Stone City Crossout: A Street Saga… Pt.II

It was the break of day on the morning of the play when Pete stepped out on the stroll. He was feeling top flight; His cards had run right – and he was carrying a fat bankroll!

From the top of his High-Crowned Borsalino lid, to his custom-made Kidskin steppers, you had to give Three-Toe his props for his front; Pete was nothing if he wasn’t dapper.

He knew he was clean as he surveyed the scene, thinking back on how well he had played. Pete said, “Yeah, I’m the king of this card playin’ thing; Long as Poker lives, I’ve got it made.”

At that very moment Pete looked up and saw this hick on his way from the Greyhound. He was coming toward Three-Toe, reading a note and scratching his head as he frowned.

The hick looked up at Pete, said “Aah, ’scuse me,  Boss, d’you know where’s the ‘Innunashunul Inn’?” I needs to git there right away. Cause I’m meetin my new girlfrien’…”

“This here’s the note she wrote me ‘fore she left me in the Greyhound Station. I give her a little money so she could go make us a reservation.”

“She said everybody here knowd where it’s at… said I didn’t even need t’ call. Told me jist come straight on over to the Inn; Said we was gonna have us a ball!”

Pete looked the bumkin up and down, wonderin whether to laugh or cuss… “Why, you poor Southern Sucker, you, you’ve been scammed. And you barely got off of the bus!”

The Country Kid stood there, looking befuddled. It was clear to Three-Toe that his mind was muddled. As Pete wondered whether to help this poor soul, Country reached in his jeans and pulled out a bankroll.

“Well, you’s partly right, suh. I’ze country and quaint: a young Southern farm boy. But “po” I sho ain’t.” Saved all my funds, jist t’come to The City”… “And bound to get beat” thought Pete… “What a pity!”

Pete saw stacks of hundreds before he saw fifty; Country looked dumb, but he must have been thrifty. “A raw country monkey, out of his tree; Walkin’ these streets with mo cash than me!”

At that very second a “stranger” appeared, wearing dark shades and sporting a beard. “Hey! Stop, Country boy. Don’t you know that it’s rash; out here on these mean streets, flashing your cash?”  

‘Stone City is heartless!”, the stranger said, “There’s mean cats out here who’ll rip off your bread! Good men have work cards and cash of their own.” Then pulled out his wallet so that both were shown.

The stranger told Pete, “I’m not trying to be ‘funny’ – but the boy should learn who to trust about money.” Pete said to Country, “He’s right, though…”  and pulled out his bankroll, just for the show.

“Well”, said the ‘Country Boy’, “Ya’ll both seems O.K. to me.”  Extending his hand, Pete said “Call me ‘Three-Toe’.” Sty shook Cardboard’s hand, and said:, “Just call me ‘Lee’!

To Be Continued…