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Show I BATTLJHG PETE'S LAST ILMGAGEMBDNT I Story of the Swedish Punching Bag's Spectacular Finish eanaSa. 1 wrTTtt)t 11 M th BnSM In" ' F you know what makes a comedian X desire 10 play Hamlet, and a musi- cat comedy star pine to appear as Hj I. uc a or Marguerite, you will know what power pcisuadcd Peter Hanson lie was cut out for a fighting man Better had neither the temperament Hi no;' I he physical qualifications of a pug. list, and f state here and now. fearing no contradiction, lhat on every occasion save one. ha was absolutely the. worst fighter that ever stepped through the ropes. Nature designed Peter for more sedentary pursuits, but H- Peter would not have it so and under , th picturesque non) do guerre iof "Battling PetO" he blazed along the horizon of the Qucensberry firmament H' and there endured for a short time i Later Peter appeared In the very jonith of the heaven-., flared r' ari ; instant, and then winked out Into darkness. There was only one 111 Dg in li!s favor: Peter was came. Many a r.lev-Hi r.lev-Hi or fellow is able to hide his lack of courage by the skill with which lie. avoids punishment Peter never avoid ! ed anything Ho had but one system of blocking punches, and that was by ; Interposing the portion of bio anatomy at which the Mow was aimed Peter might easily have established a world's record for knockdowns per round, and Ibe night bo Fought "Slaughterhouse" Green. Peter was down just eighteen times In Tour rounds, mind you! ! Vow It is fiot such a wonderful thing to bo knocked down eighteen times; it is getting up eighteen times which amounts to something To he knocked j flat requires no great amount of game- j nes: the d fforencrt between slaving j I there and getting up again is the lilf- j frronec between the quitter and the game man Nobody ever accused Peter of quitting, quit-ting, for he was always there at the nd of his fights: vet his preliminary i record was an unbroken string of de- K1 If rrtcr could have Inflicted a much punishment as he could take, ho would I have been a champion n the world; I Ha. but divine punishment was not in Peter's line All he know how to do was to wade in as expeditiously as I possible and keep on wading in until Hi something h t him lie was never kept waiting very Ions Tho life of the pork-and-bean preliminary pre-liminary man is no bed of roses Ho does not wear large yellow, diamonds upon his fingers or pink Bilk nndor-! nndor-! -wear upon his limbs. He is very well j satisfied with a sweater, a cap. and J old pair of trousers, and the tools of Hg his profession I BUally ho is in very I good luck if he eats often enough to keep on friendly terms with his stom- I have figured that Peter's knockdowns knock-downs during the first season netted htm exactly sixty-five cents ap'ece, ! and some of those knockdowns woum j! have been considered a hargain al one j thousand dollars. Peter never seemed ! to mind them, and it tickled the rrowd. so every one was satisfied Besides j "Battling Pete" which was ibe name j of his own select. on. he became known ' as the "Swedish Punching Bag," "Whalebone Pete." and "Kid Ivory All one season Peter performed as often as he could secure a match, ! which was as often as the club gave ! an entertainment Peter was popular, ,i In a fashion, and he became a habit with our patrons, who liked to see him hit the mat on one oar and then .Maw his way to his feet again. mil-K mil-K Ing and unruffled, T was sittinz in the office one morning, morn-ing, entertaining the usual delegation of lop-eared. lov.-browed gladiators, all of whom demanded several I mos what their p-ofrssional services were north, -wjion the door opened to admit Peter Following his usual custom, be sal rfown in the eorrer and allowed 1 nc rush of husines- to subside. A good thing about Peter was his patience He neer seemed to be in i hurry When the last of the visitors swaggered away he came forward, cap j In hand. "I can ret McCarty for you for next Friday night." I said. 