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ifflm THOROUGHBREDS. roa THE EVEHING 8 TAB BY W. A. FEABEB, Author of "the Outcait," "Mongwa" and Other Stories. Copyright. 11102, by McClnre, ThllUps & Co. ' 1 ' 1 7.vc\\tw?;' ?ir:r lmirmtnit. y^\< e. <? > *?* - ip ? ? laeXseJ Je. v_so oeJ IseJlaiAaeAaeJ IjeAseXaLlie. s CHAPTER I. 1 T.ess than a hundred miles from the city of Goth.im, across broad green fields, dot ted Into squares and oblong vulleys by full leafed maple, and elm. and mulberry, was the village of Rrookfield. A hundred years of expansion in the ?unwinding land had acted inversely with the little hamlet. and had x>inched it Into a hermetic isolation. The Rrookfieldians had discovered a huge beetle in the amber of their serer.e exist ence it was really the Rev. Dolman who had unearthed the monster. The beetle in the amber was horse racing, and the prime offender, practically the sole culprit, was John Porter. By an inconsistent twist of fate he was known as honest John. His father before him had raced in old Kentucky to consider able purpose, and with the full vigor of a man who races for sport; and so. too, the son. John, in consequence, had come little beyond a not-to-be eradicated love of thor oughbreds. To race squarely, honestly aud to the glory of high-couraged horses was to him as much a matter, of religion as the consistent guardianship of ppri.sh morals was to the Rev. George Dolman. There fore. two men of strong beliefs were set on opposite sides of the fence. Even in the Porter household, which was at Ringwood farm, was divided allegiance. Vs. Porter was possessed of an abhorrent detestation of horse racing: also ar. assert ive Christianity. The daughter Allison had inherited the horse taint. In the saddle was elysl'iin, In the swinging gallop of a striving horse was the obliteration of everything but sunshine, and the smile of fields and the blur of swift gliding hedges and the driving perfume of clover-laden winds that pressed strong into spread nostrils. For Alan Porter, the son. there were columns of figures and musty-smelling bundles of tattered paper money where he clerked In the bank. There had been great unison in the Porter household over the placing of Alan. In addition to horse lore, J-ihi Torter was a fair Judge of human mture, and. beyond doubt, there was a streak of veivet In Alan which would hav1 twisted easily .in the compressive grip of the race course. As if the evil one had meant to try solely the reclusive dwellers of Rrookfield, Philip Crane, the banker, wandering from the re spectable highway of linanc. had allowed himself to become iniereste?i in race horses. Rut this fact was all but unknown In Rrookfield. so the ft.ll resentment ?.f the place was effusively tendered to John Por ter. In his younger divs some money had come to Philip f'rane.with no extraordinary pbthora of circumspection. Tin gambler spirit, that was his of lnh"ritan< e. had ;.n Inst active truth as allied to finance; but. unfortunately for Philip I'ran-. chance ard a speculative restlessness, led him among men who commerce! with the sport of klnirs With acute precipitancy he was separated from the currency that had com" to him The process was so rapid that his racing experience was or little a-ail as an ass-t so he committed the ?irst v' at wise act of his life?turned his liack ujion the rare rmi-w an,j marched into fn.ince, so strongly. so persistently, that at forty he was w. althy and the banker of Rrookfield. Twenty years of deliberate reminiscence convinced him that he could gratify the d? sire *h it had been his in those immature days and possibly wrk out a laying re v? nge* Til' - it was that he had got togeth er a small siuble of us? ful horse*; and. of far greater moment, secured a clever train er lurk I?anedon. tiies latter-day racing nad been suc r.ssfi 1 he made money at it N man was ev-r more nat irally endowed to succeed on th- t irf than was Ranker I'n il:> Crane Co d passionless more given to deep con centrated thought than expression, ho'eling slbnc as a golden gift even as a gift of rare rubies ? .thing drew from him at; un gi irde,] Word, no sudden turmoi' qulvercel Ms ne rve It w.is chara. i ris-'c of the man that he had waited nearlv twenty y-*ars to res line racli.g. whieh r. ally canie as near to being a i.asslon with iiim as was possible for anything to be Th- r- Is saying in EngUnel r*it It tikes tw ? ? ,rs of pr. :?-<ration to win a big hand icap. ami thes. were the lines on whleh Philip Crane, by Instinctive adaptation, worked. Quite by ch a nee- r>ick I.argd n had cam" Into h s hands o ar a matter f borrowed morev I, end* d by th. b nk. r virtually owing everv hors? that raced in the train er s -.am. In addit! .n. tw. >r three horses ran In Philip Crane's own niM, If th. re had i.e. n any distinctive project In the ItMK ..f er.-ati r that gave IUck I?nngw^n to th.- world it probably was that he m ght -erv- as the .is. f :l tool of a subtle ? hlnker. N"W, It ilid st? m that I.angdon ha.I <? .in. Int.. his .wn- that he ha.l found h;s pred. <t!n. .1 master. J din Port-r had not be n successful: 111 fort::n. had s, t |r. and there* was alwavs some th! g going wr.tr.* H.rs.s would break .1 wn or g. t b- ,ten by accident? there was always s.methlnfc The steadv financial drain had pr .gr< ss. d evt n to an Int- imlmr.rt. on Rl igw .?e] Ringwood was simply a training farm, locate.1 close 11> an old disused race course, for there had b.en no racing in Rrookfield for years. ! Inadvertently the Rev Dolman had In tensified th.. strained relationship that eX h. t ween th- g ..1 people, who frowned upon all racing endeavor, and those who saw bit little sinfulness In John Porter's wav of life Th. ,-h irch wac |n debt?everything in Wa" except the town pump. Th.- pastor was a n? rvmis. z* alous work er and t occurred to him that a concert in ght I ght^n the financial load The Idea was i: t alarmingly original, and the carry ing out of It was on convential lines? local ., l ii teer talent and a strong appeal to the {M.iplc of Bn k.i. id fttr their patron a? Th?? ron^rf In th* little old rlapboarded rh ir. h its *!d?