A STRAIGHT FIRM.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 5, 16 January 1892, Page 6

A STRAIGHT FIRM.

By The Editor.

. The members of the well-kuown firm ■of Auckland brokers, Watson, Smith/, and Wilson, were in a bad way. There 1 they sat in, the little sweating-room 1 talking matters over. ." Jt's no use, boys," said little, round, fab Bob Smith, blinking through hiß -eyeglass, "we rnnßt plunge or skip:' We've pat our tooties into it, and we must go or die." " Plunge or skip," groaned Billy "Watson. "Go or die," moaned Tomnr* "Wilson., And then they smoked and smoked. You coulJ hear them vbiukinjj. "There's that little parcel: of A nekland Gases, and old Busterby's Tryflukes and May Queens, besides that joL lot of Moanatams and Silverton* of Adam Brodie's. There's£sooin the lot" '" Well, what 'the old Satan can wo do with £sJO—and afterwards.? what then, eh ? Hudson Williainaoa and the blooming Supreme 1" '" Well boys, we're all: in the same boat, and we may as well skin 'em all, put on the pot, and chance the result," * # * # * .

That night tlae scrip had ch-mcrecl hands, and the tbree sat in office with a little pile 6f notfis and cash oa the table between them. • . • •'Five hundred and seven poian&s, eight Shillings and ninep^ace." • ♦' Between us and- ——" •" Mount Eden.,"' . . ": " Well, it's no good making three biti^s at a cherry, The odd man take 9 the lot, and puts it out the best way he can."

" If it Dans put, right'; if not——"

«• Honolulu." 11 Or Rough on "Rats."' So it was agreed to adopt that simple mode of arbitration known as Tommy Dorfd. Out came the coin arid spun is. the air. "Head'! " cries Billy. ■• •• Kit Head"!'.' yells Thomas. "Tail, by the Lord !" singi out "Bob, and with a swoop takes the pool off the table.

" No advice, boys, thanks ; Robert Smith will put this littln bit on what he likes. This is his trouble." A week went by. Saturday, January 2nd is Derby and Steeplechase day at EHe.rslie, as all the world knows. Th& trinity was there, gay and sparkling, flower in button-hole, cigar in raou h, joke on lip. Intermingled with th' jit badinage there was a little anxious talk —very lit:tle — very anx'ous. " Sent thf odd Sfyen notes to the big sweep man in Sydney,", said Bob. '• What on ?"" "T.H.d, Bigot Handicap; first horse, £10,000 " •'What rot!" '-- :- .'.-■-._ "If you're going tochnok the lot away like that we may as well save a couple of quid for prussic acid," *' Why the race was run yesterday or the day before, and if you gefc no cable it's a bad omen for.us,"

" Oh, yoa be banged," said Boh. -. " We'll be jolly near. ij,' old: man," Arid here Bob slipper! aw \y. Ib twenty minutes he sauntered back to . his chums, and said : - ; • "Do you ob-erve that old cuss with the dilapidated while tut, over there by the box?" "Yes'; who is it?" . "That's Keady Money Walker,"the big bookie from the other side, "and he' has .£SOO belonging to us in hia little bag." \ " Great heavens, you ass! " ■*.' Holy St. Joseph ! why what ',' " And what in the name of Beelssbub have y>u plunged.on !" , . " ■ " Tommy for the Steeples at 20 to I. 11 »- # * # #

The racas went on and were won and . lost. Gorgeously dressed women, spielers ." of the lowest ordeivjockey, owners,' and aiew ladies and gentlemen elbowed one another inside the reserve and out. 'fbe T totie bell mingled with the merrymusie of the band. .Winners smiled and-"-shouted, losers want in to We again; • and' sorrow and sodawater was >ft.ta"".'

the morrow. The bell rang for fhe 'Steeples. Three i men &at in a far off corner of -the course. 11 Yon ass! "

" You blazing i,liot! "

But Bob blinked and smiied.

