Part 11 (1/2)
”That's three rows,” said Pinky, ”and we want ten.” She arose, as she spoke, and going to the front window, looked down upon the street.
”There's an organ-grinder; it's the first thing I saw;” and she came back fingering the leaves of her dream-book. ”Put down 40, 50, 26.”
Mrs. Bray wrote the numbers on her slip of paper.
”It's November; let's find the November row.” Pinky consulted her book again. ”Signifies you will have trouble through life--7, 9, 63. That's true as preaching; I was born in November, and I've had it all trouble.
How many rows does that make?”
”Five.”
”Then we will cut cards for the rest;” and Pinky drew a soiled pack from her pocket, shuffled the cards and let her friends cut them.
”Ten of diamonds;” she referred to the dream-book. ”10, 13, 31; put that down.”
The cards were shuffled and cut again.
”Six of clubs--6, 35, 39.”
Again they were cut and shuffled. This time the knave of clubs was turned up.
”That's 17, 19, 28,” said Pinky, reading from her book.
The next cut gave the ace of clubs, and the policy numbers were 18, 63, 75.
”Once more, and the ten rows will be full;” and the cards were cut again.
”Five of hearts--5, 12, 60;” and the ten rows were complete.
”There's luck there, Fan; sure to make a hit,” said Pinky, with almost childish confidence, as she gazed at the ten rows of figures. ”One of 'em can't help coming out right, and that would be fifty dollars--twenty-five for me and twenty-five for you; two rows would give a hundred dollars, and the whole ten a thousand. Think of that, Fan!
five hundred dollars apiece.”
”It would break Sam McFaddon, I'm afraid,” remarked Mrs. Bray.
”Sam's got nothing to do with it,” returned Pinky.
”He hasn't?”
”No.”
”Who has, then?”
”His backer.”
”What's that?”
”Oh, I found it all out--I know how it's done. Sam's got a backer--a man that puts up the money. Sam only sells for his backer. When there's a hit, the backer pays.”
”Who's Sam's backer, as you call him?”
”Couldn't get him to tell; tried him hard, but he was close as an oyster. Drives in the Park and wears a two thousand dollar diamond pin; he let that out. So he's good for the hits. Sam always puts the money down, fair and square.”