Schwalliger himself made his way back to the stables; his dirty, horsy, rubber's outfit was there. He smiled intelligently as he looked at it. He was smiling in a different manner when, all dressed in it, he came up nearer to the grand stand. It was a very inane smile. He looked the very image of simplicity and ignorance, like a man who was anxious and ready to be duped. He strolled carelessly up to where the little game with the little ball was going on, and stood there looking foolishly on. The three young men--ostensibly there was only one--were doing a rus.h.i.+ng business. They were playing very successfully on that trait of human nature which feels itself glorified and exalted when it has got something for nothing. The rustics, black and white, and some who had not the excuse of rusticity, were falling readily into the trap and losing their hard-earned money. Every now and then a man--one of their confederates, of course, would make a striking winning, and this served as a bait for the rest of the spectators.

Schwalliger looked on with growing interest, always smiling an ignorant, simple smile. Finally, as if he could stand it no longer, he ran his hand in his pocket and pulled out a roll of money--money in its most beautiful and tempting form, the long, green notes. Then, as if a sudden spirit of prudence had taken possession of him, he put it back into his pocket, shook his head, and began working his way out of the crowd. But the operator of the sh.e.l.l game had caught sight of the bills, and it was like the scent of blood to the tiger. His eye was on the simple Negro at once, and he called cheerfully:

”Come up, uncle, and try your luck. See how I manipulate this ball. Easy enough to find if you're only lucky.” He was so flippantly shrewd that his newness to the business was insolently apparent to Schwalliger, who knew a thing or two himself. Schwalliger smiled again and shook his head.

”Oh, no, thuh,” he said, ”I don't play dat.”

”Why, come and try your luck anyhow; no harm in it.”

Schwalliger took out his money and looked at it again and shook his head. He began again his backward movement from the crowd.

”No,” he said, ”I wouldn' play erroun' hyeah befo' all thethe people, becauthe you wouldn't pay me even ef I won.”

”Why, of course we would,” said the flippant operator; ”everybody looks alike to us here.”

Schwalliger kept moving away, ever and anon sending wistful, inane glances back at his tempter.

The bait worked admirably. The man closed up his little folding table, and, winking to his confederates, followed the retreating Negro. They stayed about with the crowd, while he followed on and on until Schwalliger had led him into a short alley between the stables. There he paused and allowed his pursuer to catch up with him.

”Thay, mithtah,” he said, ”what you keep on follerin' me fu'? I do' want to play wid you; I ain't got but fo'ty dollahs, an' ef I lothe I'll have to walk home.”

”Why, my dear fellow, there ain't no way for you to lose. Come, now, let me show you.” And he set the table down and began to manipulate the ball dexterously. ”Needn't put no money down. Just see if you can locate the ball a few times for fun.”

Schwalliger consented, and, greatly to his delight, located the little ball four times out of five. He was grinning now and the eye of the tempter was gleaming. Schwalliger took out his money.

”How much you got?” he said.

”Just eighty-five dollars, and I will lay it all against your forty.”

”What you got it in?” asked Schwalliger.