Democratic messenger., 1888-03-10
A QUEER RACE.


for 81, 900 against any living quadrupcd
In the state. Now, then, money talksw
The speaker was u typical American
s'sport," tall and well knit. Of ruddy COM
plexion, with gray hair and mtistachc, and
probably 40 years Of age.
lie WIS a guest mt the same house rs my
self last fall. In u pleasant little country
town In Iowa, whittier he, like the rest Of
us, had gone To recuperatc for the winter
campaign. Our host was u genial, gen
erous h0irte'l American, passionatcly fond
Of horses and all appcrtaining to them,
attending most meetings during the sea
son, and breeding little IN an amateur
way Mt his country house, where we were
then located.
lie had one fault which constantly drove
his wife and pretty daughter 20 the verge
Of distraction; that was, he could not be
an hour In any mans company who
chancetl to interest him ON any subject
whatever, without giving that individual
n cordial invitation To his house for tho
annual house party IN the fall. This natu-
rally brought u discOr,lant element into
the circle ut times. regretted by no one
more than himself; but no matter how
discor,laat the element might be, so long
as the general behavior kept within tho
bounds of conventional society, nothing
was permitted to even hint that absence
was desirable. Hospitality was sacred,
and IL ~ mild curtain lecture cilsiicd. and
u perpetual black mark was In future
placed against the dciinqucnt's name, tho
other guests knew nothing whatever OF
the matter.
Last TALL the disturbing atom was Col.
Ford. M, n bad sort of fellow In himself,
lIf IL ft.1u La,
the s.giciy that surrounded him Just then.
y" matter what the subject under dis
cussiun was. he always had nn opinion
upon ii-a very decided, cgotistical Opin-
ion. delivered in n blatant tone with .
doininccring air that plainly said, "Apres
celia Ia tvlulr."
II can easily bc imagined that this type,
{" many people, would bc particularly ir-
ri'ai I., for Ia calmly stand being con-
i;I.:c;cl and ont lied, upon every phase
airi yarn Of shooting, fishing or racing
r.:hnni annoyance would rank q man
vc.y ncar the angels. ! am, personally,
very FAR removed from n celestial temper
nricn.. AMI the colonel, ,loubtlessly noting
tH ;.unnyancc, appeared To seize every
O.'ciiins gave To direct his conversation
Ia nIc or at me. This continued for some
time. in course Of which | discovered |
had u firm friend AMI kindred spirit In
my dislike to the colonel IN my hosts
pretty daughter, Miss Jennie, u thorough
American girl, full OF fun and mischief,
and quite capable Of carrying out any
scheme that might enter into her curly
little head.
When Col. Ford made his appearance at
Valley house, he was surprised To find %
well fitted training stable, grounds laid
out into straight running tracks, round
trotting tracks, and all the paraphcrnalia
pertaining to nm expensive hobby carried
out TO the fun 10y II wealthy man. Most
Of us Ind our own horses along with us,
and the days were passed In hunting,
shooting, fishing. riding to points of inter.
est In the vicinity, studying the minuti:e
Of the stable, or getting up running or
trOtting races among ourselves just for
fun AMI glory. The very first night hc
arrived the colonel had tclcgraphcd for
his groom to bring along Vcr,lant, and
from TINT time he never ceased boring US
TO death abont his mare, what she Ind
done, and whit she could do, until we
were weary of the subject. The mare was
certainly fine piece Of horscticsh, aud
had performed very creditably In public.
winning several events at Monmouth,
Saratoga and 81. Louis In the preceding
seAs"ii' but surely thnt was no excuse Tor
her owner forever tsdgcring every one TO
make n match with him. We hal all
come 10 rest ana ENJOY ourselves, not TO
work ourselves 10 dcath III pursuit of
pleasure.
olr dny nj dinner, To which ! hnd the
gW"i fortune 10 escort Miss Jennie, the
conversation Turned upon very fast colt
belonging !" friend oI mine living few
hnhdr"d miles norihoi valley ho,lsci had
Just concluded my remarks, when Col.
Fnr,i burst out;
~ tell You Ill back my bny mare Yer
dnni any diiance under mile and half,
Tor Sl,"''' AGAINST any living qnaurupcd
IN This state"
l""kcd across at him rather Indignant
~. not dusiring amy WAGER upon the mat
I ter. when Miss Jennie ehirrupcd: lis that
80 colonel What about weights'"
MY dear young ipiy, catch weights, OF
course; lnyc you match to propoSc' u
~" ] would he dclishicd.'
Miss .lcnnic laughed saucily, looked at
me. AMI giving me "a slight tap with her
feat under the table, said:
II leave my case ia your hands ]
10 match my pig Ieek'a-lnso against
the coloneIs Ner'iali, distance jOO yards,
10 hc run two weeks to-day on our left
track
or course the table roared with inerri.
nal 0ata nal