-? Th,Ui1 and blistered bv many .tsons ?>f and ^oorohlng: sun, w ?.? an unqualified success up to the fifth nnmb< r. Nothing ?? s11?1 hi\?? h<>fn morp successful or have . y .ke.l gr. iter applause than "the fourth effort. "Anchored." as rendered bv the village pride In the matter of baritone singing. even rie R szke never experienced a more ger.ulre trl> mph The crescendo of applause gradual)', fell away into the soft rustle of manipula .<1 paper, as programs were e hMNiI preparatory to a correct readiness for the 1fth offering. The pro grams confided t'.it th- -Death of Cru sader. by Msss t Ills Porter was the next It* m. Tn the front row of seats a prim little body f ill of a s. vere quaintness In every quirk of iir??s. tilted he*r head toward a n.ight. r and whispered. "It's that racin' gal of John Porter's." Th neighbor answered In a creak meant for . whis5>er. "I'm right glad she's took to religion for onct. nn' is glvin' us somethln' about them crusaders. They was In Pales tine. y.t-i know. Sh. s been away to board In' school all winter, an' I guess It'll be a hlgh-falutin' m-cotnt of the war." Th- quaint little old lady Jerked her head up and down with decisive bobbine*ss. On the third upward bob her eyes opened wide in astonishment; a small, slim figure in a glaring r- ad coat stood In the center of the Improvised platform. Fr. m beneath th? coat fell away In long, grateful lints a bUck riding skirt; a dark oval face, set with large wondrous giay eyes?the ? Porter eyes?confronted the quaint little old lady. "That's the Porter gal," her neighbor squeaked; **I ve s**-n her atop them race horses more'n a hundred times. My! you'd think butter wouleln't melt In her mouth, she's that prim now.*' ?The coat would melt It," commented the* VOftlnt one. Then a clear, soft, girlish voice, with just GS a tremble of apprehensive nervousness, giv ing It a lilt like a robin's, said: The Run of Crusader. i. Full weight they had given the gallant big Black? h hundred and sixty he carried; And the run for the "Hunt Cup" was over three miles, with mud-wall and water-jump studded. The best racing days of the old horse were past there'd never been better nor braver? But now once again he must carry the Bilk?I was needing the help of Crusader. "Cculd he win at the weight?" I whisperlngly asked, as I cinched up the saddle girt tight; He snuggled my hand as I gathered the rein, and I laughed when they talked of defeat. To the call of the bugle I swung to his back?like a rock was the strength of his quarters. At sight of the people he arched his lean neck, and they cheered for my King of all Hunters. Ten horses would strlve'for the prize?a big field, I and the pare would be killing. from the West ranie Sweet Silver, a Grav. gallant and fearless in jumping. A rakish old nag who walked over the sticks had been sent for the Cup from Kentucky; Un a Bay. Little Jack, who was fast, they had put but a hundred and thirty, Ilut I knew that North Star, a big Brown-?veu the Black was no gamer? V\ Ith a pull of ten pounds In the weight, was almost a match for Crusader. We made a brave troop, long-striding and strong. i? r Pick of cross-country rider* As we tiled past the stand in stately jurude, with Its thousands of eager admirers. And down to the turn on the lower far side, where a red flag was flicking the sunlight; For twice we must circle the green-swarded field, and finish close under the paddock. 111 Just once we lined up; then down cot the flag and "C?o!" hoarse-voiced the starter; And the thunder of hoofs, and the clanking of bits made music to me on Crusader. Quick to the front, like a deer, sped a mare?a chestnut-making the running; But I steadied my mount and took him far back ? with his weight he would nf?ed all mv nursing. They took the first hedge like sheep In a bunch, bit to bit and stirrups a-jingle; And so past the stand to the broad water-Jump, wrere three went down in a tangle. I trailed at the heels of the Sliver Gray, but Cru sader was beginning to falter. And flew the wide ditch with the swoop of a bird, and on again, lapped on his quarter. Then over the Liverpool, racing like mad, where Sweet Silver fell fighting for lead. And his ruler lay crushed, white-faced to the sky, and to miss him Crusader Jumped wide. IV. At the bank something struck, and a cloud of white \ dust hid the wall as though it were shrouded* But the big gallant Black took off with a swing full thirty feet ere we had landed. As we rounded the turn I could see Little Jack go up to the mare that was leading; Then I let out a rap and quickened my pace, to work clear of those that were tiring. Once again past the stand we drove at the ditch that some would never get over; And a cheer shook the air as the Bay landed safe, with the mare on her back in the water. Then over \w-nt North Star-though he pecked, and nearly empti. d his saddle. As I lifted the Black at his heels, he frothed the Brown's flank with his nozzle. V. Then down the back stretch, o'er hedge and o'er 1 bank, we three were racing together* ill! at the next rail the Bay jostled the Brown, and riderless crashed through the timber. So we rounded the turn, and Into the straight? North Star's lean flank we were lapping ? Tf l11"' 1,1 ,t5f' fr"nt when I gave the Black head, and I saw that the other was stopping we raced as "He horse at the very last hedge? Just a nose in front was Crusader; I felt the big Brown bump twice at my side, and knew he was ready to blunder ""'.I*' -mPty -a'l'U-d. the Bay stride for stride galloped and floundered. Just missing his swerve, I called on the Black and drew out as he bravely responded. J'"'t to"k off twenty t>,?. .? J m !he brush-covered timber. and* f,' i'yu i'.'h" m'* sh"rt f"r 1,18 "tride . an? with his head on my wither In i'hVs,nig'jcTe to ""'"-brought to his knee, Th' *1?** ? l^npth. the Brown forged ahead How J, '? balf ':"t of the saddle. * ' strove' And 'th SMle: Row thp "M horse gallop! Brown rolling tired In his On, gallant Black! on, my brave pet! We were almost under the paddock ihen we n..sed th? Brown s flank; then we reached ?,?h,:?er*irt: m"'k aD<J rode at his As wej fashed past ,h? f j hn(, !h,-y Cheered, "Bravo, Crusader! ' Butrvp,n *'*? ?"