Connecticut western news., 1893-02-16
CANAAN CONN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1e. 1893

The Hon. Tommy changed the sub 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 acquaintances 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, he 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 | ly, 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 the days fixtures, nodded his head ominously and smiled knowingly, and when pressed to express an opinion said, 'I 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 I know"
 His virtuous disinclination to take on the youngster did not prevent his friends, when he turned up at the Empire, from | saying that Tommy had had good day | more especially as to every one who | had lost or won he said, "I could have told you as much, only was bound not to say word to a soul" During all that week the Hon. Tommy pursued very much the same tactics, merely re- marking over night, when the results were known, "If you like to let me stand in couple of hundreds 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 I have grave req sons which you must not ask me to ex- | plain"
 l Anybody who knows the fashionable l sporting world will readily believe that | so trihing 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 of, and had pledged their solemn oaths 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 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 mel l | always win money at racing.
 eI have done so steadily for years, but | I never go near a meeting unless know | something, and 1 never have a sixpence | on more than one race, whether 1 win or | lose, and I keep my own counsel. You are the only man I have given this tip to, and, to be quite frank, the only req son do so is because I cannot get any | more money on without spelling the | ant not to personally back the horse for more than 8 certain sum or the book makers would tumble, and if the stable were forestalled I should never get the office again. It is by not being discreet that fellows spoil themselves, and if I | 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 1 have never taken the l knock don't want to start now" This very excellent advice was given | to some thirty-six of the Hon. Tommy Arden's best 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 1 riders. All that remains to say is that the Hon. Tommy Arden had e200 to nothing on every horse that started. | Needless to say, only six horses won. With thirty of his friends Tommy has condoled and said something about ''the l 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 e200, making in all e1 200, 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 plays this game three times in each year. Other men would be more greedy. Tommy only makes some g4, 900; but he is con- tented with this, as he has the love and respect of his charming wife, who is one of the prettiest and best dressed women in town. In each year he also makes some eighteen fast friends of the men to whom he has given the straight tip which has come off. The others. Tommy consoles himself by saying, have as good a chance as any one else, and they all have their turn sooner or later.
 There are a few who, after two or three experiences of Tommy's straight tips, have become slightly colder toward him; but Tommy makes no fuss. He pays them out by quietly leaving them
 out of the next good thing;" for the simple reason that there are always
 other good men coming on, all of whom
 he makes it his business to cultivate
 St. James Budget.