Show gambling in green goods by JOHN DAY i i garnering the gold by a unique method originated and practiced by doc floyd S hoping that you get bvm alderman doc floyd raised a goblet ot sparkling burgundy across the brim of which be glanced and ambled at the member of the high rollers club who was host at a dinner he was giving in part pay ment of a bet that there was not a man in the coun try with who could be beaten out of that amount on the ancient gold brick game the din ner end of the bet was merely a pal try side issue for the big ex alderman had also wagered and lost that too doc floyd had asserted that even in the twentieth century the timeworn green goods game could be worked have you got the nerve to tell me that you can put over the old green goods thing was the amazed demand of alderman tle hanty bet just one more bundle of and again a dinner for the crowd that it cant be done why the biggest sucker in the country would take our flash bank roll away from you it you tried to work that well maybe be would returned floyd but III just bet you it can be done and will let bieland do the rough work and just go along to oversee it I 1 may have to fand the man but HI let jack do the trimming and take halt of floyd s end of the bet that they put it over broka in col powley once more Is it a bet it Is im game for another try replied the alderman how about it jack can we do it quiren floyd of a tall cold eyed dyspeptic looking person who had sat silent sipping his wine and puffing a big cigar throughout the bantering con vers atlon jack bieland merely grunted his as sent he was the one pessimist of the party but always dependable and a bandy man to have in any deal A bell clanged a gate slammed and tho conductor and a belated passenger climbed aboard the twentieth century limited train which was leaving the la sallo street station chicago for its 18 hour spin to hew york the big engine throbbed and the long train of rolling palaces slid out of the shed without a jerk or tremor as easily as a trim sail boat propelled by a gentle breeze at the forward end of the train the buffet car a comfortable small club on wheels already was more than half filled with passengers seated on one side of the car doc flod was contentedly puffing a cigar ette while on the opposite side of the aisle jack bieland pulled at a strong cigar and neither man glanced at or seemed to know of the presence of the other all was quiet save tor the businesslike conversation of two showmen the vestibule door opened and into the car came solomon rosenberg wise man of the west in which section he bad imbibed the air of freedom in speech and manner acquaintances dro almost as easily made in the smoking car of a train as on shipboard and here was floyd not 20 miles out of chicago drinking with a person whose natural propensities tor butting in with strangers could not be overcome within ten minutes after they had met solomon rosen berg wag narrating the story of the most recent happenings of bis life and riding to a swift and certain tall oh yes solomon was a ft ise one he knew it and was proud of it floyd had listened to bis talk and wondered the while whether there was a chance to take some of solomons easily got ten wealth and also lower his stock of conceit he concluded that it might be well worth while to cultivate his new acquaintance it was at least worth trying so he ordered another bottle which further mellowed the talkative one whose tones by this time had als a commercial traveler who sat near him running over columns of alg urea in bis sales book the traveling man appeared slightly annoyed as be glanced toward the win drinkers suddenly be deemed to think ot something and placing his memoranda in his pocket he turned to lioyd and his companion and asked if they cared to kill the time with a small game until the call came for dinner in the car sure was the reply of solomon answering for floyd as well as him self my friend and I 1 will play it you U dig up some one else A telepathic thought seemed to travel from floyd to jack cleland who was looking at the party from the op aide of tha car the others also seemed to notice hla presence at the same time and it appeared a mere chance that he was invited to make the fourth man in the gime the play was not resumed after din I 1 ner cleland saying that he had lost about all be could afford but the party stuck together and when it came time to retire tor the night solomon ployd and had all agreed to make their headquarters at the hotel ator during their stay in new york and we more of each other the bad told them that his hona a in twitty but that be hoped to look up during tbell stay S i game floyda inquired jack cleland who had visited his friend s room in the hotel ten minutes after they had reached the big broad way hotel well old top you know what we are on hero tor was the reply auve got to sell an order ot green gooda to some one you are lucky because ive already found your man for you it must be some one so why not our friend solomon he s already delivered himself the trio met in the lobby of the hotel a few moments later and solo mon insisted on having just one drink before they parted company or the day and then also insisted thit they dine together that evening the only dissipation cleland would indulge in that evening after dinner w as the the ater to which he consented to accod pany floyd and solomon after the theater however floyd was indeed the gay man of law away from home for a good time and he put solomon through such paces as to endear him to the heart of that boisterous person this journey through the tenderloin was followed by another solomon liked the gay life but was beginning to have a pain in his pocketbook so that when the third evening after his arrival in gotham cleland proposed another came ot cards saying that he wanted revenge tor his loss on the train there was ready consent on the part of the westerner who proposed to make romo one else pay his expenses S ho could cleland already bad found te drummers telephone number and invited him to dine and jola them in another little friendly game again solomon aoa but his win nanga were small the salesman also was allowed to carry away a few dol lars tor his work floyd however made a heavy winning and cleland lost 2000 playing with tho feverish recklessness that comes to the average loser at cards the game broke up when the salesman an bounced that be would bavo to quit and get a few hours sleep before appearing at bis place of business cleland went oft to bis room with