<< He had won his last race- ra,,w f ? . . . brave heart broke in the^rlvinK. LU a T'r,frl'S yoioe fluttered and died awav to of Cr^TdeT Per 38 Sht t0ld of ^ death 'sssilgsii feelings, the people had fTrgo^n^l^'bo^ heir tortured convictions of the sinfulness of making a horse go faster than a shirn s't'ot aGradUaUJ lnto 'heir awakening senses t a conviction that somehow they were countenancing the sin of racing Hefore the complete horror of the situa tion had obtained a strong pair nf in 1 far back in the church, came^ogether with an explosive clap. I.Ike the rat-tat tat of a quick-firing gun was the appreciative vMW of recognition from the solitary applauded L u ,rolImfr an<1 crackling through the 'h"-h; defiantly. derisively, appreciative]y Half_ way up the isle a softer pair of hands touched the rattle with what sounded /ike T-h .T ,hf"n there was sudden silence Ihe entire audience turned and looked de spairingly. dlscouragingly at the man who had figuratively risen as a champion of that scandalous recitation. ! cSanY"1 had tSken 'n?ld of the sood tv,tlha/ Crus?der had enlisted their sympa thies for a few minutes showed the dan subtlet-v ?f this "horse-racin' busl The rest nf the program might Just as well have been eliminated; the concert a? a concert, would be discussed for all time to Crusader proJected the Death of The people flowed from tne church full of an expressive contentiousness, seeking bv exuberant condemnation of the sacrilege to square somehow themselves with their con sciences for the brief backsliding Where the church path turned into the road a group of men had attached together drawn by a magnet of discussion. They quite blocked the pathway, oblivious to exerjtning but their outraged feelings. I.'ke a great dark blotch in the night the I ???> Ntoo?: and Presently two slight gray shadows Slipping up the path, cominf to the human barricade, stopped, wavered and Circled out on the grass to pass. The shad A\an WEre Porter and her brother One of the men. overfilled with his ex wra,h' seeing t'ne girl, gave expres m ?les','va Th'"' "nchrlstian "Pinion of her modestj. The sharp ears of the boy heard ? ' ?"rd8f,? ?an of harSt> Instinct, and {j % a Is 1 wlth resentment. He half turned, bitter reproach rising to his i'i "?w fould men so brutish? How could they be so base? To speak ill of his sister Allis. who was just the purest swee est little woman that ever lived-too lTrave and true to be anything else but good! As he turned he saw something that checked his futile anger. A tall shadow ??me Up the path beh'n<l them stretched out an arm, and 'ne heard the M.lifyers words gurgle and die away as one of the strong hands that had beat the j tattoo ?f approbation clutched him by the , throat. The boy would have rushed to the assistance of this executive friend if the *'.r not, clasP?'d his arm in detention Its Mortimer, he cried, as a voice from the strong-armed figure cut the night a? with sharp decision. Then the shadowy forms twisted up gro j tesquely weaving in and out. There were ( voicue of expostulation and strong words i Z. -?nsr:' the new serious business that had materialized had most effectuaHy Dut a ' ?'kP v' rtfloctlt>ns upon the Innocent girl I who had s<> unwittingly offended | i'lt's George Mortimer-he's in our bank." AUn confided to his sUter. as they moved away. "He's all rlgrht?he's strong as a horse; and I bet Crandal'll have a kink In his neck tomorrow where George pinched him." "What was it about?" the girl asked. "Orandal was Jawing about people who own race horses," the boy answered evas ively. "It's Crandal, the butcher." CHAPTER II. It was the May meeting at Morris Park, and Morris Park Is the most beautiful race course In all America. John Porter, walking up the steps of the grandstand, heard some one call him by name. Turning his head he saw It was James Danby, an owner, sitting in his private box. Porter turned into the box, and taking the chair the other pushed toward him, | sat down. "What about Lucretla?" asked Danby. with the air of an established friendship which permitted the asking of such ques tions. "She's ready to the minute," replied Por ter. , , "Can she get the five furlongs? queried Danby. "She's by Assassin, and some of them were quitters." "She'll quit if she falls dead," replied the other man quietly. "I've worked her good enough to win, and I'm backing her." "That'll do for me," declared Danby. "To tell you the truth, John, I like the little mare myself; but I hear that Langdon, who trains Lauzanne, expects to win." "The mare'll be there, or thereabouts, asserted the owner; "I never knew a Laz arone yet much good as a two-year-old. They're" sulky brutes, like the old horse; and if Lucretia's beat, it won't be Lau zanne that'll turn the trick." * > A hell clanged imperiously at the Judges stand. Porter pulled out his watch and looked at it. "That's saddling." he remarked, lacon ically; "I must go and have a bit on the mare, and then take a look at her before se goes out." As Porter went down the steps, his com ! panion leaned over the rail and crooked his finger at a thin-faced man. with a blond mustache, who had been keeping a corner of his eye on the box. . ?,, "What ai*e they making favorite, Lewis, queried Danby, as the thin-faced man stood beside him. "Liicretia." "What's her price?" "Two to one." "What's second favorite?" "Lauzanne?five to two. "Porter tells me Lrtcretia is good busi ness," said Danby, in a tentative tone. "Langdon thinks it's all over bar the shouting; he says Lausanne outclasses his I field," replied Lewis. "Langdon's a betting man: Porters an owner and a good judge," objected Danby; HIS RIDER tAY CRUSHED, TO MIS "and he's got a good boy up, too, McKay," he added, slowly focusing his field glasses on the jockey board opposite the stand. "Crooked as a dog's hind leg," snarled Lewis, biting viciously at^his cigar. "Bob, it's d n hard to' find a straight Ugged dog." laughed Danby. "And