'Do you want ur Peter rhook his head, jj "You've met ir.u-her fellows than ! McCarty" I believed that t was en- eouragement he needed. "Mr Carey." said Peter. "I just cifcne I ap here to tell vou that T'm going to retire " "To 1 "Retire." repeated Peter. "Quit; blow the game; you know that's what they til say; retire." "But why1" T asked. "Haven't I al- i vav- jiven you nice easy matches?" Sure. Mr. Carey. " he said. "The matches have been all right. I amt Peking. Hut a felloy offereJ m? a j loh and I'm going to take it. Ii's driv- I nr a laundry wagon Twelve bucks a week That's bettor than being beat up ror ten a throw. 1 A suspicion entered my mind that Peter was trying to raise the union scale He was a drawing raid, an.l BO "Maybe wo could give you fifteen next time, ' I suggested. Peter smiled again "Me for the laundry game." he sa d If I lose this job I may come hack.'' I shook hands with Peter and h.? went away When the afternoon new --paper --paper men made (he rounds in search of fistic squibs I mentioned the loss which we had sustained Peter's peculiar pe-culiar talent had been worth a lot of copy. and the sporting writers mouruu nun . ppropjiatciy uezi m live reading matter His "retirement" was worth half a column. I did not sec Peter again for eight months. He dropped out of sight as completely as if ho had loaded himself him-self into his laundry wagop and driven it Into oblivion. In the mean time wo were busy developing de-veloping a champion. An awkward, rawboncd rciruit suddenly developed a devastating righthand punch and mowed his way through the pork-and-beaners w-jlb a startling succession of one-round knockouts. His name was Isidore Goldstein, which was probably the reason he wished to be known to ring followers as "One-Round Ifyan " He was immediately imme-diately chistened the "Fighting Pawnbroker." Pawn-broker." and he put many a budding reputation in pawn, rising by leaps and hounds until be reached red type on (he posters and star bouts on the programme He passed through the local welterweight, welter-weight, crop like a pestilence and we were forced to import high-pr cod tal I jent. ' I "Reputations or no reputations." said Ahoy Goldstein. Isidore's brother, and al-o his manager, "they makes by us no difference whatever, Mr. Carey. AM we want is that we should get it lhat old 7r per cent, every time." It was good business to let Isidore! fight as often as possible, for he was a remarkable drawing card. But the IgoOd welters refused to have anything I to do w ith him In vain brother Abey Lhurled challenges broadcast; the kingpins king-pins of the welterweight divi-ion 'would have mini' of the Fighting Pa wnbroker, "I toll you what we shall do." said brother Ahoy "We shall agree to stop throe local men in on? night, only you should put it In there one soft one anyhow." I planned the triple bout. Brother i Ahoy insistlncr that Isidore was the "card." demanded -40 per cent, of the gross, and w had to c ve it to him j Tn order that Isidore should not loaf upon the job. we asked him to sign a contract to pay any of I ho men who. should st;iy four rounds the sum of ?100. Brother Abev protested long and loud but when we pointed out to him lhat none of Isidore's opponents had ever lasted the finish of the second round, be ;ipreed to sign. To those whom Isidore should defeat Inside the limit. Iho club was to cive ?2" apiece Then, more as a joke than anything el?e. Billy Grayson, the club manager, announced that he would ;ay $500 to any one of the three men who might slop the talented Isidor. "That la." said Grayson, "they'll have io knock him out What a chance! There was no immediate response to the eall for volunteers to stand before be-fore Is dore for four rounds Our own pork-and-bonnors having seen the Fighting Pawnbroker in action, were not anxious to bo slaughtered to mak- Quoensborry holiday. I finally managed to secure two eandidales. "Wolf" ' Benson and "Shadow" Belcher l!enson was a rugged fighter of some local reputation, reputa-tion, and Belcher wns a fast, showy boxer iv.ith a "riearn puff" left hand. Both believed they stood a chance of forcing Isidore fo disgorge the $100. There remained the third man. and rate -enl him to me just as T was locking lock-ing my desk for the afternoon. The door opened and closed softly, and there w-as Peter smiling down at me with the same old damaged smile. "Well! well!" I said. "How's the j laundry business Peter?" "Oh. fair." said Peter without en- ! thusfasm. "Mr. Carey, what's ihe chances to get on next Friday night?" I shook ray head. 