Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-20
THE nIAKESHIFT COLT.
A Lively story of the Turf and Other
Things.


From London Society.l
No, never gamble.
Why don't [? Well, for a very simple
reason. l once all but made grand
comp I once came within the cock of n
horses ear of pulling off very big thing
and didn't.
tradesman in Auckland, New Zealand
you would hardly imagine how began
life. | have taken root here and prosper
ed ; have n wife and family, as you see,
and am q comfortable man. Yet only n
very few years ago my case was widely
different
All, yes 1872; Ceremonies year. It's
queer thing to look back on those times.
Only short ten years ago, and yet l am
quite different man.
was gentleman in those days, if you
please, although as poor as n rat ; an ar
fist to boot, that being one of the well
known lucrative professions that needy
gentlemen are so fond of adopting.
dwelt in Camden Town, London, in n
studio high up at the top of house that
stood in an anything but pretentious
street, l was practically alone in the
world. For, though I had relations, l
saw or knew but little of them. But poor,
and an artist, l was naturally Bohe-
milan, and my associates were mostly
drawn from that heterogeneous stratum
of society.
had no business to call myself poor,
for had, from the various sources, a to-
tai income of over f200 year. Then 7
had good capital, in the shape of fair
stock OF such things MS a young artist re-
quires, an extensive wardrobe, some fur
niture and books. l was comfortable
enough i'll my humble studio, which also
was my living room, with small bed
room adjoining it. There was no reason
why | should have felt poverty, but / did
Like most inexperienced youngsters, /
had but the vaguest ideas of the value of
money. Moreover, / was extravagant,
never stinting my expenditure, and vast
ing lot more money than could afford
at the Brush and Palette and similar
places. | was always in arrears and,
worst OF all, fell into sad way of bet
ting on races.
Now, goody-goody people would say
that such thing was impossible and i'll
comprehensive but swear to you that
what led me to take to betting and gam
bling with more than ordinary zeal was
the purest and hottest incentive man could
have.
A woman, of course, you say. Well,
yes, but girl rather than woman she
was then. Lucy was the daughter of a
small tradesman, druggist, in Camden
Town. L made her acquaintance in some
informal way, and bad gradually wormed
myself into the confidence of the family.
was madly in love with Lucy, who
well l won't attempt to describe her, for
certain reasons not far off Just now. SUI
flee it, she was like Traddles' Sophy, "the
dearest girl in the world"
Many visits to the little household, and
various little trips to Richmond or Ep-
ping Forest play going and what not in
her company, had the usual result
told Lucy of my love, and she consented
to become my wife.
Now, had l been free from debt, there
was really no reason why we should not
have married at once. / had as much as
many curate marries upon. But then /
was in debt | had duns and difficulties,
no present means of making my domi-
cile fit for wife, and above all, my
little income was somewhat precarious
Then had no particular prospects to
look forward to.
Lucy's father, like most men of his
class in London, particularly if blessed
with large family ms he was, hardly
said either yea or nay to the matter. He
allowed us to judge for ourselves. was
gentleman, he said-meaning thereby
an honest maitland meant to act straight
by his girl 80 what more was there for
him to say?
Well, by the spring of 1872 our en-
gagement had continued for some months,
and was daily getting more deeply in