The Portland daily press., 1892-12-02

y
sure to win with one of them?"
''My dear child, no woman ever could
understand betting, and I am sure, of
all women IN the world, have no desire
that you should"
"But if you won't bet yourself, why
not give others the benefit of your expe-
rience? You know everybody, and am
sure that they would be glad to pay you
q commission if they won-which would
be better than being robbed out of COM
missions by wine merchants"
The Hon. Tommy changed the SUBJ
ject, but, oddly enough, he lay awake all
night thinking over the last words of
his little wife in connection with her
strange ideas about how to win money
by backing all the horses. The next
morning he did not refer to the subject,
but staid away from business and occu-
pied his entire day by making out long
lists of his rich racing acquaintance
and compiling elaborate calculations.
Toward evening he went out and bought
betting book, into which he carefully
copied the result of his work. This
done, he read it all over and smiled.
He then closed the book, ate his dinner
comfortably, retired to bed early and
slept like top.
The next day he was out and about
betimes, but instead of once more dun
ming his customers for the commissions
which they owed him, be paid a visit to
all the starting price bookmakers, ask
ing the price of one horse at each place,
making an entry in his book mysterious
", and chatting with such of the hab-
itues as he was acquainted with. He
lunched at the Cafe Royal, where he
met more friends with whom he dis
cussed theS days fixtures, nodded his
head ominously and smiled knowingly,
and when pressed to express an opinion
said, 81 can't say" and when one young
sportsman offered to take horse against
his, said:
"My dear boy, the first rule Of racing
is that you cannot bet if you know-and
know"
His virtuous Discrimination to take on
the youngster did not prevent his friends,
when he turned up at the Empire, from
saying that Tommy had had a good day
more especially as to every one who
had lost or won he said, 81 could have
told you IS much, only was bound not
to say a word to soul" During all
that week the Hon. Tommy pursued
very much the same tactics, merely re-
marking over night, when the results
were known, eff you like to let me
stand in couple of hundreds I will let
you know good thing for Kempton on
Saturday, provided you give me your
sacred word of honor never to breathe
my name as your informant whether it
comes off or not, as | have grave rea-
sons which you must not ask me to ex-
plain
Anybody who knows the fashionable
sporting world will readily believe that
SO trifing condition was readily COM
piled with.
Before Saturday came round all those
who had consented to pay Tommy e200
in the event Of his tip coming off, and
had pledged their solemn soaths never
to divulge his name as their informant,
were duly placed in possession of name
with the following sage counsel:
"The way you chaps lose your money
is by going to every race meeting. by
backing a horse in every race, and by
putting your pals on, and thus spelling
the market when you really do know
anything >good. Now look at me!
always win money at racing.
81 have done SO steadily for years, but
I never go near a meeting unless know
something, and / never have a sixpence
on more than one race, whether win or
lose, and keep my own counsel. You
are the only man I have given this tip
to, and, to be quite frank, the only rea-
son do so is because | cannot get any
moro money on without spelling the
market; and am pledged to myinform
ant not to personally back the horse for
more than certain sum or the book
makers would tumble, and if the stable
were forestalled | should never get the
office again. It is by not being discreet
that fellows spoil themselves, and if
were to knock the betting about it is as
likely as not that they would pay me out
by numbering me on to wrong 'un next
time, and as | have never taken the
knock don't want to start now"
This very excellent advice was given
to some thirty-six Of the Hon. Tommy
Ardens bost and most "oofy' sporting
friends. There were six races on the
following Saturday at Kempton, for
which some thirty horses started. It
would be superfuous for the purposes of
this story to give the names of the horses,
their ages, weights or the names of their
riders. All that remains to say is that
the Hon. Tommy Arden had $500 to
nothing on every horse that started.
Needless to say, only six horses won.
With thirty of his friends Tommy hs@
condoled and said something about the
luck of the devil" With six of his
friends, who believe in him as prophet
ever after to be followed blindly, he has
rejoiced-more especially on the Mon
day, when they each handed him a
check for e2OO, making in all $1,000,
with which he paid out the brokers as
he had promised the agent.
It is due to his sagacity to say that the
Hon Tommy Arden only p1ays This