Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

GETTING THE EVIDENCE. Ten lengths! Some evidence! “ Here’s your winner,” calls out the guy who’s translatin’ what the telegraph instru- ment has to offer. ‘“ Cherry Ripe!” he adds. I get my hundred and seventy-five and Ed’s thirty-five, thirty of which I give him; then I go to the telephone again. ‘“T just met a feller,” I tell the boss, “who says that maybe he can get us into Charlie’s place — to-morrow. We'd better stick around,” I says. “ We’re pickin’ up a lot of stuff.” ‘“ Be careful,” the boss advises. try to bust your way in.” “Oh, I wouldn’t!’’ I assure him. “That’s right; just remember the Anti- Vice and Gamblin’ Association wants to engineer the pinch. There’s five hundred in it for us—for me, I mean—if they do.” “Five hundred’s a lot of money,’ I re- mark. ‘“‘ No matter where it comes from.” I venture a hundred of what I’ve just won on Cherry Ripe on the chances of a nag named Dreamy Waltz in the second event at Louisville. I try to get Ed to string with me for twenty-five, but he’ll only stand for ten. Dreamy Waltz waltzes in, enrich- in’ me thereby to the amount of four hun- dred seeds. I call up the boss again. “I just met the guy that was goin’ to get me into Charlie’s,”’ I tell him. “ He says now that there’s nothin’ doin’.” “Say! What’s the idea of all the tele- phonin’?” asks the boss. , ‘““[ thought you’d like to know that I’m pickin’ up stuff right along.” “A fine lot of stuff!” he jeers. ‘“ You'll use up all the profits. in this. case on phone calls!” “Not ail,” I tell him, hangin’ up hastily so’s to get the best of the bettin’ on the third race. I cash again—two hundred this time. It’s beginnin’ to look like a good afternoon. I’m thinkin’ of little birdies singin’ and pretty flowers growin’. Seven hundred and fifty bucks on three bets! Even Ed is there a hundred and twenty winner as a result of a plunge of a quarter of a century on the last baby. ‘A very interestin’ case,” I remark to Ed. “ The results seem to be worth all the hard work we’re doin’ on it!” ‘* Don’t — a ee - ~_— ~ ~~ be —< he a ee en ee oe Oe bee See - 341 “You wouldn’t call this workin’ hard!” observes Ed—serious, too! “I hke it.” ‘“ Good!” I approve. “Well, I guess we’ve got enough evi- dence now,” says Ed, inspectin’ his bank- roll. ‘The less guessin’ and the less thinkin’ you do,” I tell him, “ the more successful this case is liable to turn out!” _ “ But, gee, Joe!” says Ed. “ We’ve found they’re takin’ bets here; we’ve gathered evi- dence enough to prove it—” “Say!” I interrupt, haulin’ out my roll, which I admit was beginnin’ to be a pretty sight to see, ‘“‘ I’d look fine handin’ this over to be marked Exhibit A for identification in the case of the People vs. Charles Scully, alias Handbook Charlie, wouldn’t I?” ‘“Ain’t that what you’re goin’ to do with it?” asks Ed. “The same day I cut off my right hand Iam!” I tell him. * ‘You're goin’ to keep it?” “As I hope to hold on to my life!”’ ‘“And I’m goin’ to keep what J win?” “Unless you lose it here,” I tell him. Ain’t he the stupidest guy! Always has to have things explained to him! The next mornin’ the boss, of course, wants to know all about it. I oblige with a story about hidin’ in a doorway opposite McNally’s harness shop and watchin’ the fellers goin’ in and out the place that’s sus- pected of bein’ Charlie’s. “It’s a poolroom all right, then?” asks the boss. “ “It might be,” I admit doubtful like. “ Of course, we wasn’t able to get in, but it looked like a poolroom crowd, all right. Or maybe the kind of a crowd you’d see goin’ to church.” ‘Fine work!” exclaims the boss, rubbin’ his hands. “ I'll have a good report to give the Anti-Vice and Gamblin’ Association to- day. Was there anything else you picked up that I could give them?” he asks. “Not a thing!” I assure him, feelin’ in my pocket to see whether the eight hundred and sixty which was the net returns of yes- terday’s play is safe. ‘“ Not a thing that- I’d care to give them!” ‘How much did you spend?” asks the boss in a sharp voice. \