'The preliminary card Is all filled," I said. "What's the matter with the laundry business? Lose your job?" Peter ignored the question. "I don't want to fight no preliminary," prelim-inary," ho said. "I want to get in on that three-man thing with your Pawnbroker" Pawn-broker" "You don't want to get your head knocked off for twenty-five dollars, do yon'''' I inquired. "You ain't seen nohody knock my head off vet, have you''" said Peter reproachfully re-proachfully "I still got it and I met all the tough guys you could dig up for me." I laughed Peter twisted his cap In r his hands Just as he used to do when he asked for a 'loan" on the day before a fight. "I figure that I've got a good chance to stay four rounds," he said. "A good chance to be killed' I retorted. re-torted. "You'd better stick to your laundry wagon, Peter. You don't know what a tough fellow this is " Peter stood perfectly still for several sev-eral seconds. Then he placed one hand on the desk, and leaning over began to talk in low. hurried tones. "Mr. Carey, I ain't cariug how good this fellow is or how tough he Is. I'd fight Inm if he was the champion. It's ch is way: I'm tip against It and I've got to have some money There is a girl that L met out at the laundry the best kid you ever saw in your life. I got awfully stuck on her. and we are figuring on going to keeping house-getting house-getting married, you know." A slight blush swept over his battered bat-tered features and tipped his magnificent magni-ficent cauliflower ear with crimson. He hurried on; "She ain't got no folks nor any homo Tive seconds after the gong rang, it was plain that Belcher had designs on Isidore's hundred and was goflfg to run the Fighting Pawnbroker a Marathon Mara-thon race for the money The Shadow zigzagged backward across the ring, skipped nimbly out of corners, and sprinted around the ropes, with the business-like Isidore in full cry behind him Isidore cared no more for $100 dollars than ho did for his right eye. and while Belcher was lightning fast on his feet he bad need to be. Belcher ran for two minutes of the second round, and then Isidore, desperate des-perate because of his hundred, literally literal-ly horded the Shadow into a corner, battered down his guard, and sent h in bead first through the ropes wjth a solid thump on the jaw, Exit Mr. Belcher. The Wolf came next a shaggy, hatry boy. with a square fighting jaw. Isidore took his full ten minutes' rest as provided for by the articles, and estimated es-timated the house while he was doing it. The Wolf was also out for some of 1 1 "HlMlffT' II BOB d hospital until just a furnished room l-ast week she got her hand caught in the mangle and she's out at the hospital now in pretty bad shape I could see where it, was up tcv me. and I had a little money saved up for for "urnilu:e aid things T paid her expenses at the hospital and I got her a good doctor: but it took every bean I ould dig up. They had an operation to save her hand, and operations cost like hell. I tell you. Mr. Carey, I'm up against it. and I d go after any man in the world if there was a chanee to get a hundred dollars. I'd fight a buz, saw right now for that much money!" Peter stopped suddenly and gulped once or iwioe It was the longest -peerh ho had over made in his life I did not speak, and after a short silence Peler added: "I'm in pretty good hape for a fight, too Io been working hard and eating eat-ing regular I rould fight to-morrow." "Immense!" said Bill Grayson's voieo. He bad come in unnoticed and had heard Peter's ple.a "That'll make grat press stuff It'll boost the show " ' Not on your life'" said Peter de-cfdedly de-cfdedly "You don't use my girl to boost a priTo fight I'll wallop the first re-I re-I porter that gets gay' " "Now. see here." said Grayson wbecd-jlingly. wbecd-jlingly. "nohody knows the giri's name It won't bo necessary to use it." "And I get a chance to go for the I hundred0" asked Peter. "Surest thine you know' Let him sign the articles now." After Peter disappeared we remembered remem-bered lhat ho had