Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

But his hoard did not grow fast enough to satisfy him in his new thrift. And so it was that one day, stuttering and embar- rassed, his battered hat twirling nervously in his fingers, Jake Lummis sought Mrs. Sproul in the woodshed, and whispered hoarsely to her that brother William had skinned him of all he had. Horror-stricken, she begged him to particularize. , It seemed that William had taught him, Jake, a new and rather fascinating game. Stud poker it was called. ‘““ At fust, we only played fer matches,” Jake explained. ‘ And IJ allers won. Then he suggested that we play for a leetle real money; not much at fust, jest pennies, or mebbe nickels. And still I won. I-won as much as a dollar and eleven cents in one day. So then we made the stakes bigger, so’s to give him a chance to get his’n back; and seein’ I was way ahead, course I was willin’. Even then, I still won most of the times. But by and by his luck seemed to turn, sort of; and then, course it was me wanted to win back what I’d lost. End of it wuz, I drawed out all the money I got in the bank. More’n eighty dollars. And *fore I realized it, he’d won every durn cent! And now I ain’t got nothin’ to show for al! these years of work.” It was an indignant old lady who faced George Bangs with these damning facts. Somewhat to her surprise, he did not deny them. He did not even seem to feel a proper sense of shame. And when she in- sisted that he make immediate and full restitution, he fought doggedly to retain a small amount, to pay for his time and trou- ble. ‘““No reason I should spend hours and hours amusin’ that old fool! My time’s worth something, ain’t it? Besides, if he gets it all back, it won’t be a lesson to him! The very next feller comes along Jake will lose his last pants button to. Better for him if it does cost him a little, for an example!” Finally, Ellen agreed that he was to re- tain ten dollars, in order that Jake might never again be tempted to sinful gambling. “But the very next trick of this sort I catch you at, out you go! I’m done with you. The very idea! I hire you and pay ae good ViBES, gic t feed ee pet I know OO ee ae i a A ° , eo : - - - Pte (ES a. ae re =: “> > = —— ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. f how, with the understanding you’re to be mean to Ernest! ‘Stead of which, you trim poor old Jake, who ain’t more’n half bright anyhow.” George felt hurt over this rebuke. After all, he argued to himseif, he held the whip- hand. - Mrs, Sproul wouldn’t dare fire him! If she did, and he told Ernest the truth, how he wasn’t her brother Will at all, but just a stranger brought in to make Ernest so wretched that he would be driven from home, where would Ellen be? Life wouldn’t be worth living, if he knew Ernest Sproul! More likely than not, it would be she who would be driven from home! Not that he contemplated such treachery. But she better be careful whom she threat- ened! She’d hired him on the strength of his meanness; but he could aim that mean- ness in one direction as well as another. Nevertheless, he behaved very well for the next few days. Twice he awakened Ernest from the afternoon nap he liked to take on the haircloth sofa. ‘Tell me a nice story from the Bible; do, Ernie!” he begged. “I’m a pore, sin- ful feller, and you are so good.” He followed him about like a faithful dog, used his clean collars, borrowed his tobacco, pocket knife, anything portable. By another week he had Ernest at the stage where he would gladly have mur- dered him, if he could have escaped arrest therefor. But so far as he could see, and worse yet, so far as Ellen Sproul could see, the bare thought of leaving his comfortable home had not sprouted in her husband’s canny mind. VI. More and more, as the days wore on, George began to feel at home, and to shiver at the thought of being pried loose and sent back to the soup kitchens, missions, and park benches of his old life. Without a relative in the world, he relished this com- fortable household where meals were always ready on time, fuel—which he didn’t have to split and saw—was always stacked and waiting, his bed soft and warm. And little by little he felt his boasted meanness oozing form him; the one talent he pecded now more than evel, since with- See es Soe a ee SCOMICDOOKEZT ‘com.