The Project Gutenberg eBook of The framed fifty
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: The framed fifty
Author: Karl Decker
Release date: May 10, 2026 [eBook #78650]
Language: English
Original publication: New York, NY: The Frank A. Munsey Company, 1929
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/78650
Credits: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan & the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at https://www.pgdpcanada.net
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRAMED FIFTY ***
The Framed Fifty
By KARL DECKER
_Fifty dollars was the face value of that bill framed
over the bar--but it was worth more to sentimental old
Mike O'Donnell than to any one else._
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Argosy All-Story Weekly April 6, 1929.]
Over the center of O'Donnell's bar hung a fifty-dollar bill ornately
framed in mahogany and gilt.
It was to Mike O'Donnell what the gin-bottle-eyed god N'buango is to
the tribal chief of the Mampasis. It was his fetish and his faith.
An old custom this, of framing the first bill taken over the bar, a
custom fallen into decay in the United States since the coming in of
the Volstead law.
To O'Donnell, however, the Volstead law now meant no more than a
dry-sweeping ordinance to an Eskimo. O'Donnell had left the Volstead
law far behind him.
When that wrecker of barkeepers' happiness had fallen upon his native
land O'Donnell migrated. Packing up everything he had--bar, bottles,
chromos of attractive ladies in attractive if unconventional poses, and
the framed fifty-dollar bill--Mike O'Donnell had taken ship to Havana.
There he set up his establishment line for line, bottle for bottle, keg
for keg, as it had been when it was "Mike's Place" on Broadway. And
squarely over the center of the bar was placed his talisman, the framed
fifty-dollar bill. O'Donnell would have left everything behind rather
than that.
It was part of him, of his prosperity.
Years might come and years might go, but O'Donnell would never forget
that first night of freedom and independence. He had served his time as
an apprentice. He had mixed 'em and shaken 'em and poured 'em straight
for years, in the days before the cash register had cast its blight
over the bartending fraternity. Making his own change, trusted by his
boss, he had played fair with that boss. He had never at any time held
out more than twenty per cent, but this, thriftily hoarded, had set him
up in business.
Rare good fortune was his when it fell to his lot to locate on a
Broadway corner in the Thirties, when that section was the very heart
and center of New York and the Tenderloin police station the busiest in
the world.
Now, from the vantage point of his safeguarded retreat in la Calle
Dragones in Havana he grew to look back upon those early days with
something of dislike and displeasure. Nostalgia never affected him. He
was glad to be in Havana.
During the long, drowsy summer months he did better than he had ever
done in the United States. A steady trade in the American colony and
scores of tourists drifting in day by day kept his bank account sturdy
and kept him out of the red. He was growing older, but he handled the
trade himself. To put in an assistant would mean putting in a cash
register, and O'Donnell was decided and firm in his refusal to permit
the ghoulish chimes of Dayton to ring out across his bar.
In winter he flourished like a palm tree in a flooded oasis.
The élite of his own country flocked in upon him. Ladies whose names he
knew from the society columns as well as he had known the politicians
of his own ward in New York, came fluttering gayly into his bar,
calling it "quaintly homelike," perched on stools, they ate
frankfurters and sauerkraut and chile con carne as though to Havana
bred. Men famous and widely heralded by the press called him by his
first name and seemed pleased at his recognition of them.
It was paradise to O'Donnell. New York had never been like this.
* * * * *
And always after one of his pleasanter evenings, before drawing the
heavy steel blinds in front of his door and starting off for his home
in Jesus del Monte, O'Donnell looked for a moment upon the framed
fifty-dollar bill as though burning incense before it.
He could never forget the night it came to him, back on Broadway.
His was not a crowded opening. In the street outside, a sweeping,
whistling wind drove the massed snowflakes in a white cloud across his
windows. On the pavement, where it drifted, there were white hills four
feet deep.
He had set his opening for six o'clock in the evening, and at that
black hour only a scant half dozen of his friends appeared.
But among them was "Red" Walker, smiling, debonair, sheltered in one of
the huge tan overcoats popular among the wise ones of Broadway in those
days. Young Mr. Walker exuded prosperity.
"The first bill goes into the frame?" queried Red.
"Sure, sir," said O'Donnell. "The first bill over this bar will hang
over this bar as long as I live."
"Then frame that," said Red, tossing a fifty-dollar bill on the counter.