when John Porter starts a horse there's never anything doing. Here $t?00. Put it on the mare?straight." As Lewis pushed his way into the shov ing. seething, elbowing crowd in the betting ring he was suddenly struck in the chest by something which apparently had the j momentum of an eight-inch shell; but it | was onlv John Porter, who, in breaking through the outer crust of the living mass j had been ejected with more speed than was of his own volition. Bob smothered the expletive that had j risen to his lips when he saw who the un witting assai'ant was, and asked, "W hat an- they doin' to the mare in the ring?" "Not * much," answered his assailant, catching his breath; "there's a strong play on Langdon's horse, and iC I didn't know i mv bov pretty well and Lucret.U better I'd have weakened a bit. But she can't lose; she can't lose'." he repeated in the tone of a man who is reassuring himself. I.ewis battled himself along till he stood | in front of a bookmaker with a face cast very much on the lines of a Rubens' ; cherub: but the cherub type ended abruptly with the plump frontispiece of "Jakey" Faust, the bookmaker. Lewis knew that. "If there's anythin' doin' I'm up against it here," he muttered to himself. "What's Lauzanne's price?" he asked in an indif ferent tone of voice, for the bookmaker's assistant was busy changing the figures on , the list. Faust pretended not to hear him. "Sure thing!" whispered Lewis to him- i self. Then aloud he repeated his question, touching the bookmaker on the elbow. The cherub smiled blandly. "Not 'akin' any," he answered, nodding his head in | the pleasant manner of a man who knows when he's got a good thing. "What's Luctetia?" persisted Lewis. "Oh! that's it.Ms It? I'll lay you 2 to 1." The questioner edged away, shaking his head solemnly. "Here! 5 to 2?how much " but Lewis was gone. He burrowed like a mole most indus triously, regardless of people's toes, their ribs, their dark looks and even angry ex- 1 prcssions of strong disapproval, and when he had gained the green sward of the lawn hurried to his friend's box. "Did y >u get it on?" queried the latter. "No; I don'* ilkc the look of it. Faust is holding out Lauzanne, and stretched me half a point about the mare. He and Lang don are in the same boat." "But that won't win the race," remon strated Danby. "Lauzanne is a maiden, and Porter doesn't often make a mistako about any of his own stock." "I thought I'd come back and tell you," said Bob Lewis apologetically. "And you did right; but if the mare wins, and I'm not on, after getting it straight from Porter, I'd want to go out and kick myself good afld hard. But put it on straight and place; then if Lauzanne's the goods we'll save." z Lewis was gone about four minutes. "You're on," he said, when he returned; "I've $21)0 on the chestnut for myself." "Lauzanne?" "It's booked that way; but I'm backln' the trainer, Langdon. I went on my uppers two years ago backing horses; I'm following men, now." "Bad business." objected his stout friend; "it's bad business to back anything that talks." When John Porter reached the saddling paddock his brown mare Lucretla was being led around in a circle In the lower corner. As he walked down toward her his trainer, Andy Dixon, came forward a few paces to meet him. "Are they hammerin' Crane's horse in the ring, sir?" he asked, smoothing down the grass with the toe of one foot, watch ing this physical process with extreme in terest. "Just what you'd notice," replied Porter. "Why?" "Well, I don't like the look of it a little bit. Here's this Lauzanne runs like a dog the last time out?last by the length of a Btreet?and now I've got it pretty straight they're out for the stuff." "They'd a stable boy up on him that time." "That's Just It," cried Dixon. "Grant comes to me that day?you know Grant, he works the commission for Dick Langdon ?and tells me to leave the horse alone; and today he cornea and?" he hesitated. go light on our max*," "Ian't Grant broke?" talced Porter, with aeeming Irrelevance. "He's cloae next it." answered the trainer. "Aren't his friends that follow him all broke?^ "A good many pf then? Save their address In Queer street."' "Look here, Andy," saidJila owner, "there isn't a man with a horse In this stake that doesn't think he's going to win; and when It's all over we'll see Lucretia's number go up. Grant's a fool," he -added, viciously. "Didn't he break Fisher?didn't he break every other man that ever stuck to him?" "It's not Grant at all." replied Dixon, rubbing the palms of his hands together thoughtfully?a way he had when he wished to concentrate in concrete form the result of some deep cogitation?"it's Langdon. an' he's several blocks away from an asylum." "Langdon makes mistakes, too." "He cashes in often when he's credited with a mistake,',' retorted the other. "Well, I've played the little mare," as serted Porter. "Much, sir?" asked Dixon, solicitously. "All I can stand?and a bit more," he added faiterlngly; "I need a win, a good win," he offered in an explanatory voice. "I want to clear Ringwood?but never mind about that, Andy. The mare's well?ain't she? There can't be anything doing with McKay?we've only put him up a few I times, but he seems all right." "I think we'll win." answered the trainer; "I didn't get anything straight?just that | there seemed a deuced strong tip on Lau t zanne. considerin' that he'd never shown any form to warrant it. Yonder he is. slr; | in number five?go and have a look at him." As John Porter walked across the pad dock a horseman touched the fingers of his right hand to his cap. There was a half concealed look of interest in the man's eye that Porter knew by experience meant something. "What do you know, Mike?" he asked, carelessly, only halt halting in his stride. "Nottin", sir; but dere's somebody in de know diis trip. Your mare's a good little fillv, w'en she's right, but you're up against it." Porter stopped and looked at the horse man. He was Mike Gaynor, a trainer, and more than once Porter had stood his friend. Mike always had on hand three or four horses of inconceivable slowness