Show Telegram i g Short Story SURE THING SURE TH I GUY r B By E. E P. P do T Willie Rood was standing with his his his' back to the bar looking out the front door when the the girl in red came came In Willie suddenly straightened straight straight- enid cued du dusted ted off oft his coat lapels Japes and smoothed d down his hair This was the girl hed he'd been looking for tor since the Preakness He walked over over to her tipped his hat and said vcr very very cordially Howdy do Miss Spence The girl in re red looked at Willie Im I'm sorry she said uld Tm afraid I 1 dont don't remember you ou Surely you do Willie said Remember Remember Re member you had the ticket on FlyIng Fly Fly- Ing High last Wednesday Her face tace brightened with recognition recognition tl though ough she blushed Oh certainly I do remember you now Youre You're the one who who who- Yeah Willie said aId Tm the one all aU right Must have ave missed you In Inthe Inthe inthe the crowd Thought Id I'd sec see you some time so I wasn't worried s none She fumbled with her p purse a little embarrassed Yes we did miss you somehow Really you yu must forgive me I I didn't m mean n to o dodge an obligation Lets Let's sec see see-a a hundred even wasn't it She counted out a hundred dollars dollar in twenties Thanks a lot lot Willie said gathering gath gaU ering Oring up the money She smiled nodded and turned away Willie came carrie back to the b barNow bar r. r Now what I asked How come you collecting money off women wo wo women men What's s 's the racket Willie smiled and finished his beer Nearly let her get away he said t She's one of ot the Spences You know Spence know Spence Barbed Wire Vire Fence pe people plc Yeah cah but what about it I asked Why are you collecting do dough gh fro from her ber What's What the he racket Willie Rood Is what you'd call caIl a arace arace arace race track slicker He knows all the standard tricks but when he hege ge gets among people wise to to race racetracks racetracks tracks racks and th their I ways ways ways' he be invents his own schemes Come on rl TI urged spill It it Okay he said Then he told me me The box was full ull of people all laughing and having a jolly good time The I last t race was about to tobe tobe tobe be run Out of th the crowd emerged a little man in gray For a moment he stood by the box w watching the track rack The horses horse were about to come out Til lay Jay anybody he here e an even bet betI I c can n pick the winner in the next race race the little man said paid unconcerned At first first no no one any attention atten tion to him him- Anybody want to tal take e me up Til lay an even bet that I can pick nick the winner of ot the next race h he here re repeated repeated re- re Finally the girl turned around All MI right which horse Is going to win 1 she asked The little man m n in gray looked ather at ather ather her and smiled That's not fair lady I said Id I'd la lays lay even money that I can pick the winner of the next race Want Vant to bet Your proposition sounds inter inter- esting Have Hava you a tick ticket t on the winner Not yet but Im I'm going down to buy it right now just to make sure Wait Walt Ill I'll be bo back In a little while he returned Well did you get your ticket ry Yep cp On what horse You'd be surprised Want to tomake tomake tomake make me a little bet that Im I'm right 1 The girl laughed Sure Sur How much 1 Oh a hundred if it you like Okay He started to cou count t out the mone money But I haven't that much she protested Will a check do 1 S Sure re All AU right If It you win Ill I'll give you my check That okay Absolutely But what the horses horse's name You haven't told me that yet How will I know if it youre right Heres the ticket ticket he said See Ill Til drop it in this pocket and Ill I'll stand right here until until the the race is 13 over If Tm rm right you pay me a hundred If Im I'm wrong then I pay you Right she he said off orf J someone cried and andall andall andall all eyes were glued to the track stood up and began waving wave ing waving h her r handbag Oh Ob you Flying High Come on Como Come on n Then she was oti on on the winner I Isaid Isaid Isaid said interrupting Willies Willie's story Flying High Won von all right Willie nodded Sure he won She w was so excited she grabbed me meby meby meby by the arm arm and started down downto to col col- lect t her bet Then Them suddenly she stopped and said Lets Let see ace your ticket on Flying High I Y showed it ft to her a two buck ducat right on his nose Okay she says Ill Til pay up just as soon AS lis I collect my win win win- I have a a. hundred on him myself But I lost her somehow In line linea a couple of oC other guys KUYS crowded in between us I thought she was going going going go go- ing to wait walt for me while I collected my seven bucks but she didn't When I II wont want back to the box they had all gone I knew Id I'd run run into her sooner or later Yeah I says lI but how come you to make malic a bet like that If you youl were so sure of ot Flying High why didn't you bet all your dough on him instead of oC making a screwy b bet t like that How in h h- h would I know he was going to win 1 Dont Don't be foolish I Then how come you Invested Ina in ina ina a ticket on him 1 Well Ven for a hundred bucks buck you'd take a chance too wouldn't you With only 10 horses in the race at two bucks a throw and with wilh one one nc bound to win I It couldn't lose Jose much Figure It up V Wait lt I think I r still have Uie them n other tickets here in my pock pocket l. l Copyright for The Telegram |