Hat Tricked

"Long Odds."
By Hugh MacNair Kahler (1883-1969).
First appearance: Collier's, September 6, 1930.
Short short short story (1 page).
Online at UNZ (HERE).

"He saw that he'd been a sucker, after all, kidding himself that he was safe."

That's funny. Normally Pinner isn't particularly antisocial, but now that everybody wants his attention, he won't let them have it . . .

Resources:
- A thumbnail from FictionMags about Hugh MacNair Kahler: "Born in Philadelphia; educated at Princeton University; contributed fiction to numerous magazines"—for thirty years, we might add, from 1913 to 1943.
- Our last meeting with Kahler was (HERE).
- Not only can hats be used in the commission of a crime (HERE, HERE, and HERE), but they can also lead to crime (HERE).

The bottom line: "Every day's an adventure when I step out of my door. That's why I usually wear a hat and keep my head low."

— Steve Buscemi