and un i certainty of wind and limb: consequently I there was an ever recurring inability to pay feed bills, so he had every chance to know just who was his friend and who was not, for he tried them most sorely. Porter knew all this quite well: also that | In spite of Mike's chronic impecunioslty he was honest, and true as steel to a benefac tor. He wadted, feeling sure that Gaynor I had something to tell. "There's a strong play on Lauzanne, ain't there, sir?" | Porter nodded. "Sure t'ing. That Langdon's ft crook. I knowed him when he was rldln' on freight cars: now he's a swell, though he's a long j sprint from beln' a gentleman. I got de | S HIM CRUSADER JUMPED WIDE. tip dat dere was a killin' on, an' I axed Dick Langdon if dere was anyt'lng do!n , i and Dick says to me, says he, puttin' bot' thumbs up,"?and Mike held both hands out horizontally with the thumbs stiff and ver tical to illustrate this form of oath? " 'there's nottin' doin', Mike,' says he. What d'ye t'ink of that, sir, an' me know in' there was?" asked Mike tragically. "It's tlie biggest tip that always falls ! down, Gaynor, and they've got to be pretty ' swift to beat Lucretia." "That filly's all right; she's worked out well enough to do up that field of stiffs. I ain't no rail bird, but I've had me eye on her. But I ain't doin' no stunt about horses. Mister Porter; I'm talking about men. Th' filly's honest, and you're honest, sir, but you don't roide th' mare you'self, do you?" "You think, Mike," began Mr. Porter, questioningly: but Gaynor lntorrupted him with: "I don't think nottin' sir, an' I ain't sayin' nottin'. I ain't never been up before the stewards yet for crooked work, or crooked talk, but there's a boy ridin' In that bunch today w'at got six hundred for t'rowing me down once, see? S'lp me God! he pulled Blue Smoke to a standstill on me, knowin' that It would break me. That was I at Coney Island two years ago." | "And you don't remember his name, I suppose, Mike?" "I don't remember nottin' but that I got It [ In the neck. But you keep your eye open, ' sir. You t'ink that none of the b'ys would t'row you down cause'you've been good to them, but some of 'em are that mean they'd steal th' sugar from a fly. I knows 'em. I ' hears 'em talk, cause they don't mind me? 1 t'ink I'm one of th' gang." "Thank "you very much. Gaynor; I ap preciate your kindly warning; but I hope you're mistaken all the Bame," said Porter. Then he proceeded on his way toward stall five. In which was Lauzanne. "How do. Mister Porter." It was Philip Crane, standing just outside of the stall, who thus addressed him. "Got something running today?" he continued ] with vague Innocence. Langdon, Just Inside of the box, chuckled softly. Surely Crane was a past master in duplicity. "I'm starting Lucretia In this race," re plied Honest John. "Oh!" Then Crane took Porter gently by the sleeve, and drew him half within the stall. "Mr. Langdon, who trains a horse or two for me, says this one'll win," and he In dicated the big chestnut colt that the trainer was binding tight to a light racing saddle. "You'd better have a bit on, Mr. Porter," Crane added. "Lucretia carries my money," answered Porter in loyalty. Langdon looked up, having cinched the girth tight, and took a step toward the two men. "Well, we both can't win," he said, half Insolently, "an' I don't think there's any thing out today '11 beat Lauzanne." "The mare 'II beat him,", retorted Porter, curtly, nettled by the other's cock-sureness! "I'll bet you one horse against the other] the winner to take both.'*1 cried Langdon! In a sneering, defiant tone. ? "I've made my b?t," said Lucretia's owner, quietly. "I hear you had an offer of five thousand for your Ally, Mr. Porter," half queried Crane. I' "I did, and I refused It." "And here's the on* that '11 beat her to day, an' I'll sell him for half that." as serted the trainer, putting his hand on Lau sanne's neck. Exasperated by the persistent boastful ness of Langdon, Porter was angered Into saying, "If he beats my mare, I'll give you that for him myself." i "Done!" snapped Langdon. "I've said It an' I'll stick to It." "I don't want the horse," began Porter* but Langflon Interrupted him. "Oh, If you want to crawl " "I never crawl," said Porter, fiercely. "I don't want your horse, but Just to show you what I think of your chance of winning, I'll give you two thousand and a half if you beat my mare, no matter what wins the race." "I think you'd better call this bargain off, Mr. Porter," remonstrated Crane. "Oh, the bargain will be off," answered John Porter; "if I'm any Judge. Lauzanne's running his race right here in the stall." His practiced eye had summed up Lau zanne as a chicken-hearted one; the sweat was running In little streams down the big chestnut's legs, and dripping from his belly into the drinking earth spit-spat, drip-drip; his head was high he!d In nervous appre hension; his Uns twitchcd. his Ranks trem bled like wlnd-distreffpd water ,and the white of his eye was showin&ominoualy. '-"?i aw, ioua, Langdon cast a quick, significant. caution ing look at Crane u Porter spoke of the horse; then he said, "You're a fair Judge, an if you're right you get all the stutf air no horse." "I stand to my bargain, whatever hap pens. Porter retorted. At that instant a bugle sounded. 