" They're off!" was yelled from five ihondred throats. And off they were,' 'JTisbmonger, Sentinel/ and Tommy .in the van. Away ! away! There goes Bay with Dixon baSly thrown :at the stonewall. JFisb monger baulks! 'Now iH opeful Kate .'f.lls, lommy, Yarilsman and the Colonel going steadily. Down goes Kaeon the Colonel. Tommyis second, and going well; romingup on 'em. £ 10,000 ig ! By the Lord, Bob, you were sight! Ahh-h ! ■Curse them ! Tommy baulks at the next !kurdle! The game's up, the moneys lost, and Tommy crawls in a rotten tbii'd after the judge.leaves the*box. ;

Three)msn are sitting in an office A spack of sards lies on the table, and the game is cut-throat. It is for a big *stake^« ■humon lift.: There lies a "written paper-on tha table, which reads,

ithust—

J, ............., in the presence of ............ and ..... r ....... my

jpnrtnei's, »nd th) witness who sigus this, do h^ieliy confess that from time .'to time during the past twelve months,; 1 have taken, embezzled, aud used for ij&y own purjxjs^s, tha mour-ys, scrip, - securities, etc , the-propsrty • Af'the por- - sons whose names are set ajrainsfc the various sums of monny, descriptions of "stock, 1-scrip, etc., iv' the schedule anhereto. And further,' that- I being book-keeper to thefira. and having • the whole matrer in my own hands, do ■exonerate my partners ftom any blame 11 have des'royed the books and all '.documents'concerned. • Signed : "Witness , Hnrc followed the names of the 1 per- «■ sous -who had been ■>& winkled, witli the •amounts and descrijjtion of the manner which the fi aud had been perpetrated. ' The total amount wis •'Now boys,'beibre we cut for deal rlet us underntami each other. Seven 'Up, first, nun out of ie, two last play as stanri, »nd the list man sigus that vpaper before a witness, and iv a week is ' a dead man. lib eitht3r that or disgrace 2for all jJu-ee." "-Yes."

"That's so" "•, The out tvhr made. "Watson cuts a 3JHck, Tommy an ac, ant] Bob rimith a. ten, txudthdtm rota t>h»y pi iy. A straight i;n»areh- f*»r Watson, ami <a point -for Tommy Wilson. Bob is euc'ired, Wat- ■ Bon takirg it. Watson.a p u'nr, Wilson - a point, Smith a point. Watson " all 'but" aud h point, puts him tmb. Theti" Wilson tdk'B a ma'bh, making him 3 •■and Smith ']. .Smith anothnr r point. -Wi'son another point. The same again Th« sine next round, making Wilsou 5 ancl Smith 3. The cards are dealt in grim silence. Boh Smith deliheiately '-throws 1 his two liest cards ay/ay. and !Biily Wilson takes a inarch. Out! 'Smith, pubs away the c-mls, and. touches ;the bell i hat scapes on the table. "John, -run An -ami,get Mr Musgrove tor a luonient to witness this document." Mr Musgrove is a well-known •J.H. on 'Change. "'Bove*,""is aU'Bob says," " its right •It was*! who fixed you. Anybow what ■is the odds-." He then'filled the vacant 'Spaces w.th' his own name n'rs% and those, of Wilson anfl .Watson as the ;. paitners.

: " Good day, Muegrove ; jnsfc pufc.your eagle eye on my cahgraphy while I. sign 'this."

" What, more'biz ; you fellows must be making a pile. All right, fire away, Smith."

-The paper is feigned, witnessed, and •dated, and Mus^rove huries away. '"No good waitiug a week, chapsj" 'BftVß'Btib camly • l"Scud this ronnd to tbft police stationrighc now. Yon^eel camo prepaied, 31 and out cmae his revolver.

;V Telegram, Sir." '"'Give it'here-M>h,-for Soaftli—tfroM %dney, Open it Bob j its addressed

to you." " Holy Ezekial! Mother of Moses'! read this—' Kegrefc cablegram not sent. beforej^ Bagot Handicap. Your tick«t v 37,792 drew Portsea. Portsea won. Other cables sent to Dunedin by error, of clerk.—Adam Tatters,'"

'^Tell yon'w:hat it is/said Busteifty,; the old legal manager, over his tankard at the Imperial, " those three chaps are: the straightest firm on 'Change. Have one'youriseif." !