said nothing about the $500, or the $2" to a loser -It was j plain that Peter hid but one Idea, namely, to hear the bell ring at the; end of the fourth round That night the preliminary men fought before a packed house. There was a terrifie roar of applause when. ! late in the evening the Fichling Pawnbroker Pawn-broker elamberod through the rop'-, followed by a whole platoon of advisers, seconds, towel swingers and bottle holders, who brought along enough , supplies to last for a week. fon afterward Shadow Belcher appeared, ap-peared, looking pale and rather nervous. ner-vous. The men had drawn for positions posi-tions and Peter was to appear last Isidore's money, his method being a simple one. N'o sooner had he reached trf centre of the ring than ho shot out his left hand and followed it into a clinch, pinning Isidore's arms as best he could Then he held on as long as possible. Isidore flailed away with both hands, but the Wolf covered his stomach with his elbows and humped his back like a camel.. The first round was a long succession succes-sion of clinches. Isidore required the fraction of a second in which to set himself for his mighty wallop: In that short space of time Benson would jab and clinch and keep on clinching until un-til the referee interfered. The crowd stood this for the better part of the first round, and then grew restive "A-h-h-! Make 'em fight!" "Cut oit the polka. Wolf!" Toward the end of the third round. Isidore began to puff as if tired. Benson Ben-son was still jabbing and clinching With twenty seconds to go, the Wolf, who knew that the time was short. I tried a right hook and stepped into j the usual hugging match. Isidore hit I him with a straight iolt to the nit of 'the stomach, and the clinging arms' j fell away as the Wolf w ilted under the blow. Quick as a flash, over went Isidore's Isi-dore's justly celebrated right cross, and down went the Wolf as if struck by lightning. A shout went up from the gallery , and spread all over the house, and there was Peter, marching down the a:sle.j clad In the same old faded green trunks and the same worn old fighting shoes. Peter sat in his corner and grinned at old ringside friends, as the new-gloves new-gloves wore being adjusted. The un-fler un-fler dog always has the sympathy of the aud.ence, and In this case thanks j to the gentlemen of the press, Petei appeared as a battered knight, fighting for his lady I did not realize how! generally the story wa? known until an usher leaned over my shoulder. " Say!" be exclaimed "What do you think those sports back in the boxes are doing0 Tbey are making up a purse for Pete I just saw one fellow cough up a twenty-dollar note, and l Hayne's has got a derby bat about half j: rull of money Wouldn't that kill you? ! Pretty soft for Pete, eh' He ought to II split It with the press agent for starting start-ing that story about his girl. It's a cinch Peter never spoke to a g rl a his life!" There was a final commotion in the ring, and the men came to the centre for the referee's Instructions which they knew by heart and backward Naturally the seconds, rubbers, towel swingers and bottle holders crowded In, too, listening breathlessly as 'if to a state secret and trying to look as impoitaut as possible, in this, their brief tenure of the limelight "Hit with one arm free, protect yourselves your-selves in the break, straight rules to govern, and no foul goes unless it does damage Go to your corners!" The fighters walked back to their respective angles of the ring the handlers hand-lers scattered like quail, scuttling under un-der the rope. Abey patted Isidore on the hack, the gong clanged and the fight began. Pete walked steadilv out of his corner, cor-ner, his left shouldei hunched high up over his ear. For the first time In his life he was adopting a protective measure, he wished to preserve his jaw from Isidore's pulverising right cross. The Fighting Pawnbroker wasted no time on Peter. lie was itching to set ahout the counting of his share of the gate receipts, and Peter was nothing more than an annoying incident -who was delaying Isidores game temporarily. tempor-arily. Peter stuck out his left glove cautiously cau-tiously and over came Isldoie's money