'Get up Westiey," Langdon said to his jockey, they're going out." As he lifted the boy to the saddle, the trainer whispered a few, concise directions. "Hold him steady at the post," he mut tered; "I've got him a bit on edge todav. Get off in front and stay there; he's feelin" good enough to leave the earth. This'li be a matter of a couple of hundred to vou if you win." "All out! nil out.'" called the voice of the paddock official. "Number one!" then "Come on you. Westiey! they're all out." The ten starters passed In statelv proces sion from the green-swarded paddock, through an opened gate, to the soft har rowed earth, gleaming pink-brown in the sunlight of the course. How consciously beautiful the thorough bred looked. The long, sweeping step; the supple bend of the fetlock as it gave like a wire spring under the weight of great broad quarters, all sinewy strength and tapered perfection; the stretch of gentle curved neck, sweet-lined as a greyhound's, bearing a lean, bony head, set with two great jewels of eyes, in which were honesty and courage, and eager longing for the battle of strength and stamina, and stout ness of heart; even the nostrils, with a red transparency as of silk, spread and drank eagerly the warm summer air that was full of the perfume of new-growing clover and green pasture land. Surely the spectacle of these lovely crea tures, nearest to man in their thoughts and their desires, and superior in their honesty and truth, was a sight to gladden the hearts of kings. Of a great certainty It was a sport of kings; and also most certainly had It at times come Into the hands of high way robbers. Some such hitter thoughts as this came into the heart of John Porter, as he stood and watched his beautiful brown mare, Lucretia, trailing with stately step behind the others. He loved good horses with all the fervor of his own strong, simple honest nature. Their walk was a delight to him, their roaring gallop a frenzy of eager sen sation. There was nothing in the world he loved so well. Yes?his daughter AUIs. But just now he was thinking of only Lu cretla?Lucretia and her rival, the golden haired chestnut, Lauzanne. (To be continued.) THE NEW AGRICULTURE. Opportunity for Women in This Field? Their Special Fitness. From the New York Tribune. Women visitors at the commencement ex ercises of the Briarciiff Agricultural School last week were specially interested in the plans of the feminine contingent among the pupils. The one woman in the graduating class. Miss Barker, plans to start a green house at her home In Auburn, N. Y. Two girls from Omaha have a two-thousand acre ranch a few miles from that city, which they propose to cultivate. They Intend to make a specialty of celery, the cultivation of which Is a growing Nebraska industry. One young woman, who had been taking a course in landscape gardening, left before commencement day to help lay out grounds on Staten Island. Two others are going to have green houses. One young woman Is going to put J10.000 Into a fruit farm somewhere near Philadel phia. "I want something," she said, "that will not keep me tied down all the year, as dairying, stock or poultry would. I don't expect nor care to make a great deal of money. I just want my place to be self supporting and bring me In enough money for current expenses. It Is necessary for me to be near Philadelphia, which limits me in my choice of fruit, as I must plant the varities adapted to the soil. I shall plant dwarf trees, as they' produce equally and are much easier to care for. Then I shall raise small fruits, selling through commis sion houses. If I can get just the right kind of help, I may cater for special cus tomers direct. The work? Oh! I don't ex pect to do any manual labor myself unless I feel like it. I shall know how it all ought to be done when I leave this school, and then I shall pay a man to do it. So long as we know how to rminage the cultivation we don t have to operate it here unlets we wish. Some of the boys here have not done as much actual farm work as the girls. They demonstrated their ability to do it, and that was enough." "Yes," she continued, reflectively, "I think women are going to take the new agriculture, especially women of some means, who can own their own homes and want an object in life, and find it necessary or agreeable to add something to their in comes. Of course, individual adaptation to the work is of no account in the new agri culture without the technical training re quired to farm successfully today. But given this training, and farming is in its nature only an extension of housekeeping. The farmer's wife always ran the dairy, the poultry yard and the vegetable garden as naturally and unquestionably, according to the old methods, as she did h?r kitchen and dining room. She knew about straw berries and blackcaps, just as she did about dahlias and grass pinks. Frequentlv the only ready money that came into her hands was from the butter and eggs. There is no marked line of difference between house work and farm work, and it will be a great deal easier for the average woman to be successful with the new agriculture than with half the things which she is doing or trying to do today, which are foreign to the instincts and inbred traditions of the sex." MEDICAL ATTACK ON LIQUEURS. Drinks That Contain Essences Danger ous to Health. From the Lancet. About a year ago. in the course of a par liamentary discussion upon the law as to drinks, a socialist deputy, Dr. Vaillant, pro posed that the Academy of Medicine should be requested to make out a list of alcoholic drinks, such as liqueurs, aperitifs and the like, which contain essences dangerous to public health, with a view to interdict the manufacture or sale of such. As the min ister concerned did not accede to this re quest the academy has at last sent Into a parliament a report on its own account. M. Laborde has published the report In the name of the commission appointed by the academy. The report states that the essences used are very poisonous. Synthetic essencc of anisette contains a quantity of hydrocyanic acid. The inhalation of a little of this es sence from an open bottle containing It causes grave syncope and a feeling of Ill ness lasting for several days. Chartreuse Is very poisonous and contains thirteen substances which can bring about serious effects. Vulnerary contains fifteen very poisonous substances. The genuine vege table essences are bad enough, but these are not used now and the essences are all made with synthetic flavorings which are even more poisonous that the genuine vege table essences. Gin (genlevre) contains a poi son and bitters are also very dangerous. M. Laborde proposes that the sale of the following should be absolutely forbidden ex cept for medicinal use: Absinthe and its compounds, bitters, vermouth, noyeau, chartreuse, gin and vulnerary. It is pro posed that the authorities