The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-07-20

! cn1S SnJeleu upon many mysterious
racing technicalities, and finally
wended my way home in a fan bet
ter frame of mind than that with
which had started the evening.
But in the early hours of the
morning the old horror of my posi-
ton dawned upon me in all its real
ity.
The false beacon of hope which
had buoyed up my spirits at the
close of the previous evening now
presented itself to me- in the form
of an imbecile bet. l had for short
period imagined that my fortunes
could he rebuilt by the caprice of a
race horse whose existence I had
not dreamed of 10 hours before, and
I quickly realized that instead Of
improving my position l had mere
ly placed a further e1O0 in jeopardy.
Yet it seemed strange thatI should
thus meet the rogue who sold me
the paper which lurcd me to my
folly. However, I reflected that,
being SO deeply in the mire, another
inch OF two as represented by the
e1OO would not make so much differ
ence.
But the game is not lost until it Is
won, and determined to face mat
ters boldly, and when my broker
called at my Office to sound mo az
to my position 1 assured him, with
all the self assurance I could mus
ter, that the aspect of affairs caused
me no uneasiness.
But the WEAKNESS Of the day-the
feverish excitement that took pos
session Of me as the hours rolled
on!
With my eyes fastened on the
clock l watched the hands slowly
creep to the hour fixed for the race.
And when the gong sounded the
first stroke of l started in my
chair as if I had heard a thunder
clap.
Now they are off and my fortunes
hang upon a horse and jockey. III
my imagination I could hear the
thud of many hoofs asthey spurned
the ground in that wild scramble
toward the winning post.
Then half an hour later I heard
the newsboys racing down the
street shouting with their brazen
lungs: Especial! Winner of the In
ternational'' And a nauseating sick.
ness crept over me-my head spun
round and round as staggered out
and purchased paper.
With trembling hands I laid it on
my desk, and for some minutes ]
sat there not daring to open it.
Then, composing myself with a great
effort, I opened the sheet and let my
eyes rest upon the fatal column.
Great heavens! Could l believe
my senses9 There staring me i'll the
face was:
Blaclfriar ...........................
Oliphant. Observation-Disclosures.
Songbird.
The paper dropped from my
nerveless hands and I fell back III
my chair with q gasp.
My position was saved as if by
miracle.
At So'clock I went to tho Norfolk
hotel to meet Dick Hampton, and
found him with face as long az
the proverbial fiddle.
Jack, you lucky dog-but it's
always the way-a man spends the
best part of his days studying horses,
and thinks he's found a good thing,
when up comes a greenhorn that
can't tell q horse from hayseed,
| spots an outsider and wins for.
tune"
well, look here, Dick, you
needn't grudge it to me. If Black
friar had lost, I would have been a
bankrupt tomorrow. When can ]
get the money!"
"Good heavens, man, you don't
mean to say that all your luck was
on that horse9 Well, some people
ride a forlorn hope and get home,
while others get thrown over the
rails. AS to the money, I can give
you my check tonight and settle
with the bookmaker tomorrow.
And as soon as the bank opeued
in the morning I paid e3,4Oo into
my account, and forwarded check
to my broker to cover my weeks
losses.
From that day the market rose
steadily, and fortnight later ]
cleared out with snug little e20,-
600.
Some six months after was leav
ing my Office to go home to my lit
tie house at Richmond, where my
dear wife was awaiting me. The
evening was raw and chill with q
driving rain. Passing beneath the
light of street lamp, a man ac-
costed me and begged for aims.
1t was the man who had sold me
the post dated paper.
Full of curiosity, took him into