getter. Peter bobbed his head and the glove struck him high up over the car, but with such force that Peter went sprawling on all fours He started to scramble to his feet in-, stantly. thought bettor of It and dropped back on one knee to take tbc j count of n'ine. Isidore walked away sneering. Up came Peter hunching his shoulder shoul-der as before. Isidore walked in do-' liheratcly, feinted a few times, and .swinging high, brought his right fist down over the raised shoulder Peter went to the floor with a thud, rolled lover on his stomach, drew up his knees .and waited, crouching, while the ref-jeree ref-jeree counted nine. The gr.n had dis-i appeared from his face, and he shook his head sharply several times, as 'if lo clear it. Isidore was disgusted. He knew what had been behind that last punch and for the life of him ho could not understand why Peter was not on his hack. What was this Swede made of. anvhow Oh, well, next time. But the next time ho missed, being in a hurry, and Peter, squatting to let the glove whistle over his head, plumped plump-ed his own right into the pit of Is'-j dore's stomach. It was an awkward blow, awkwardly delivered, but it fetched a loud grunt from Isidore, and a volley of cheers from the house Isidore Isi-dore clinched willingly for the firjt time that night. At last the Fiffhting Pawnbroker pulled out of the clinch, steadied him celf for a second, and rushed in. swinging swing-ing his right hand from his h p. Peter was as wide open as a barn door and the flailing uppercut caught him fairly on the point of the chin. I reached for my overcoat. Men began to stand up and gather their belong. ngs. Peter stiffened on his feet and then toppled sidewise to the canvas Isidore tool: one look at him and started for hisj 'corner, tugging at his gloes "Stop it' Stop it!" ered several voices which were immediately ' drowned in a roar from the gallery There was Peter on his hands and I knees, shaking his head as before, I dazed and badly jarred, but otherwise perfectly calm, watching the jeferee's j face. He was up at the count of nine, and I was amazed to see that his knees were steady under him. Isidore became angry. He asked the referee if he should "commit a mur-! j der." The referee was a humane man He waved Isidore away for a second. "Shall I stop it. Pete"" he asked. "If you do." said Peter gr inly, I'll make you hard to catch!" "Get together!" said the referee Isidore was very angry by this time. I By all precedent, Peter had no right to be on his feet. The champion-to-be lost his presence of mind and began swinging wildly Peter bobbed his head, ducked his body and hopped out of danger. Isidore sw ung a wander:ag richt and followed it with a haphazard left and Peter seeing another golden opportunity, stepped under that random ran-dom left and stopped the swing of Isidore's Isi-dore's body with another pile-driving r ght-handeT just below the breast bone. "O-o-o-ff!" grunted Isidore, clinching and looking toward his corner, where ' Abey was telegraphing advice with al! : his fingers. . 1 When the bell sounded the end of t the first round, Peter was on the floor again, but he rose at once and walked 1 steadily to bis corner. I watched his if knees for the weakness which Is the 1 first sign of collapse. Tbey were as' j steady as they had ever been. The house was working itself into a state of great excitement Kddie Haynes, whooping like an Ind an, had nearly completed ibe circle of the boxes, and business with him seemed quite prosperous pros-perous during the minute's intermission. intermis-sion. "Look at Izy!" said the usher. "He s blowing like a porpoise!" I looked a't Isidore He wai sprawled back against the angle of the rope-, and one hand was placed tenderly over the pit of his stomach. He was swallowing swal-lowing air in great gulps, and his excited ex-cited handlers were not helping him any by filling his mouth with water Two seconds, with an ear apiece, were telling him exactly what he ought to do. A minute in the corner under bad handling, is sometimes worse lhan three rounds of fighting In i lie other corner of the ring Peter the Battler was resting easily, with a large blue lump on the left side of hli jaw He caught my