shall forbid the manufacture or sale of these drinks as con taining substances harmful to public health Manners at the Play. From the Nineteenth Century. It must be granted that the attitude to ward the play and players is everywhere more respectful, more Interested and more earnest than it is in London. Different countries have, of course, different man ners; and whereas the American, admitted 1?ost sincere lover of the theater, will softly and silently vanish away" if the entertainment be not to his fancy, the Englishman who comes to laugh remains |J b?? ? bis expectations are not fulfilled - the Frenchman shows his characteristic ex uberance In joy as well as in despair; and the forceful character of the German is displayed by his liking for short prices and long programs. Betting. From the London Chronicle. Among the social curses of the time, the growth of the betting habit must be given a principal place. If we were to deduct from the total of crimes those which are caused y j ^ al>ould probably find that the majority of the remainder were caused by Uncle Sam Eas Piles of the Yellow Metal. BEATS ALL NATIONS AN UNTHINKABLY VAST SUM IN MONEY. Would Buy the British Navy or 4,000 Acres of American Pie. Written for The Evening St?r. Through the Treasury Department of his government at Washington Uncle Sam gave out a rather startling piece of news the other day In the statement that this country at this moment possesses about a quarter of all the gold that has beeti made up Into money in the entire world. To quote the official 'figures correctly, there is now in the United States (including treasury coin and bullion) one thousand two hundred millions of gold money, wnere as the world's entire stock of gold money is worth less than five thousand millions ($4,800,700,000, according to the latest fig ures). New York financiers believe Uncle Sam's figures as to his own gold money are shy, and that in truth the amount of gold money In the country is close to $1,250,000,000 ?a bilion and a quarter?while all the rest of the world possesses less than $3. i50,000, 000. This Is a larger sum of eolned gold than has ever been possessed by a single nation In the history of the world. Next to the United States, according to the latest reports, comes France, with $810, 600,000, followed by the British empire, with $70!) 700,000; Russia, with $724.300,000. and Germany, with $721,300,000. So far as coin ed gold is concerned, it will be observed, the United States is in a class by itself. The British empire is second in the second class, but Great Britain proper is last, its store of coined gold amounting only to $511,000,000. Ail other peoples are so rar behind in the race as not to be <?11Plb'e even for the second class. Austria-Hun gary leads the third class, with about $-??, 000.000, but even at that the great empire is verv poor in gold money, relatively as well as actually, for her gold supply amounts to less than $4.00 per capita for her population of 47,000.000 souls. Uncle Sam s children have nearly $1? in gold apiece. which is less than the citizens of the French republic, for each of whom there Is a little more than $21 of gold coin a head. Germany comes third in the per capita com putation, the figures being $12>1. Great Britain's being $1234, and that of Russia, with her enormous population of only $5.?4. The per capita figure for the en tire British empire Is a shade under_$2.<SO. that for India's enormous horde of 2?i,000, 000 being only 15 cents. Here, as in m"?1 other things, the British empire exhibits the most astonishing extremes, for there are parts thereof where the per capita of coined gold is in grfat excess: in Australa sia, for instance, there is $24.20 In coined money for every man, woman and child. At one time the South African republic led this, with per capita figures of $2*(..<4, but now Australasia is the highest. 8 per capita is a few cents In excess of $.< 00 But these per capita figures of coined gold should not be taken as Indicative either of a country's actual wealth or the per capita of money in circulation. The total amount of money of all sorts :n the United States is rising of two thousand five hundred millions, or more than $2* Tor every citizen of Uncle Sam, about double the per capita of gold. In Australia, where the gold per capita is highest, there Is little money circulation at all except that male from the precious yellow metal; in India the great preponderance is in silver, and this Is true in even greater degree In China. Staggering Figures. It is doubtful whether any one can com prehend the meaning of figures as stupen dous as those which are needed to express the present wealth of this country in coined gold. It would take a laborer earning a dollar a day 416.GCS years to cam a billion and a quarter of dollars, but at that he would have to have the longevity of more than 4,oo0 Methuselahs. If the money had to be earned by day's work it would be bet ter to put 41C,0tH> laborers at it for a single year. Reduced to avoirdupois, the one thousand two hundred and fifty millions of gold dol lars now in this country would represent 5,000.000 pounds, or 2.500 short tons of 2.000 pounds each. Packed away a3 Uncle Sam packs away his gold In the treasury at Washington and in the various subtreas uries. it would fill 2.500 strong boxes, each 21 by 18 by 24 inches in s ze, inside meas urement, and containing six cubic feet. Piled up, the gold coin thus accumulated would make a heap containing 15,000 cubic feet; a bar of gold containing J1.250,000,<"i0 worth of precious metal would be five feet square and 300 feet long; erected into an auriferous monument, it would be a highly imposing sight, and would make no mean showing beside the Washington mmurae'it itself, albeit of about 200 feet less altitude than that patriotic structure. At two tons to the million. It would take 2.500 teams, or 5.000 horses, to haul this un thinkable mass of coined treasure over the average roads of the country. Fixing fifty pounds as the proper load for the average man to carry any distance, it would re quire an army of 100.000 to pack the stufT. In ranks of twelve moving in fairly open order this army of gold bearers would stretch over eleven or twelve miles, or about the length of Broadway on the Island of Manhattan. There is little danger that the yellow What Our Gold Would Buy. One thousand two hundred and fifty mil lions of dollars would buy an enormous amount of merchandise. and would pay tho expenses of no end of ware or merry-mak nr A few ago. before it could ha foreseen that the coronation of Kin* Ed I ness' XII?