Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-12-28
A CURIOUS cAMBRIDOEsHIRE

ors--apple green and black sleeves. AZ.
ter few false starts the fiag fell. Soon
the heavy thud Of hoofs reached Good.
ewes ear, and the shouts and applause
Of the public, who lined the course,
were borne nearer and nearer. lie
grew really excited. His heart beat fast.
His breath came In gasps. The horses
were close up to him at the finish. Some
Eve or six seemed to fash by in mass
with mighty laundering Of hoofs. The
Jockeys arms and whips worked like
the sails Of windmills. There-ahl
there was the apple green and black
sleeves--to the front Of the ruck. PeO.
pies voices arose In a storm Of shouts,
curses. cheers. GOodeve's voice invol.
UNFAIRLY mingled with them. The per.
splra ton stood upon his forehead. He
felt half suffocated.
Prince Charming's number was hoist.
ed first.
He was soon aroused from his ab.
sorbed condition by the gruff voice Of
man speaking Mt his elbow:
'The curse Of the Charlmounts has
gone wrong at last"
"Eh? beg your pardon" observed
GOodeve, turning toward the speaker,
a short, rcd-faced man, who, from his
appearance and dress. might probably
have been cattle dealer.
II wasn't speaking to you, mister"
replied the other. rather rudely.
mo, I know" said GOOdeve, too
much Interested by the mans allusion
to the ChnrlmOunts to take Offense Mt
his words; "but you said something
about the curse Of the Charlmounts,'
and not understanding what you meant
L"
"Not understand what I meant by
the curse of the CharlmOuntsY' inter.
rupted the man. regarding Goodeve
with contemptuOus surprise. Ever
been nt Noomarket before, mister?"
"Never. until to-day"
"Ah, TINT accounts for Il, then. Well,
p'aps you don't know that never till
this blessed day has boss owned by
the Charlmount family won race on
the heath for nifty years."
"No. was not aware Of that" replied
Goodevc, growing very Interested.
"And, faint becOs they've not had
good hosses," continued the dealer, i'm.
pressivcly. ",rhey had some Of the
very best. It's becos the fam'ly's been
under curse rs regards this heath"
Under a curse? How Is that?'
"Well, you must know. old Tom Charl.
mount, grandfather Of the present man,
played friend Of his a dirty trick
about Cambridgeshirc Hfty years ago.
don't know all about the ins and outs.
but II was something like this: Tom
Charlmount had his friends boss got ut
the night before the race. and the boss
which was considered a cert.-got
beat In Conscience. The friend had
planked all he was worth on tlT colt.
and his defeat simply broke the poor
beggar. He blew his brains out the
same night. but not till he sought out
old Tom CharlmOunt and cursed him.
And the result Of that curse has been
that no Charlmount has won a race on
Noomarkct race heath ever since"
Henry GOODBYE was now deeply In.
terested. The true explanation of Phil.
IN CharlmOunt's inexplicablc conduct
was beginning to dawn OH him.
But was this generally known" he
exclaimed. "And did the public be-
lieve 1t? Because, II that was the case.
I should not have expected Prince
Charming to be made favOrite."
"Bless you. mister" was the half.
contemptuous reply. "Prince Charming
was so well in--about seven pounds be-
low his proper weight--that II II hadn't
been for the curse Of the Charlmounts
his price would have been less than
half what 1t was"
"Did--er-do you happen to know
whether Mr.. Charlmouat himself be-
lieves In the curse?" asked GOODBYE
eagerly.
I'm sure he does. Couldn't do 9th.
erwise. after the sinful ill-luck he's had
at Newmarket. Besides land I've heard
this from reliable sOurce), he has re.
sorted to all kinds of subterfuges ia
avoid 1t Mt different times--such M
nominally transferring his colts to his
friends and such like lodges. But they
were never no use. bless you. and
weren't likely to be. Providence ain't
to be circumvented so easy as that"
When CharlmOunt came next day
In great jubilation-t0 effect Prince
Charming's repurchase, lie gave sub
stantiaSy the same explanation az
Goodeve had picked up on Newmarket
heath, adding at the end:
II had before tried to avoid the op
Grafton Of the curse by collusiv,
transfer Of my horses to some of my
friends. But no good came of 1t. /
then occurred to me that bona.Adt
sale Of Prince Charming to one wht
knew nothing about the curse. ant
bought the colt without intending Il
evade It, might perhaps work the nee
essary charm. The result You know"
"Umph," said Goodeve. "Then 70,
believe that our little deal actually Oh,
cumvented Provldence?"
"Can you doubt IT." cried Charl
mount emphatically, as he handed til,
solicitor his check ~ OndOn Truth.