“That’s her, Gordie!” Burris shouted. “Close down the game, and—”
“Well, afternoon to you, miss,” Gordie said. Smiling, he pushed Burris into a chair. “Hear tell y’ruined my brother.”
“She won his prizes fairly,” Roman stated, his voice a growl.
“Yeah, she sure did,” Gordie agreed, shoving his brother’s shoulder when Burris tried to get out of the chair. “Fair and square. And y’know? That’s how I runmygame—fair and square.”
“Well, Mr. Montana,” Theodosia said, smiling, “we have finally come upon a fair game. One in which we may trust our own abilities.”
Roman studied the setup of the game. Strung along a clothesline were a multitude of wooden clothespins, and on each pin was painted a number. “All right, what’s the scientific secret to this game, Miss Worth?”
“There ain’t nothin’ scientific!” Burris yelled.
“Mr. Jister is correct,” Theodosia said. “There is nothing scientific about this game. All one needs to win is a good aim and a good memory.”
“Really?” Roman asked.
“That’s right,” Gordie said, sliding a sly look his brother’s way. “I run a real honest game. Y’want to play, mister?”
Before Roman could reply, a young couple approached the booth.
“I’d like to play,” the man said, patting his sweetheart’s hand. “Where are the prizes?”
“This is a bettin’ game, sir,” Gordie explained. “Put up your money, and if y’win, I’ll match what you’ve bet.”
The man dug two dollars from his pocket and laid them on the stand. “What are the rules?” Gordie turned and winked at Burris, who refused to take his eyes off the blond woman who had destroyed him. “As you can see,” Gordie said to his customer, “on seven o’ these pins is written number nine, sixteen, eighteen, sixty-one, sixty-six, eighty-nine, and ninety-eight.” With a cane, he pointed to the seven specific pins. “Them’s the winnin’ numbers. Get a good look at where they are, because I’m gonna turn all the pins over. Now, to win all’s y’gotta do is remember where one o’ the winnin’ numbers is and then toss a ring over it. If y’ring it, you’ll walk away with four dollars in your pocket. If y’don’t, I keep your money, and y’get—”
“A lemon drop,” Roman broke in.
“No, cherry,” Gordie said. He handed his customer a wooden ring. “Tell me when you’re ready for me to turn the numbers over.”
Aware that a crowd was gathering around the booth, the man studied the pins carefully, then nodded.
By means of a handle attached to one end of the clothesline, Gordie turned the pins so that their numbers faced the back of the booth.
“I’m going to ring number eighty-nine,” the man told his girl. “I know exactly where it is.” He threw the ring and shouted triumphantly when it landed over a pin.
The people watching clapped wildly.
Gordie removed the pin from the line and turned it over. “We got a winner, Burris! He got number eighty-nine. Hate to part with my cash, sir, but y’won fair. Here’s your money.”
The man beamed as he accepted the bills from the game operator and a kiss on the cheek from his sweetheart.
“My escort would like to play now,” Theodosia said when the couple left. “He will bet all the money he has.”
Roman frowned.“Allthe money I—”
“How much money do you have?” she asked.
“What? Uh—I don’t know. About thirty dollars or so. But I—”
“Really, Mr. Montana,” Theodosia said, looking up into his wide blue eyes. “You witnessed yourself how easy it is to win this game. Knowing what you know about it, why would you bet a measly sum?” She turned back to the number game operator. “He’ll bet one hundred and thirty dollars, sir.”
Gordie almost fell down. “A hunnerd and thirty dollars?”
Upon hearing the high stakes, the throng of people moved closer.
Roman took Theodosia’s elbow. “Are you crazy? I—”