eye. and, nodding toward Isidore's corner, tapped himself tw ,p on the stomach' For a few seconds sec-onds I had hopes for him. Wben the liell r:iti" Isidore r n t :i nn 1 1 - ed out of his seat with a rush which carried him nearly nil the way to Peters corner. As he ran he swung his light arm as a man swings a scythe, hooking it straight upward at the end of the blow. There was no time to dodge Isidore's glove grazed Peter's forearm and struck him under the chin. The Battler came as near turning a back somersault as his limited arc would permit, and his head struck the canvas with an amazing bump Everyman Every-man in the hous grunted in sympathy For the fraction of a second there was silence, and in that lull I heard the calculating Abey say: "Thais tie money. Izzy!" Then I think I stood up and yelled. I remember finding myself on my feet land brcatblc.-. What happened was enough to make almost any man v. No sooner had Peter's head hit the canvas than he whirled over like a cat and literally shot from the floor in a thunderbolt charge. His yellow hair fairly streamed behind him BS he rushed upon the startled Isidore and his eyes were bulging w ith fury. "He's been knocked crazy' ' howled a man behind me "He doesn't know ! what he's doing'" In no other way could I account fo? the sudden transformat.on of the hu man punching bag. or his recovery from a blow which would have felled an ox In a flash Peter attacked became be-came Peter attacking; a wild-cyed maniac coining into battle with a shrill j yell of rage. To say Lhat Isidore was surpr Bed j would be putting it quite mildly His I eyes "popped from his head, his mouth ! fell open, and his hands hung dangling dang-ling at his sides They were hanging there when Peter landed a crazy hay- I maker swing to the body, and with a yelp of pain Isidore shut up like a Jack-knife. Then he shuffled away backward toward his corner Peter following him like a tiger and banging bang-ing away with both bands By this time It sounded as If the building was beiug torn down Chairs were smashed in all directions men were jumping up and down scream-ling, scream-ling, yelling, whooping; canes were flying fly-ing hats were thrown away, and every mau in the place seemed lo be urg- i 'ing Peter, who needed no urging. I "Put him out'" they shouted I have seen many champions, but never one who showed such an insane j fury of attack as Peter did that night I Peter, who through all his fighting j j career had been a punching bag for' j other men. It did not seem possible yet there be was. battering the great I .Fighting Pawnbroker along the ropes, ! smashing him out of clinches, doubling him up with body blows, and straight-ening straight-ening him up with uppercuts Finally Isidore brought up with a crash in his own corner, he could re- I treat no further At the same instant Peter started a right uppercut which seemed to come from his shoe tops. 1 The whizzing glove thudded under fdi- i dore's chin, and the Fighting Pawnbroker Pawn-broker collapsed in a heap fell against ' the ropes and slid slowly to the floor. ' il wai an oer The referee counted in dumb show no voice could have carried moro than a few feet in that tremendous din but he bent low s.o that Isidore, if conscious, could hear the passing of his fame Somewhere in the middle of the count tho champion whowas to be. stirred slightly as if d.sturbed in his rlumbru, and then nestled closer to tho floor The referee threw up hU hands at "ten" and turned to r it Peter on the shoulder, but th. battler was already 1 helping to lift the fallen idol to his ( stool. Then . Peter picked up Isidore's limp glove, shook it twice, and ( are- 1 fully replaced it in his lap One might have said that, ho did it apologetically, j By this time half of the men in the I V house were on their way to the ring. 1 A wild African buffalo loose In that stampede would have needed pity. Down they came to the ringside and up under the ropes; treading on the shoulders and back of those at the press tables, stepping on fingers and smashing telegraph Instruments. From four sides they burst into the ring, a wild wave of humanity that engulfed Peter and to.