Part 7 (1/2)
Jinx looked over his shoulder. ”Uh-oh. Isn't that Mama Santoni calling, Ned?”
Ned took his cue. ”Uh, yeah. She's keeping those biscuits warm for us in the oven.”
”Sorry, Mr. Hinkley. If we don't hurry up, those biscuits are going to turn into fire crackers fire crackers. Just a little humor from one pyrotectic to another,” Jinx called as he and Ned walked off. Mr. Hinkley smoothed his mustache as a new group of boys crowded around the stand.
Jinx and Ned wandered past the next few booths of carnival games, where vendors tried to attract the attention of pa.s.sersby. ”Step right up! Toss three b.a.l.l.s in the hole and win a prize. Or try your luck in the sh.e.l.l game. Win a Liberty Head silver dollar.”
”So much for your big con, Jinx,” Ned teased.
”A con is merely the art of distraction.” Jinx studied the booths. ”Come here.”
Jinx grabbed Ned by the elbow and led him to the sh.e.l.l game. A man in a striped s.h.i.+rt and bow tie smiled a crocodile smile. A tiny monkey perched on his shoulder. ”Ready to try your luck and win yourself this here Liberty Head silver dollar? It's an easy game. I'm practically giving away money today. Right, Nikki?” The monkey twittered his agreement.
Ned shook his head. ”I'm not into wasting money. No thanks.”
”Come on,” Jinx said. ”It only takes a dime and you can win a dollar. Then you can buy Pearl Ann a bag of popcorn and a lemonade with change to spare.”
Ned grimaced and placed a dime on the counter.
The man lined up three walnut sh.e.l.ls and placed a pumpkin seed under one. He shuffled them around. Ned kept his eyes on the sh.e.l.l with the seed, and when the man stopped, Ned tapped it.
The man uncovered the seed. ”You've got a good eye.”
Ned was jubilant. ”So, hand over my Liberty Head silver dollar.”
”You don't get that on the first try. It takes three chances. And each chance costs a dime.”
”Go ahead, give him another dime. You're good at it,” Jinx coaxed.
”Oh, all right,” Ned grumbled, reaching for another coin.
Again, the man revealed which sh.e.l.l held the seed and shuffled them back and forth. Again, Ned tapped the correct sh.e.l.l.
”Woo-hoo,” Ned shouted. This time, he didn't need any coaxing. Pleased with his success, he already had his third dime on the table and waited for one last game to claim his silver dollar.
Again, the man shuffled and Ned watched as the sh.e.l.l with the seed went left, then right, then around and ended up in the middle. The monkey hopped onto Ned's shoulder and twittered with excitement. ”Hey, little fella. You know a winner when you see one, don't you?”
Ned reached to tap the middle sh.e.l.l but Jinx stopped his hand. ”Not that one. This one.” Jinx moved his hand to the sh.e.l.l on the right.
”But I was watching. It's not-”
”This one,” Jinx said firmly.
”Now, don't let him sway you, son. You're a natural at this game,” the man said without his usual smile.
There was something so definite in Jinx's voice that Ned uncovered the sh.e.l.l on the right. There was the pumpkin seed.
The monkey jumped from Ned's shoulder, s.n.a.t.c.hed up the seed, and popped it into his mouth.
”Now, look here,” growled the sh.e.l.l man. ”This is not a two-player game. If you want to play, put up your own dime.” The monkey chattered more and more loudly in agitation.
Just then, Judge Carlson approached the booth, patting Ned on the back. ”Keeping those legs warmed up, son?”
”Yes, sir,” Ned replied. ”I'll have my work cut out for me staying ahead of Heck and Holler,” he said, referring to the Judge's sons, who were also star runners on the Manifest track team.
”That's right, Judge,” Jinx said, emphasizing the word Judge Judge. ”He might even get a new pair of shoes with the dollar he just won. That is, if this gentleman will give Ned his rightful winnings.”
Judge Carlson looked at the sh.e.l.l man. ”Is there a problem here?”
The man grimaced. ”Nope.” He pulled the silver dollar from his pocket and shoved it across the counter. Judge Carlson picked it up. ”May I?” he asked Ned. He held up the coin, studying the woman's profile, with her wavy hair and crown. ”Lady Liberty. She's a beauty.” He flipped it into the air to Ned. ”Don't spend her all in one place.”
The judge moved on and Ned and Jinx walked away from the scowling man and his monkey.
”I never took my eyes off that sh.e.l.l. I knew it was in the middle,” Ned said.
”Just like I told you. The art of distraction. You took your eye off the sh.e.l.ls when the monkey jumped on your shoulder. Nikki did his part and the sh.e.l.l guy switched the sh.e.l.ls.”
”You mean that monkey is trained to do that?”
”Sure. Most people aren't willing to make a thirty-cent bet, so they let you win a couple of easy rounds to get you to put down a couple more dimes. Then Nikki makes his move and you lose.”
”The art of distraction,” Ned mused.
”Yup. All kinds of things can be accomplished when someone's looking the wrong way.” From behind his back, Jinx revealed the large red canister from Jasper Hinkley's fireworks booth.
Ned's eyes got big. ”Nice trick. But you can't just steal his Manchurian Fire Thrower.”
”It's not stealing. It's like the library. You check out a book, look at what's inside, and take it back. We'll use this canister as our model. We make our own and return this one.”
”Then what?”
”Then we set up shop and sell them to every kid around.”
Ned caught sight of Pearl Ann standing in a pretty pink dress. He headed for the popcorn wagon. ”Count me out.”
Jinx caught sight of Sheriff Dean near the popcorn wagon, and as he always did when he saw the sheriff-or any sheriff, for that matter-he turned the other way. This time he ducked into the diviner's tent.
Frog Hunting
JUNE 5, 1936.
In bare feet and overalls, I looked out my bedroom window. It had been several days since Miss Sadie had left me hanging with her last story, about Jinx and Ned at the county fair, and that day I had the afternoon off. The Liberty Head silver dollar mentioned in Ned's letter had taken its place on the sill, next to the Wiggle King fis.h.i.+ng lure. I had to admit, it was exciting and mysterious how the diviner could draw a whole story out of these little somethings. I could see why people would come to visit her.
And they did come. I'd been going to Miss Sadie's for a week and sometimes I'd be there only an hour or two and she'd call it quits for the day, which was fine by me. She wouldn't say why, but then a visitor would come calling just as I was leaving. The day before, an old woman who'd seemed anxious and fretful had come. She said her mind wasn't what it used to be.
This morning it was a young, pretty woman. I recognized her. It was Betty Lou, the beautician from the beauty emporium, and I could tell she was close to crying. I wasn't exactly eavesdropping, but before I got all the way out the door and past the porch window, I heard her say something about being afraid she was barren. I knew that meant she couldn't have a baby, and wondered why she thought Miss Sadie would have anything to say about that. But maybe she just wanted someone to listen to her troubles. Miss Sadie said she'd show her how to make tea with some special herbs, and the two got quieter. I went on my way after that.