^Ul<S.?>* ^ * royal 111. onr?<J' V* that the toul cost rflah ? ?ovw>,?>??t and En (f? A^Tkit would be not far from *7.nr*>. I ,th** !"?'<* for such Jubilations Unci? Sth ?ou" Si sz millions ^^rcoron-?ona and leave so.. b?tleUah,n -ore th^ ^Ki batt!e ship?. H would probably rut f' A? buy the whole Itrltlfh navv, ptovlJ chTnVa^o^Mr)'K*lk>n uf marlnc ?*htinK - cnines could be purchased at anvthlnx llk? a fair valuation. At a million dXr. u div the approximate coat of the civil * tr ik? | cnlnftl gold now In the country would *??(.<? months m0re lhM thrvm >*" ??1 f<njr of ??? quantity of coined ri'? L ? with the value of son,. ,f iartlln'r V,r?P!<' P^ucta 1 a s..moMi<it the out ?.? T ln*ta,nc<>- ro"nJ numliers MM wi, th, C?w ' lr,h 8ofl ???' hard. ia mini three hundred and twentv-tw? and fif?v?minig1r0n T"r* than ,w" hundred ty-s 1 x mIm "*?? ",ver m,,r* tha" ihlr than niV fr ? .T,d* Petroleum mora .V.^" r ty'.flve millions. of rorn wheat: and oats nearly two hundred ar.<l nine mil lions: of butter and cheese m th n thria hundred and eighty-four mllll , ! UeTnft^ St!'"?rter of,c'""- '? K 'id now i,t , , n't?d S.ates would buv all th. ?c ,,ro_ dvK-.s and leave a trltlinB matter of $27 vTr, . *?>? as a nest egg around which to accumu n CS LK; h,,ndr,M ">???? ?r ^ ?U, h"}'} ^ 'nil-'" of railroad at r'iiiro >1 mu ' " y " third of all th? railroad mileage now In the United Stat?*. Thousands of Acres of Pi?. But It Is when the purchasing power of a thousand and a quarter millions of oM dollars an applied to pie Is considered tnat e ordinary mind may come nearest t<? v^stPI!llm Wi^I thc/eaI meaning of such a for in . I0*1' falr P,w> be bought now n Thf al '?0- an,, th"8 the -'"'""<1 K"Ul now In the country would buy twelve bil lions and five hundred millions of pies Tho square surface covered by pies varlei. hut ?qu^re Inches for each would not t.? room that alIowl,'? r"r the wast a room that would have to be allow.d lor ,re ?U ? Brp round. On this basis the gold coin in circulation In I nclc flam's dominions would buy plea enough to ever at least 4.<?0 acre, of land Mow many pie bakers It would take to bake tuft . n 'r mous aggregation of tooth someness in on* aa> Is a matter for conjecture only. ?all.fh* could be parkii Into a *or> small space, relatively speaking Mndu onlv a hIh f?rty 'I"1 ? only & little more than nine feet hi*h and L fXL'V,',m ton8 wouW ?Ot1um""S a full cargo for any one of several of th? great ocean liners now plowing the Atlantic them?' OUKh 11 would bulId nundreds of Food for Serious Thought. All in all, good Americans may well b? proud of the magnificent show ing our go <t coin enables us to make before the world, jet there is another and a m?rc serious aspect of the situation to be c- i'slderfj? an aspect, by the way. that thoughtful m< n thf examinlng with much gravity. Will nrfJ^T??e 80 much K"Ui 1,1 country produce the apparently log*. al r.-sult of permanently holding up the price ,,f all things eatable by reason of Its own com parative cheapness? Somo -.nomlo i.hil osophers declare that It will l,.v..?d tl.'e shadow of a doubt. In time th. > say th. r? will also be a general uplifting of th. *, ii? of wages, but not until It is settled w.Vth.r the present plenitude of the vollow metal In permanent or not. Naturally. In th. m-an tlrne the man who works will have increas ed problems to meet. On the other hand a plenitude o' gold will mean lively circulation, and that will mor.-i a continuance of the present "goo.I tin's" for a considerable period to com ? At.d if the prophets speak wisely, the nres.nt un exampU-d quantity of coin, d ^old in this a forerunner of the futur. Unless all signs fail, say thev. the dav is n? distant when we sh.ill hav. two thousand millions Instead o. a thousand Tanda <JUarter rnllllonB ^ gold coin in our Tombstone as Evidence. l*Vom the St. '^.uli. tili.be-Iifm.M'rHt. The title to Kansas City property valiiMl at over half a million dollars has be-n cloudtnl by a suit filed in the circuit court there by the heirs of the late Nancy Prlddy The property Includes tlfty-two aer. s in the rashionable residence district. Mrs I'rM iv died in lsiij. it |s contend, d bv h. r h-Ira who are residents of Central Point < 're that she was sixty y.ars old at the t'im. her death, while the defendants to the ,Mlit maintain that she was sixtv-six years old On this point the suit hinge's. If she'wot# but sixty years old she had not reached a lawful age to execute a deed at the time she disused of her propertv here itl j.s.v There is no record of h.-r birth the only evidence of her age being her tombstone, and the claim is made that It has h.en tampered with. The tombstone, a [last r cast of which was m.t le in Or'itoa for use In the trial, shows this rec ord: "Aged sixty years." but tli.- cipher looks as though it might originally have been a "<i." and it will I..- bit to tin court to decide whether It was or not. If the court declares her age to have b?i n sixty years at the time of her death the heirs will win. Chinese Adaptability. Frnm the North Chins Ken. There Is no clinging to an effete old 'an guag? by the Chinaman when money Is to be made by learning a new one. lie giv?s up the speech of his forefathers and takes to that of the people about him, and this to such an extent that a verv considerable proportion of Chinamen in Singapore and the Straits Settlements generallv are ab solutely incapable of speaking Chinese or of understanding it when it Is spoken From Journal Amnsant. A CRACK SHOT. "And we will repair the damage." "That's the sort of shots we are out