The San Francisco call., 1898-06-05

the sport said a fresh-faced, slim woman, after being shut up all the week in the store. My old man, he'd like to bet; but I told him that he'd have to wait till I'd got my Easter dress before he did any more betting. His moneys earned too hard to be lost this way. So I told him I wouldn't come out here unless he'd give me the money to keep"
 Downstairs, though, there is no delu- sion as to the attraction of the cours- ing park. It's that old, unreasoning, deathless desire to wager and to win that filled Lark Twains jumping frog with shot in the immortal Calaveras tale. Just to bet; that's all these eager eyed men and women, with their lined faces and alternations of hope and de- spair, crave. To bet; 1t doesn't make any difference, apparently, to them whether they bet one way or the other.
 Say. let's each chip in half and bet on Susie! What do you say?" a frowsy woman, with more gold in her teeth than in her pocket, asked another woman.
 Why" said the shrewd little body that carried the fal fly purse, Susie s five to one-or six to one"
 ''No she ain't. I just heard him shout one to five. Will you chip in?"
 But the woman wh, wants her Eas- ter dress shook her head. My oln man" had been deprived of the delight of bet ting; it wouldn't be fair for his old woman to allow herself that pleasure to-day.
 But another woman, who didn't want an Easter dress-though, it was only too apparent how badly she needed one-joined the first speaker, who dis appeared in the crowd about the bet ting stand. But she came back, re- | Ioa aIy ha ho1 dollar, saying:
 She was right. It ain't one to five. It's five to one"
 T thought so," said somebody's "old woman" Why, Susie's just the pick of 'em. I tell you," she went on ex- citedly, forgetting her resolution, If Susie was one to five, I'd put up live dollars on her.
 You think I'm going to put up five dollars to win one," said the frowsy woman, the lust of wagering in her eye. 'I'll tell you what we'll do. Let's all put in a quarter apiece. Just for fun! Huh? What dye say? We won't lose much-an'," she laughed nervous ly, i've won't make much"
 That Van Cloie's a good dawg." said a stout Irish woman, with the frank est brogue and the unfrankest eyes all awry and crossed. "Susie's d burrd; but that Van Cloie ain't no fool.'
 So the modest pool was formed and the Irish woman marched off to breast the waves of male gamblers dashine l themselves and their dollars against the rocks of the pool sellers.
 Say better watch her." whispered one of the mighty syndicate. Per haps she'll get away with the money Dye know her?'
 1 ''No, do you?" asked the frowsy wo- man, a suspicious gleam coming in hel own eye as she spoke.
 l Not one of the four knew another.
 But the Irish woman came back with the magic pink card. which small we'll l-dressed member of the corporation seized immediately and held I wonder if by any chance fleet Susie had been beaten by her rival, whether there would have been war in the Var Cloie syndicate? She wasn't, of course There was no possibility of such a thing, according to the woman who knows so much of coursing and of hu- man nature. that she keeps her hus- bands purse in her own pocket. But these women are mad to bet. If not one