The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-07-05

ana meant TO act straight by his girl; so
what more was there for him to say.
Well, by the spring of 1872 our engagement
had continued for some months, and I was
daily getting more deeply involved by rea-
son OF my pursuit of luck. 1 betted on
every. event, hoping to pull myself up that
way, but only with the result Of throwing
away the best part of what I earned.
Things we're in this state shortly before
the Derby. l was going on In q bad way.
l knew that something must be done before
long. l knew that l must carve out a new
path for myself somehow; that 1 must con-
trfve some fresh plan, or go without Lucy,
and also go to universal smash. Yet what
to do 1 did not know. 1 waited, in d hope-
lessly hopeful condition, for something to
turn up. 1 put trouble and worry away
from me and would have none of it:
Do you not know that curious dreamy
you refuse to allow yourself to think of the
future? You live ia a kind of unreal reality,
to use a p~aradoxical expression. The pres
9 ty you make to occupy your thoughts en-
tirely. You wait for the unexpected.
Well, that was my case then. l was gay
usual, and talked to my lucy-God forgive
me las If I were coming into ten thousand
a yearthe mex week. Meanwhile l threw
of daub after daub, until sven my
accommodating ''uncle" looked suspicious
and hesitating, and nearly allthe resulting
1880 Veo PoO ~ hOAoSo Nhoo ia AsN-
been mysteriously confided to me as those
of certain winner
1 was not very heavily booked for the
Derby, as it happened, not having much
available cash, and having intended to put
"something on" on the day before the race.
An uncomfortable assurance was with me
of impending trouble. / felt that the crisis
of my fortunes was close at hand.
However, before anything unpleasant oc-
CURED, an unexpected something turned
mn. 1t namai in tire narSnn nf INV friend MIR.
James O'Hooligan.
Jimmy O'Hooligan was a boisterous
1rishman, very well known in the Bohemia
of London at that time. He was a middle
aged man, of somewhat handsome appear
anoe, and carrying himself with a military
air. He possessed a glib tongue, an amaz-
ing fun of anecdote, had a musical voice
and ear, and all the social advantages OF
one who has kissed the Stone of Blarney.
Need I add that Jimmy was extremely
popular with both the ladies and gentlemen
of his acquaintance?
He got his living in one of those mys-
FERROUS ways common to Bohemia. Some
times he sat as a model in the studios OF
such artists as could afford the luxury. In
this way he may have earned a good deal
at times-for models are often very well
paid-and he has figured in many a char
acter on the walls of Burlington House.
Jimmy seemed to be knownbyeverybody.
He hung about newspaper offices, particu-
larly those of a sporting character. He
was admitted behind the scenes of theaters.
He was ON the f~ree-list at every music-hall.
He knew every prominent member of sthe
fancy" and the P. R., and all over London
he was hailed as a cherished friendly pub
leans and barmaids. IA
These characteristics threw a romantic
halo over Jimmy, tony young and some
what yerdant mind. Moreover, he was
the life and soul of every party he got
among, though a rather vulgar, coarse and
disreputable soul, it must be admitted.
But he was a frequent visitor to the studios
of CamdenLTown, and was quite one of our
free-and-easy fraternity.
1t was the Monday morning before the
Derby, hat race, as every one knows, be-
ing run upon a Wednesday. was sitting
in my studio at work, knocking of one of
those thin experiments in color which took
but a day to complete, and upon which
~"uncle" would advance me fifteen shil-
lngs or a pound, half of that being profit
or earnings to me, the balance covering
cost of canvas, colors and frame. In the
midst of my work there entered, to me the
OtHooligan. s H.
l. Evidently something was in the wind;
Jimmy's entrance was : dramatically i'm.
pressive. Cautiously projecting his head
and shoulders through the h~alf-opened
doorway, he asked, =
"Are ye aloneYD
/ was, and said so. Then he slid slowly
into the room, like a snake, holding the
door as closely as was compatible with the
passage of his body. Once inside, he
quickly closed the door, and locked it; Then
he turned and faced me, standing still,
with his back against the door, and SUM
moning into his face a look of intense ex.
element. He seemed to be laboring under
the pressure of some tremendous secret
which was struggling to force its way Out
of him.
Suddenly he crossed the room towards
-. - 49, ,11x~r .-4rsI Ae. IlNrl 4s-Aza
holding up a warning finger the while, and
literally cleaning on me with fixed mean
ing eyes. Laying his hands on my Shout.
ders, he whispered hoarsely.
"Our f~artune's madel"
Then he stood back and eyed me.
so, indeedln I said, for I knew Jimmy.
"Another straight tip, I suppose"
"Anotherl" he ,shrieked. "Ihe straight
tip, me bhoy! The straightest that liver
therei eighties to wan! a hundred to wan
and sartin as the fate az sinners!"
1 struggled desperately against the con
experience what it all meant. Isaid:
"Look here, old man, I've had about
you know"
"Ah now, see herei Ye've been ptaysn
at bettin'-no more. I gave We tips, 'tis
true,. and they didn't come of. That's
partly the reason why Pm givin' ye' this
to make up for thin others. Pm in airnest
this time!"
BE was, apparently. His eyes were
dancing n glittering in his head, his
hands demonstrating, and his whole person
Indicative of eagerness. He could hardly
speak, so strong was his agitation. Ibegar
to feel the excitement extending to myself
and knew that l was destined to give way
to it.
"See now, he continued, 'I've surprised
wan Of the deadest saycrets av the turf
wan av the biggest things that's liver been
1 tell We we could make u %fartunes il
we'd only enough to put on. It's a PLAN
that's just goin' to make this Derby the
most %astoundin' wan liver run!
"Nol 1t dom matther how I got it.
can't tell even you that. But l sid to ne
self, we've got to keep this thing dark
There's just wan chum ye're goin' to TAKE
in wild yer. Him an you's goin' in ON thi.
thing, an goin' to do the biggest shtrokt
that liver yen git the chance of yer whole
lives! I've put on livery blessed penny I'm
worth, an here l am, me bhoy!"
1t was no use trying to keep calm. Hi
excitement mastered me, and I felt that
come veal or woe, I had to do as he wished
He went on:
whisper now-it's a solemn sacred say
cret between us two, reminder thati Dit
We liver hear av the Makeshift Colt?' No
we didn't, nor nobody else. But I tell We
that's the horse that's goin' to win thi
years Derby.
~, We needn't look at the lists; he's no
in the bettin' at all-not git, anyway
They've held that colt back, am kept I'M a
dark's the back of Hades. AM now, thin
as is in the saycret, they're goin' roun,
takin' the odds on the quiet.
"There's no one knows a word av it out
side the stable, barrin' me am you. TIL
bookmakers I'll just give any odds at al
about the horse; they don know his nam
yit, evenn G
And so on, and so on, till, after an hour
talk, I was as completely persuaded as an,
one could wish, and yielded myself Vi
entirely to the fever of which O'Hooligal
was the present exponent. 1 soon saw tina
he was thoroughly in earnest himself, an,
it was not long before I was as mad on tn
subject as he.' I saw that I had got
means, at last, for relieving myself of m,
difficulties, providing myself with actua
capital, and for making my marriage wit
Lucy an Immediate possibility.
"Sell livery blessed stick! Sweep out tn
whole bag o. tricks! Pawn the coat at
yer back! AM crack the bilin' on to tn
Makeshift Colt!" was Jimmy's advice.
found on inquiry that 1 had, curiousl,
enough, drawn 1.-THE field" in a big SWEEP
stakes at the Brush and Palette. As til