It was opposed to all the ethics and conventions of bar openings. One
is supposed to buy the first drink with a one-dollar bill. It is a
purely economic proposition, that takes only a small amount out of
circulation and cripples the finances of the establishment not at all.
Every one present realized Red had made a faux pas.
But the effect upon O'Donnell was as though he had stepped upon a high
tension wire. The economics of the situation affected him not at all.
Whatever of thrift and canny calculation there might have been in his
blood took a vacation. He flushed with pride--a pride that sent the
blood dashing through his body as though under fifty pounds pressure.
He lifted the bill proudly and tenderly.
"It'll always hang over my head, Mr. Walker," he said.
They might have a fifty-dollar bill framed in Delmonico's, he thought,
although he had never been in the place; or that newly opened castle
of magnificence on Thirty-Third Street, the Astoria, might be able to
show some such trophy; but he alone of all the humbler sort in his
profession could display such an evidence of high-class trade. He was
smitten with a quality of pride that almost became arrogance.
"You'll always keep it in the frame?" asked Red.
"As long as I live," said O'Donnell almost devoutly.
"That makes me the godfather of the joint," said Red. "Another round
for everybody."
And then, taking a handful of change that almost wrecked O'Donnell's
till, Red Walker disappeared into the white-blown night.
He never came back. Long after, O'Donnell gathered from conversation
in front of his bar that Red Walker had done two stretches in stir,
one in Joliet and another in San Quentin; and he worried and sorrowed
as if over a wayward son. He always had the feeling that some day the
debonair youth who had become godfather to "Mike's Place" would come
swinging jubilantly through his slatted doors.
* * * * *
But when he set up shop in Havana this feeling died. He felt now that
he was cut off forever from the man to whom he felt, in some vague
fashion, he owed his fattened prosperity. In the bar business so much
depends upon the auspices under which one makes the first plunge. This
ranks not with superstition, but with folklore.
More than a third of a century had been tossed into the discard when
O'Donnell one night discovered that when he wished he might retire.
The statement from his bank over which he pored at his desk told him
this. In Spanish though it was, he knew what the figure meant. With no
children to think about and only one aged sister, an annuity that would
bring him in a yearly fortune lay ready to his hand.
But then the whirl of the arrival of a crowd of Americans changed the
trend of his purpose. After all, he liked what he was doing too well to
quit.
In the bar were women in pearls, men in evening clothes; folk fresh
from the many delights of an Havana afternoon, preparing for the
delights of an Havana night, were waiting for him. They wanted
cocktails, the kind he had made in the old days when the number of
varieties could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
The joshing, kindly meant, the praise of his skill, the happy gay
atmosphere, strengthened the old man's decision. He would tend bar so
long as he could stand on the grating.
And as they left, Mike shot one swift look at the framed fifty-dollar
bill.
How Red Walker would have fitted into this environment! Red was refined
and had a snappy line, to use the language of these later days. He
would wise-crack with the best of them. He would have belonged.
"That's a pretty bill you've got up there," said a gray man in gray
clothes and a gray hat who stood in front of the bar; an inconspicuous
man, the sort one would never notice whether alone or in a crowd.
"Yes," snapped O'Donnell, suddenly laconic. The man looked like a dick.
"Lemme see it," said the gray one.
"Why?" asked O'Donnell, but there was nothing of the old pugnacity in
his tone.
"Hand it down," said the other, and O'Donnell, clambering upon a chair,
detached the small frame and laid it reverently on the counter.
The man in gray squinted at it for a moment then ripped the backing
off and took out the bill. As a mere formality he tossed upon the bar
a small gold pin he took from his vest pocket. It was a United States
Secret Service operative's badge.
"We are working here with the co-operation of the Cuban government,"
he said. Then he took a fountain pen from his pocket and across the
bill in red ink scrawled the word "Counterfeit."
"How long you had it?" he asked.
"Thirty-six years," groaned O'Donnell huskily through dry, parched lips.
"Well, you're an innocent party, all right," said the man in gray.
"This is some of old Paul Schwartz's work, and he's been dead for
twenty years. We got all his plates. Never made a vignette yet that
didn't squint. Red Walker used to shove for him, and Red died in
Atlanta."
THE END.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRAMED FIFTY ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works
provided that:
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516,
Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
