Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-05
CHAPTER VII

a croW1 OF Toughs, a lesser crowd Of
third-rate spectators, and a lesser catherine
of fashionable ones were assembled on the
Blankhampton race course, for it was the
Scarlet Lancer steeplechases.
On the grand stand were to be seen most
Of the rank and fashion of the neighborhood.
and a goodly show of that class of people
who are always to be found about towns
which are also military stations-the class of
people who have daughters to marry, and
not much money to marry them with.
There were all the Scarlet Lancer ladiesin
full force, from the c~olonel's wife in blne
velvet and sables to the uuartermaster,S
lady in a hard felt hat, with long diamond
and pearl earrings. There were officers in
cords and boots, their silken finery hidden
by Newmarket coats. And there was the
bride, Mrs. Allardyce, in pink and gray, the
majors racing colors-oh lor! as the fellows
said when they saw her. And there was
Miss Mignon, a little three-year-old belle,
got up in Boobies colors-scarlet, purple
and g~old-adapted in her small case to a
warm frock of purple velvet, braided with
scarlet and gold, and on her golden curls a
jockey cap to match it. Utterly absurd,
most people said, but Bottles didn't seem to
see it. Nor, for the matter of that, did Miss
Mignon herself. Held by Bottles, or, when
Boobies was riding, by Lacy, she sat on the
broad ledge Of the balcony and surveyed the
world, like a queen in miniature.
1t was a fine place for seeing; yes, and q
fine place for hearing, too, as Lacy testified
afterward in his own peculiar style Of de-
livery:
''Er-I and Miss Mignon were waiting for
Boobies to come down the lawn, WIENER
a laday next to us-ar-a little unpwrepos.
sessing person. found out afterward that
her name is Berwry-with a nose like a tea
potspout, and a mouth of the bulldog ordah-
little daughter, by the bye, pretty much of
the same type, but just a shade less hideous
suddenly electrified us by pulling out a
huge pair of gold eyeglasses, and holding
the wrace-card at arm's-length.
COW! said she in a mlncing voice, when
Miles came down the lane looking like a
sack of flour in a purple satin jacket-'Ow.
Captain Ferwrahsl Ow, Dorothy, my
deah, Captain Ferwrahs! VeWry hand
some-and how beau-tifully he wrides! Ow
I'm shaw he'll win, and what a lovely horse
Captain Ferwrahs! He's vewry hand
some
"Well-er-I gave Miss Mignon q gwreat
squeeze to hold her t~ongue-and she did
This Mrs.-er-Berwry went ON expatiatinl
on Miles great beauty of person, and on tht
absolute certainty of his winning. And hi
pet name is Bottles she informed us. Hi
pet name! Well, pwresently Boobies cam,
sailing down the lawn in all his glowry, anC
Miss Mignon quite forgot the old girl, am
shouted out to him. Boobies she called
Boot. S.
'Bootles glanced up, and waved his hand
and-er-the old party called Berwry turnet
wround and eyed her sharply, saw the scar
let, purple and gold of her dwress, looked al
her card and said, witheringly, 'Ow, Idn'
know him. as if there were a dozen Capt
Ferwers knocking about, and this wasont
of the eleven she didn't know.
swell, when the wrace was over-er-whC
should come up hut Miles.
"tAh, Miles, said l, I-er--heard a lldaJ
expettating just now on your extrwIemt
beauty and gwrace and elegance Of person
was shaw you'd win. What a pity you
didn'tp
"'Bless my soulr said Miles, was she
prettyF
: "'Oh, don't be fattered; she took yol for
Bootles,' said l, ignoring the question.
"'Dootles' money againr cwried Miles,
with a gwreat wroar Of laughter.
"WeA, in two twos up comes Boobies. Sea
me win, Mignonp said he.
$50 I-er-told him the stowry, TOD and
BOTTLES laughed that absurd Hal bar Of
his. Come along and have some lunch,
Mignon, my sweetheart said he, and let's
be out of this"
But it was after this incident thit the
most important event of that bright May
day o~ccurred-one of those fearful strug-
giles to win when half a dozen hors3 show
well for the post, and all the field finds
tongue and shouts its hardest.
"Ferrers wins! Blue and ~fawn4yellow
and blackl Miles wins-Milas win. No,
no; Ferrers i'll front-fawn and blud Har-
tog-Hartog-Hartog wins! Miles il front;
All, he's down. Ferrers-Miles-hue and
fawn -Gilchrist gains Mi les-Githrist--
Ferrers winsi Ferrers winsl All hp with
the othersl Ferrers WINsl'
And then the ~company-good, bal and in
different-had time to remember tht a man
was down-no, not ono man, but two. To
find out that Hartog was bruted and
stunned, but able with help to cit to the
dressing room and recover himself to learn
that the swarming crowd around the other
was watching a more exciting racdthan that
which they had just witnessed with shouts
and applause, that they were watching with
awe and in silence a race betweeuLife and
Death-for Gilchri1t. the ''old' nan Of ths
regiment, the man who had beer nobody's
friend, nobody's chum, was lying in the
midst Of them with his back broke, waiting
for a hurdle.
They were all as sorry as meT could be
gho had never been moved by feelings q