a grouch refusing even to take a nightcap night cap drink solomon however readily accepted floyd a invitation to take in soma of the all night ants I 1 wonder our friend has left town without good by remarked solomon to doc floyd two days after the poker game in which cleland bad lost hla money to floyd he had not appeared since that time f I 1 wonder replied floyd let s inquire of the clerk at the deck and sea if ho s gone acting upon this sug costelon they teamed that mr cocle land the namo under which cleland waa known to thorn waa still in town and tn fact was in ata room at that moment let s go up and see what alia him proposed floyd loyb be s not feeling well la hla room the two hallwa boand cleland pacing the floor with a wor tied look on his face it wae anything but cordial welcome which be gave them hot I 1 hope aid floyd ed missed you tor a couple of da a and thought we d look you up haven t cut ua out have you to tell you the truth fellows I 1 haven t felt very cheerful since I 1 made that losing im only a salaried man you know and cant really afford to play that kind of a game even if my salary la a big one it that im worrying about just now though tor ive got a chance to get more than even my conscience will hardly let me do it though and besides I 1 ve got to have more money than ive got to put the deal through buck up and tell LS about it broke in solomon and say kid don t let your conscience put too much weight on you throw it away and get rid of the handicap but don t do anything to get into jal I 1 dont mind telling ou that there are two or three places in this country right sow where I 1 don t want to go for fear the jail doors would open quick to get me our friend here is a lawyer let him ad vise you 1 I wonder it I 1 should tell you replied cleland brightening perceptibly polished actor that he was yes go ahead and out with it re turned t loyd you know we lawyers hear some strange stories now and then and can t afford to be too partle ular as to our clients well tell you on one condition agreed cleland that condition lg that you come in on tho deal with me I 1 got enough capital to put it through anyway there s no danger in it and its a sure way to make a big haul both flod and solomon agreed to come in on any deal where they could only have about to my name BO I 1 will have tc et some wt te 0 o in the deal with me you two can conada in for 6 each are you on and wait a minute you agido right now but meet mo at ten 0 clock in the morning and go with me to the and see my friend tor i our the two agreed to meet claland on the morrow and said good night and what do you think of ta inquired floyd as they went down on the elevator im a little atrall of it well let s look into it anyway returned solomon it theres a chance to pick up some easy money I 1 want it I 1 on the allowing morning they were convinced that the deal wag a good one when they went to the national ath cleland and visiting the safety vault bertlon of the bank met danny roberts as that young man came out of a small compartment in his shirt sleeves with a package of papers in his hands and a pencil behind his car danny looked tho part of a busy clerk and they heard him whisper nervously to cleland that it was all right he added that he would be at tho appointed place at precisely 12 0 clock the appointed place was a small dingy office of a dilapidated build ing on isea street cleland ex that it was the office of a friend who dealt in curb stocks and was seldom in but allowed him rea use of the place the trio were waiting when danny roberta a suit case entered HO immediately took from the case i two packages ek acely alike in appearance and as to outer signs and seals quickly cutting one of them open he disclosed large bundles of money it took a halt hour to count this out and ascertain that there was ff in the lot fifteen thousand dollars in large bills were placed in the bands of danny who hurried away in five minutes the old bills of perfectly good money see a sure and quick profit and asked tor particulars its perfectly simple explained bieland I 1 did a young fellow a good turn and kept him out of a lot of trouble hes the trusted messenger in the nineteenth national bank here now this bank Is the clearing house for a lot of smaller banks and also geta the biggest part of the cuis de posits they got thousands of dollars tn old and dirty money every week which they turn in to the on wall street getting new bills in re turn this young atno has been the messenger and made the ex changes he says they never een open the sealed packages of bills that he takes to them and which have been certified lo 10 by the officers of the bank the simply 0 Ks the amount on the back of the package and forwards it with a lot of similar bundles to washington where the old and dirty money Is never counted but just ground up and destroyed he has thought the whole plan out and says he can substitute a phony package for the one with the old bills in it he baa to have some one in the deal with him for ho would never dare to try to get rid of the old money I 1 saw him this afternoon and tomorrow he will have to make his regular weekly trip and the package already is made up with 30 in good money la it AU he waste is bait for bin abare and I 1 can give mm IS in and claa balte aad take the package 1 were divided into three packages ot erml amounts and tied up into neat paper bound parcels on the roll top desk just at that moment there was a amock on the locked door of the ot flee and cleland slammed down the top ot the desk and kicked the waste paper underneath before he went to answer the summons it was only a customer looking tor my friend he remarked as he returned and raised the top ot the desk disclosing the three neatly tied parcels you fellows hid better take our bundles and separate we alu all meet at the hotel for dinner solomon and floyd acting like two conspirators agreed to take separate conveyances uptown to their hotel and to meet there later and drink to their good luck two hours later when floyd bad not put in appearance solomon began to feel nervous ho nae afraid something had happened to floyd and cleland but for another half hour be did sot suspicion anything further and then he suddenly decided to go to hie room and investigate hie newly acquired wealth stangl Stun gl yelled solomon when he undid the parcel and found a tightly bound package of paper with a dollar bill on each outer aide and I 1 never once thought of the old greb goods game copyright toy W 0 Chapm Bj copyright in |