-srd him shoul, der-high in an instant. They slapped him on tho back, they hugged hirn. they patted his arms and his legs, and tried to tear off his gloves for souven- j irs The ring was jammed with pushing, tugg.ng. hauling mas3 of red-faced, open-mouthed humanity. Only in one corner of the ring was there anything like a calm. In Isidore'j corner there was no celebration. His scowling seconds Joeked arms and formed a cordon about him, kicking right and left when the press threatened. threat-ened. The Fighting Pawnbroker s;it on his stool with his head in his hands, a forsaken idol, listening to a wild' requiem which was also a welcome to ' 1-a 1-a '-onqueror. l ight followers waste, little t:mo on Ihe healen m-in -n .. . M1, UclL. tor how great he has been. He has i s been licked and that settles him. "Tho king is dead' Hoo-ray!" At last with immon-e difficulty and It the aid of the police, a passageway was cleared, and Peter left the rinj, high on the shoulders of his delighted 1 seconds. I crushed my way through Jl the aisles, and by virtue of my official - position as matebmaker was adroit- I led to Peter's dressing room Tht Z Battler was silting on the rubbing ; table, while Irs seconds bent over his d shoe laces. I "How on earth did you do it, Peter?" uj I demanded. a "Honest, Mr Carey," said he. grin- '1 ning. "I don't know. I guess I just Ifft venl crazy. Vou know that's the first lit jaw punch I ever really felt in my ) ' life' t made me mad. Oh. say! l! Jfl guess I get. that huiidr--d anvway, let don t I?" I1 ' Hundred' Its five hundred! You knocked him out!" Peter gasped and dt turned pale. ' Why. I thought if whs only a liun 'jj dred!" he stammered. lie intended to cay more, but thers A- arose a fearful clamor ouLs.de tbs door, a hammering and a bellowing and I recognized the voice as Eddie's, Mt lifted in supplication "Ab. bos just one of them erazr- iGO bugs!" sad "Spike" Mo.Gilligan. '.he c hiof advisor. But he opened the dnor, I grumbling as he fumbled at the la'ch. H Haynes entered with a roar. His J COllai was torn loose, his vest was ripped open, he was perspiring lib- jj j I orally, and his o;ee was hoar.e. I ft ! Hugged close to bis che? was a stiff j nat which he carried like a tureen "Greatest little lighter jn the world, friCf boy!" ho bellowed. Little token of i!5a esteem from the bunch! Something to pay doctors' bills! Gee, but that 1. i was a great finish ' " Then he turned the hat upside dowa in Peter's lap, cascading a floor! of 1 silver, paper and gold onto the floor. Iq Peier looked dow-n at his lap, then ho Ifcs stared at Haynes, and lastly turned to yHi "What the" he began and then ho choked. "Whar is this, anyway? I'Str What's coming off here" Looks 1 kc il might be money.' I 1. I .said. "Your friends in the house wanted you to have something besidei j jj' j the purse." JJ "Spike." who had been flat on the y j floor, suddenly dumped another hpap j ijJen l into Peter's lap i Haynes, grinning happily, turned the j I ning of the hat inside out, shook it, 1 tapped it a few times, and replaced It 1 I on his head "I guess that's all of it." he said. jJJ, Peter looked down at the money i in his lap, and tour hod the pile with j g his fingers. M lord : ' t.iid .ic and :' sounded like a prayer "I didn't know there was that much money in the world!" " Then ho held out his hand to j I Haynes Peter's face was twitching, j and hii eyes were full of tears. iaa "I T can't sav nofhinpr." he began. J H 'Then he choked and began to sob. "Forget it'" cried Haynes "If yon 1 i want to make it right with me. ask I me. to the wedding. ' j "You're on!" said Peter, wrin3fng Haynes' hand. ' And it'll be soon too!" j Billy Grayson says that a fighter j is the most ungrateful of all profei-"J s.oual performers He said this aftf I he had offered Peter all sorts of is 1 jJ( dutements to meet fighters of nation! i reputation. vj Peter declined every offer; SO pe J H p cent, of the house wan no inducement fH 0, To the best of my knoVledge. the Bat- Ig tier has never had a five-ounce glo0 Al on his hand since, that ra'-morabl: night. JN He owns a laundry route lD(1 has three men working 'or him I meet ju him occasionally. Tho last t.nie j jJJ saw him he informed me that it as boy and his name was Edward Hayntf sUt. Hansen. |
