Evening star., 1899-04-07

Can I See En-, who beat the favorite by
two lengths The 'spote'' didn't have to
snap his fingers or sway in his chair at all.
| Can 1 See EN- was in front all the way.
Half of that $4,000 to 81 ticket was won.
By this time the ''spote'' was the cynosure
of a good many pairs of eyes. The possi-
bilties Of the ticket he had in his pocket
were whispered about and a number of the
real things in the sport line edged over
to the "spote and asked to have a look
at the ticket.
ITS beaut," they said. and they rubbed
the back of the ticket for luck. Then lot
of them went up to the combination desk
and got tickets for the remaining three
horses in combination that appeared on the
latter half of the "spotes' ticket. By the
time the betting came in on the fourth race
it was known all over the room that the
''spote'' had $4,000 to So ticket with three
of the horses already over the plate, and
all eyes were directed toward him. The
"spote" enjoyed it all with becoming mod
esty.
DE Lady Contrary will now step out an
run five fuhlongs 70 me-" he said, referring
to his ticket again. "Ah doan' know NAH
self how dis heah Lady Contrary runs, but
dis is huh day tub win by uh squauh.
Lady Contrary came in an odds on favor
ite after having been at to l in the house
betting. In spite of this. it looked as if
Lady Contrary was going to be nowhere
when the telegrapher had well-night finish
ed calling off the race. In the stretch it
| was this, according to the telegrapher:
Then Came the Fourth.
Johnny ]. in the stretch by a head, DR..
| Riddle second, Alex third" and Lady Con-
trary hadn't had a call.
L The 'spote" looked bothered for fair.
+ "Doan' yo' go connubzin' uhroun theah.
yo' filly," he muttered, as if he We're talk
ing into Lady Contrarys ear. "Doan' yo'
do it! All got uh club heah tub beat yo'
/ bai of Of kpanS IL in h.
way! Come on, yo' baby Lady
Lady Contrary wins, by a nose!' an
nounced the teleg1 apher, and it was right
here that the ''spote's' elation manifested
itself strongly. He let out hoot of vic
tory.
"Ah dun rode huh in mahself." he said,
grinning. and then he found himself right
| in the center of the crowd.
Look uh-heah, nigguh, doan' yo' all re-
| membuh me?" a lot of the lesser ''spotes"
inquired of him as they crowded around
him.
"Remembuh nuthin',' replied the "spote."
impartaliy. "Ah doan' mex it no business
tub to remembuh nobody
Hey, what are you going to play in the
next?" was a question that a hundred men
threw at the '.spote'' as he sat in state in
his wicker rocker.
"De mex skate on de list" he replied,
spelling out the letters on his ticket, which
was being rubbed a good deal for luck by
all hands within rubbing distance, lis de
plug Haiuhpin. All, wouldn't Civ two dol
Iuhs fo' Haiuhpiu mahself, de way de
skates bin uh-runnin', but Haiuhpin's uh-
goin' tuh walk in all by heself dis time"
whereupon he returned his ticket to his
pocket.
The "spote' had got Hairpin into his
combination at a long price in the house
betting. When the first line of betting came
in from New Orleans, however, Hairpin
was seen to be the favorte in the race,
with a big field to beat
In Sight of a Fortune.
"Haiubpins laik gittin' money in uh let
tuh'' said the "spote,' and every man in
the room that heard these words of wis
| lom from the lips of the man with the
| magical combination ticket in his pocket,
| played Harpdn to win. Hairpin won in
| canter, all the way from the starting post.
So here was the "spote" enthroned like
any monarch of Dahomey, as was said at
| the outset Of this story. The crowd aband-
oned the betting counters and surged
| around him. One of the real thing sports" ;"
| waving a roll as big as his fist, elbowed
| his way through the crowd of idolaters sur
rounding the 'spote' and fatty offered
him $500 for his ticket, after looking at 1t
! best horse in the next race. had his name
| duly inscribed there. 1t was temptation,
| but the 'spote' was game, and he stood
| pat
"De two thousan's good enough fo' dis
| coon"
Another man offered him $500 for his 81
ticket: The offer was declined. There
| wasn't a man in the crowd that wasn't
roofing for the "spote's" ticket to wind up
/ all right. and to make their roofing the
more effective they played Diggs to win
| that last race almost to a man. The lesser
! 'spotes" were keeping close to their brother
| in hue They wanted to be in at the fin
| ish-perhaps to help the "spote" to cele-
brate.
| Diggs came in the fayorite at to 1. It
| was to be a six-and-a-haf furlong race.
| Diggs' distance At post time there was
| hardly q at the betting counters.
They were all lowering near the "spote"
for luck
Then Came the Downfall.
"Off at New Orleansp shouted the te1eg-
rapher, who knew about the ''spotes" tick
ct by this time, and there was tone Of
unusual excitement in hts voice as he
called of the race. "Ddggs in the lead!"
"Oh, yo' nigguh. Diggsl' shouted all the
| "spotes' in unison. and 'stay right theah,
| yo' babyr' shouted the one particular
| "spote.''
'D:ggs at the quarter by flve lengthsi"
| called out the telegrapher, and the pool
room might have been taken for an enan-
| cipadon day festival. 'Diggs at the half
By Ave lengths; Borden second by length
''.Ef yo' lubs yo' baby. come asongr sang
| the rspote."
l .Diggs at the three quarters by three
| lengths. Tappan second by length. Bor-
Tappan second. Tappan wins by headr'
That "busted" the combination. The
| "spote's' followers fell away from him
| IKE autumn leaves from wind-tortured
| gloomy silence, minus s2.002
It's a sad old world, anyhow.
l fha onour vvara <7r,o5 ~, tha .,,ox.-