I simply _had_ to have a roll to flash on the way home, so I took my
lonely V and went out into the Promised Land after the nuggets Maddy
had put me wise to.
"It will be just like getting money from Uncle Peter," I figured.
"A small steak from Pretty Boy," I said to Wise Samuel, the
Bookmaker; "what's doing?"
Wise Samuel gave me the gay look-over.
"Take the ferry for Sioux Falls!" he said.
"Nix on the smart talk, Sammy!" I said; "Me for the Pretty Boy! How
much?"
"A bundle for a bite--you're on a cold plate!" whispered Wise Samuel,
but he couldn't throw me.
"I don't see any derricks to hoist the price with," I tapped him.
"Write your own ticket, then you to the woods!" said Sammy.
In a minute my fiver was up and I was on the card to win $500 when my
cute one came romping home.
I went back to Clara Jane satisfied that in a few minutes I'd have a
roll big enough to choke the tunnel.
"Not having any money on this race you can watch it without the least
excitement, can't you?" she said.
I said yes, and all the while I was scrapping with a lump in my
throat the size of my fist.
When the horses got away with Pretty Boy in front I started in to
stand on my head, but changed my mind and swallowed half the program.
Pretty Boy at the quarter! Me for Rector's till they put the shutters
up!
Pretty Boy at the half! Me down to Tiffany's in the morning
dragging tiaras away in a dray!
Pretty Boy at the three-quarter pole! Me doing the free library gag
all over the place!
But just as they came in the stretch Pretty Boy forgot something and
went back after it.
The roach quit me cold at the very door of the safety deposit vaults.