The Argosy, March 27, 1920 — page 89: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Re HE WHO HESITATES IS BOSSED. I’ve always thought you were one of these —these waverers. You know what I mean. One of these fellows that take a couple of weeks to make up their minds about some- thing—and then they aren’t quite sure.” So Ina was right. Yes, on the whole, she’s a pretty bright young woman. ‘“ But I take it all back,” went on Alon- zo. “Take this afternoon, for instance. You came through with a decision, and you came through with it quick and — right. I'll say it was mighty good judgment leav- ing Leavitt in! And so now, Jim, about this manager thing. Simmons is through; and if you want the job, it’s yours.” “You've hired a manager!” says I. And I never hesitated! Spike McGinnis and I got together right away afterward in a quiet corner of the clubhouse. “Well, Spike,” says I, trying to be very careless about it, “ looks like maybe you've got a little something on me.” “I'll say I have,” says Spike. “What do you know?” T-asked, trying to draw him out. “What do I know?” says he. “I'll tell you what I know. I’ve had my eye on you for some time, and this afternoon I got the goods on you, and I know that every time it’s been up to you to make some kind’ of a decision, and make it in a hurry—ike whether to pull a pitcher, or stick in a pinch-hitter, or something—you'ye been sneaking around a corner, or under the grand stand, or somewhere, and tossime a coin to see what you’d do!” ‘‘ Righto,” says I, putting all the brass into it I could. “ And what’s more, you’ve been doing it with my lucky-piece, you robber!” says Spike. “Right again,” says I. “ But kisten, Spike. Here’s how it was. You remember I was with you when you lost it; and just before the game next day, the day I took hold of the team, I stumbled onto it right where it got away from you. It was right in plain sight all the time: the way things generally are when you can’t find ’em. And I stuck it in the pocket of my shirt— I had on my uniform—meaning to hand it to you, of course. 239 “Well, I got into a pinch that day— eouldn’t make up my mind what to do about something—and I happened to re- member that I had that coin in my shirt pocket. And so I dodged under the stand and tossed the coin, heads or tails, to see what I’d do.’ “ Judg- “ Can you beat it?’ says Spike. ment!” “Things came my way,” I went on, ‘“and so I got to thinking that maybe this was a sort of ‘lucky-piece’ after all— though of course you know I’m not super- stitious or anything like that—and 0, well, I hung onto it, meaning to give it back to you some time, of course. And afterwards, whenever I got into a jam, and couldn’t quite seem to make up my mind—” “Don’t I know it?” says Spike. “ Oh, yeh! Meaning to give it back to me some time! Yeh, some time! And of course you ain't superstitious or nothing—oh, no! But how about me? How about me? Lis- ten] Didn’t the wife’s mother come to visit us just like I said she would? And ain’t I been on the bench for two weeks with old John J. Rheumatism in the money arm just like I said I would? And—but let it go. I want to ask you something. Heads or tails, eh? For instance, how did you frame up that proposition about leav- me Leavitt in this aftémoon?” “Why,” says I, not getting what he’s driving at, ‘a proposition like that would naturally frame up this way: heads, yes; tails, no. Heads I pull him; tails I leave him in. Why?” “T guess you never took a good look at this little piece of change, did you?” asked Spike. “Here; look it over—good.” As it happened, I never had looked at it very carefully, I’d simply used it when I had to; and then—tried to forget it. But TF took a good long look at it then. It was a fifty-cent piece, as I knew already, of course; and that’s as far as I’d got. And so help me John Roger, it was a trick coin! Both sides were tails! “ Must be you thought tails was having an awful run!” jeered Spike. “T never noticed,’ I says. ‘You see, I only used the coin eight or ten or maybe comicbooksscom