Johnston McCulley

“ The customer from out of town lost a couple of times, and then grew excited. The gambling fever, entered the blood of Thubway Tham, too.
They continued to shake dice, and the customer from out of town began winning. He won continually and consistently. Thubway Tham didn’t like that—he was getting the house in a bad hole. Almost before he realized it, the customer from out of town had won ten dollars. ”

“ Some sense of delicacy prevented Tham telling the visitor to the city that his appearance and manner were a standing invitation to pickpockets.
“I’ve heard tell about these New York slickers, but they won’t get me, you betcha,” replied the customer.
“I’ll bet thix thenth,” said Thubway Tham, “that you’ve got your coin in a wallet in your hip pocket.”
“How’d you know that?” demanded the other suspiciously.
“A man like you alwayth carrieth coin in a wallet in a hip pocket,” Tham told him. “It ith a thilly thing to do.” ”

“ So they drifted about the city for two hours, and finally Thubway Tham began to have hopes.
The countryman began exhibiting the first signs of intoxication. Tham decided that he’d make the attempt soon now. And then the visitor to the city took the wind out of his sails.
“You look like an honest young feller,” he said. “And you know all about this town. I can’t enjoy myself while I’m worryin’ about my money. ”

“ Thubway Tham was astounded. Here was a man trusting him with money—the man he had hoped to rob. He glanced at the bills and saw that they totaled more than an hundred dollars, and fifty dollars of it, he supposed, was Craddock’s. The situation appealed to Thubway Tham. ”

“ I have been workin’ here for one clay, and it hath coth me’ forty dollarth. A crook ith an honeth man compared to anybody elthe. I am a thimp! I am an eathy mark! I ought to go and thoak my head! A baby could trim me eathy! Thith ith no place for an honetht crook!”
“Now, see here———”
“I thaid I wath done, and I am! It cotht too much to work in thith plathe. I’m a thimp! I quit!”
Without waiting to argue the matter, Thubway Tham hurried down the street, came to Union Square, and darted toward the entrance to the subway.
A short distance behind, Detective Craddock followed. ”

“ Why don’t you pether thomebody elthe? I’m an honetht man.”
“I hope so, Tham, but I have my doubts. The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy. Going to take a walk?”
“If I am, I don’t want you along,” Tham told him. ”

“ He walked up to the next station, entered the subway again, lifted another leather, and got out at Times Square. He took out bills and dropped the wallets. Thubway Tham was collecting for the misfortunes of the day.
It was two o’clock in the morning when he entered the dingy room far downtown, the room that was his home. He investigated, and found that the proceeds of the night’s work amounted to more than two hundred dollars.
“Played for a thucker by a hick!” he exclaimed. “It doth not pay to try to be honetht! Inthane moment ith ethactly right! But it ith a good joke on Craddock!” ”