“She says the man she marries will have to be a champion of something, whether it’s football or boxing or halma. She don’t care what, just so’s he’s better in one line than anybody else.”
“She’s quite a boxing fan,” says Nate. “I seen her here several times before. She maybe wants to look all the boys over and see which one she likes the best.”
“I understand she’s a great admirer of Willie Kemp,” says Jack. “She’s always here when he boxes and she probably come tonight expecting to see him in the audience. Maybe he’ll be introduced before the main bout, and if he is, we’ll watch her close and see if she’s interested.”
“Why can’t I get introduced?” ast Burke.
“You can,” said Nate. “Wait till they’re getting ready for the windup and then climb in the ring and tell Joe Humphreys who you are.”
Well, he couldn’t hardly wait till the preliminaries was over so’s he could get up there and have her see him. And when he bowed, it was right at her.
“Young Burke, the Michigan Flash!” says Humphreys. “He is matched to box Willie Kemp in this ring two weeks from Friday night. The winner will meet Jack Britton for the welterweight title.”
Coming back to his seat, Burkey had to pass the gal. He smiled right in her face and she smiled back. I guess it was all she could do to keep from laughing.
I don’t suppose they’s been more than three or four fights better than that Leonard-Mitchell scrap. It was certainly the best I ever seen. But I don’t believe Burke knew they was fighting.
When it was over and the gang started out he would of overtook the gal and spoke to her only for Nate holding him.
“It’d make her sore and spoil everything,” said Nate.
“How could it make her sore?” said Burke. “Didn’t she smile at me?”
“Well, it’d make her old man sore,” says Nate.
“What could he do?” says Burkey. “If he looked cross-eyed at me, I’d bust him.”
“That’d be a sweet way to start a courtship!” said Jack. “Even New York gals ain’t so far ahead of the times that they fall in love with every handsome young bud that introduces himself to their father with a smash in the jaw.”
“But I just want her phone number,” says the kid.
“You can get it at the hotel,” says Jack. “The phone company got out a book three or four years ago that gives the names of a few of their rich subscribers, and what their number used to be, and if you call it up, they’ll tell you what it’s been changed to.”
So as soon as we was back at the Spencer, Burkey run for the book. And he couldn’t find no Lester Fester.
“I didn’t think it’d be in there,” says Jack. “They’s very few New York millionaires has their number in the phone book. If they did, their wifes would bother them to death, calling up.”
“But they must be some way to locate them,” said the kid. “Somebody must know where they stay. A man as rich as him must have a big mansion somewheres. And you got to find out where it’s at. If you don’t find out for me tomorrow, why I’m through! I won’t box Kemp or no one else.”
And they knew he was cuckoo enough to mean it. But Jack Grace had his plans made already.
“I’ll locate them tomorrow,” he said, “that is, unlest you hear from the gal herself.”
“But she don’t know where I’m staying,” says Burke.
“She might maybe call up Rickard and find out,” says Jack.
So the kid went to bed and Nate and Jack set up and talked it over.
“It looks like we got him,” said Jack. “If we can make him think him and Kemp is rivals, he’ll fight.”
“But that gal can’t be framed,” says Nate. “I don’t know who she is, but she ain’t the kind we could get any help from.”
“We don’t need her help,” says Jack. “He’ll get a special delivery tomorrow afternoon, with her name signed to it; that is, what he thinks is her name. I’ll dope out the letter yet tonight. If necessary he’ll get a letter every day till the day of the bout.”
“And then what?” says Nate.
“Why, nothing,” says Jack. “What do you care, if it does the work?”
“It don’t seem right,” said Nate. “I don’t want to break the kid’s heart.”
“You got as much chance of breaking his head!” says Jack. “What about the gal in Benton Harbor, that he was so stuck on and got over it in a day? But as far as that’s concerned, we don’t have to kill this gal off when we’re through with Kemp. We can keep her going till he meets Britton. We’ll have her tell him first that he’s got to trim Kemp, and if that works, we’ll send her to Europe or somewheres, leaving him a farewell note that she’s been called away, but she’ll be back in time to see him win the title.”
“He’s a sap,” said Nate, “but I doubt if he’s dumbbell enough to swallow this.”
“You don’t appreciate him,” said Jack. “Where him and the fair sex is concerned, they’s nothing so raw that he won’t eat it up. But suppose he don’t? You ain’t got nothing to lose.”
“Just him, that’s all,” says Nate.
“Well, he’s no loss if he won’t fight,” said Jack. “And this may be the way to make him.”
VI
Burke had started training at Daley’s. When he got back from there the next afternoon, they was a special delivery waiting for him. It said:
Dear Mr. Burke: You will probably be surprised
