The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-05

linked with those of three young ladies Of
the stage. But he soon found that the loss
Of Polly had left his life empty; he had tried
to fill it with sport.
That night, in her loneliness and perplex-
ity, Polly's heart was very soft to him; she
had never missed his friendship so much.
The sound of the dressing gong aroused her
from her meditation. All through dinner
Norah talked of nothing else but Lord
Hauntsleigh beginning with a few tenta-
tive remarks, for she had been forbidden to
speak of hint was almost the only thing
forbidden her. She grew bolder when she
found Polly did not check her, and at the
end of dinner was calling him Jim. At last
she said: why did you quarrel with Jim,
Polly?"
Polly's eyes flashed, and she said sternly:
Lord Hauntsleigh is a very bad man."
I'm sure he's notr' said Norah, angrily.
mo one was ever so nice"
After dinner Polly rolled a silk wrapper
around her throat, drew on a thick ulster
and went around the stables with Bacon,
the head groom. All the while Norah's last
words rang in her ears, and they were ring
ing in them when Norah had gone to bed,
and she sat before the fire smoking a cigar
cite. When she arose to go to bed herself she
SO nice as Jim-or so nasty"
The next morning Polly awoke in her
usual spirits; she was out early to see the
dukes Araroon. an Irish horse, go through
his work for the Grand National, rode
round the little farm after breakfast and
took Norah out for ride in the afternoon.
The exercise set their blood flowing faster,
and that evening they did not NOPE through
the twilight. But the next morning a let
ter came from the dukes solicitors inform
ing her that his, grace had arranged to re-
move his horses to another trainer at the
beginning of the next week; that he gave
the six months notice that the mortgage
must be paid; it ended with the words,
And his grace desires us to inform you
that his offer is still OPEN"
Polly was face to face with the worst She
saw that the duke trusted to poverty to
force her to accept his proposal; and indeed
a dread began to invade her mind that he
would get his way If it had not been for
Norah she could have made shift to get
livelihood somehow, but with Norah she
was helpless.
All through the work of arranging the re-
moval of the horses, of arranging that as
many of their grooms and stable boys as
possible should go with them to their new
training quarters, the dread haunted her.
She began to see that this was the in
evitable upshot Of the matter; she had six
months grace. She went about cudgeling
her brains for an escape, but the more she
thought of her plight the more hopeless it
seemed.
The day before the dukes horses were to
leave she went round the stables with
very dreary face, and stopped at the box
of Blazes; whenever she was in low humor
she found the sight of Biazes neartening.
He was magnificent horse, but the most
vicious and intractable brute that stood on
four legs, and she had tanned him. She was
the only person who could ride him, at any
rate over water; and after trying every
thing to make him Of some use as a race
horse, the duke had given him to her as the
only person to whom he could be of use.
Blazes showed no pleasure at the sight of
her. but a little of the dreariness passed
out of her face at the sight of him. While
she stood there Bacon came in; he looked at
Blazes glumly for while, then he said:
ITO look at that brute He could win the
National with twelve stun on is back an
nine stun seven's what ell carry, and stop
at the water. Lor Miss Polly if you could
only ride 'im!'
Polly twisted sharp round with gasp and
actually reeled back; she had found light
with a vengeance, and it dazzled her. Bacon
stared at her, and she ran out of the stable
and into the house. She dashed into the
dining room, startling the reading Norah to
her feet, snatched the Racing Calendar
from the shelf and turned the pages with
trembling fingers. She found. what she
wanted, the National Hunt Rules and the
letters danced before her eyes. 1t was some
minutes before she could read it, and as
she read a frown gathered on her forhead.
Suddenly she flung the work with a little
hysterical laugh that was half sob, and
Norah, who had never seen her sister so
moved in her life, and had stood watching
her in a fright, cried, Whats the matter,
Polly? Are you ill?'
mo, no." said Polly, breathlessly. I'm
not i'll; I'm going to start farming"
rs that anything to cry about?' said
Norah You gave me ever such fright"
Polly comforted her. and going out again
presently she told Bacon she would not let
Araroon so with the rest of the horses on
the morrow but she should keep him till
the day after. The duke thinks he will win
the National she said. Il don't, and I'm
going to try him..
Very well, miss" said Bacon. 'What'H
you. try him within"
II think I'll try him with Blazes," said
Polly, quietly.
The next day, accordingly, Polly came
down to the stables dressed to ride Blazes;
and since she had early acquired the habit,
admirable for its safeness in middle-aged
women, but distressing somehow in
pretty young girl, of riding astraddle when
ever she rode a dangerous horse, Blazes was
to carry a racing saddle. That saddle was
dealt with by Polly herself in the harness
room; and no one knew the weights she
slipped into it, or how much she weighed
herself.
Araroon won the trial by half length, for
the benefit of any tout who might be watch
ing, but when it was over Polly knew that,
bar accidents, Blazes could win the Great
National by hundred lengths. She lost her
gloomy air.
For the next month she was very busy
putting Blazes through his preparation her
self She spent the greater part of the day
with the horse, getting him entirely used TO
her, watching over his grooming, allowing
no one to mount him but herself no one but
herself and Bacon TO enter his stable, deter
mined that nothing should ruffie his temper
She was busy too, getting her money on
him; and with such judgment did she set