The Somerset reporter., 1897-08-26

enough cnanRe with when TO get Dack
to the city As kel walked into the
betting ring preparatory to the third
race he saw on Bookmaker Ike Thomp-
SON 5 slate:
Plny or Observation-Disclosures. 90 to
Mthup"s- % 10 /
bhtzcn .t.--..s.....ss.. 10 o
Hoey ............... ...... -......s....... to .
I've got a system, me boy" said
the king to friend, "and it $ peach
I'm going to put FLYER on each o them
plugs, and then l can't lose, see? got
to get some dough back, no matter how
they run. "
That's no system, Mike, " said Kel's
friend.
Its as good as the average, sport, "
was the quick retort and Mike pushed
his way up to Thompson $ book.
Say, there, Ike, old boyl' yelled
Mike. Here's four green flyers. Put
one ON each of them ponies, keep the
change, and gimme the tickets quick 4"
The bookmaker laughed as he handed
kel four tickets, each calling for Play
or Pay 300 to 5, Meadows 100 to 8,
Bitten to 5, Hoey 4 to 8 respective
ly.
That's quite chance you re taking,
Mike, . sai1 Thompson, with a laugh.
1t Is, if one o them long guys comes
walkin in with the yellow boys in his
stockin, replied the ball player.
Then the bell rang telling the crowd
that the horses We're at the post.
iro of called LF111,
er Caldwell dropped his flag. What 8
that guy away out in front, running as
if he saw square meal somewhere2"
It's Play or Pay'' screamed hun
dreds And so it proved to be. The
horse had been the recipient of one of
those celebrated Gutenberg injections,
and he won i'll a romp.
Kelly never ran bases faster than he
ran up to Ike Thompson's book, brand
ishing his ticket calling for $305.
Give us the green goods, IkeP' he
reared, while the crowd gathered
around breathlessly.
There S your money" said Thomp-
son pleasantly, as he took a big roll Of
bills from the cashier Kelly didn t stop
to count it, but made n rush for the bar
room, crying out;
If there's dust in any guys throat
around here let him come in with me
and wash it out Everybody have a
drinkP' The bar looked like bargain
counter as the sports lined up. They
called for everything from wine to
cigarettes, and when all had had enough
kel said to the drink mixer:
" How much, spOrt?'
Fifteen dollars, Kelr'
There's twenty Have a bot your
self"
Say, Mr. Kelly" whispered tout,
could you stake me to a few bucks?
I've got a cinch -
There's ten of them, me boy. Go
and break up the betting ring" was
Kelly & response as he forked out SO
bill. Other impecunious persons suo-
cessfully "touchedo him for various
amounts until Mike decided to plunge
again. Going up to bookmaker who
had 100 to l against the horse Duke
John, Mike cried out, "I'll put hun
dred on that onel" and quickly produced
century, for which he received tick
ct calling for $40, 600 to 800.
"If Duke John WINS" said Mike,
''Ill buy the track. " Duke John was
last III a field of 10, but Kelly only
laughed. And SO he continued to specu-
late until the races were over Then he
had a $40 bill and some change. He
paid the car and ferry fares of at least
90 unfortunates, loaned 90 cents here
and IA quarter there, and by the time he
left the boat at the foot of Forty second
street he had few pennies over So. AS
Kelly crossed Tenth avenue he caught
sight of little girl about 8 years old
who was crying as If her heart would
break. He picked her up in his arms
and said gently:
whats the matter, little one?'
Mammals sick in bed and | m hun
cry, . sobbed the little girl. Kel gulped
down lump in his throat, put the
child on the sidewalk, pressed 50 into
her hand and said soothingly:
There, give that to your mother, lit
BE one, and may God bless you.
Come ON, sport, - Kel said to his
friend then Were broke but let
hunt up some more green goods . He
soon borrowed 500 from his namesake,
Honest John Kelly. That was at 7
O'Clock in the evening. At II O'Clock
that same night he had won 81 600 at
faro The next day he caught the noon
boat for Gutenberg, and be had but
$50 When Mike died he didn't leave a
dollar New York sun.