"He does, too--he knows most everything there is to know."
But Fatty decided things once and for all.
"Anyway," he declared, "this game's not 'in fun.' You said you'd play
'for fair' and that means 'for keeps.'"
Jehosophat was silent. He hadn't understood what 'for fair' had meant
at all. Still, he had agreed to play that way, and so, though he
wanted to punch Fatty's head for him, he supposed he'd have to take
his losses like a gentleman.
But now Fatty was taking something out of his pocket, something made
of wood and shaped like a bridge or a saw with teeth in it. He placed
it on the ground.
"Your turn, Joshy," he said.
"What'll I do?" asked Jehosophat.
"Just roll your marbles under this bridge, and if they go through the
little holes, you can keep 'em. If they don't, they're mine."
The two boys didn't see through the trick, and very foolishly they
thought they might win some of their beautiful marbles back.
So they rolled marble after marble against that little wooden bridge.
But it was much harder to aim straight than they had expected. More
marbles would hit against the wood and bounce back than ever went
through the little holes. And when this strange new game was ended
Fatty had fifty-two marbles and they each had four!
Then Fatty walked off.
"Nice game," he said, "I'll come tomorrow."
But the boys didn't second that or give him any warm invitation like
saying, "yes, and stay a week." They spoke never a word--just looked
and listened--looked at the few marbles left in their own hands, and
listened to the "chink, chink, chink" of Fatty's pockets as he walked
down the drive.
They were very solemn around the table that night, and though Mother
knew there must be something the matter, she didn't ask any questions
yet. However, Marmaduke kept reaching down into his pockets so often,
to feel the lonely little marbles he had left,--the one agate, and the
croaker, and the little gray mig, and the clink of them sounded so
weak and thin and lonesome that Father said,--
"Well, how did the game go today?"
"F-f-f-fine," said Marmaduke, but his lip quivered.
Then they knew there surely must be something the matter, and
Marmaduke couldn't help saying,--
"That ole Fatty Hamm said he was playing 'for keeps,' and he took away
almost all our marbles."
"Humph!" exclaimed Father, and Mother looked at him with an odd look.
"I'm sorry it happened," she said, "but I'm glad, too."
Jehosophat exclaimed:
"Glad we lost our marbles?"
"Not exactly, dear, but I knew it would happen. You see, as the Toyman
said, it's always kinder and more fun, too, to play games 'in fun.' If
you play anything 'for keeps,' the one who loses is always hurt and
feels badly. Supposing you had played with Johnny Cricket, now, and
had won all his marbles--how would you feel?"
She didn't need to say any more. They understood.
But after supper the Toyman called the boys into the woodshed. They
sneaked out quietly and he whispered to them,--
"Just wait till tomorrow."
"What's going to happen tomorrow?"