Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16

neck. sayaag: gle odman. dis amt no
you gwine lose ,yourself-an all de rest
whar Marse Jewett Is Got"
They were coming to the stand for the
second time. Tehderfoot led the field a
length clear of everything but Lustral who
hung at his throat latch The supers were
failing, the worst of them a dozen lengths
behind Sassy. who was last of the real
contenders Whips even Haunted his silky
flag ahead. Jeweft shut his eyes, smother
ing groan. Sassy had never won unless
she won all the way, 1t was but mile
now to victory and the gold cup. Already
the air was rent with shouts from the par
tisans of Tenderfoot and Lustral.
Another cry. faint, amazed, half whinl-
pering. made Jewett open his eyes quickly.
He saw long brown. moving blur. with
faint red dot on top Of it. stream out, col
lar the leaders and shape itself into a racer
against the Whitley brown of the course.
Sassy was running at last, running so
swiftly the eye unaided could not mark
stretch or gather: She ran low, with
long. stealing stride. stomach almost to
earth, neck extended. eyes af1ame. After
the first cry stunned silence held :he
crowd. 1t had known always Jewetts
crazy mare could run-the question was,
could she stay?
Sassy answered 1t in her own way Like
the wind. but swifter. she swept the out
stretch, heeling on the turn so as not to
lose way. She might have taken the rail
there. but Extry disdained it. Straight
down the middle he came, his lips work
Ing. tears rolling down his ashy face .oop
dee! De ole CONAN done walked up he
cried, but nobody heard him. The course
had broken suddenly into babel of cries.
They were In the back stretch now-but
half a mile away from the gold cup In
less than a minute-but what was that!
Ienderfoot was out of it for good, but LuS-
trail had come again. Like an arrow he
shot beside the brown mare, hugging the
rail. and running well in hand.
His TANKS were red and reek1ng; foam
flo frn fIo Extr hoI
flung away his whip. He wore spurs, but
Sassy had never felt their pricking. 1t lay
wholly with her to win or lose the race.
You see dat dar. Mister Luster?" he
shouted in her ear. "Ole CONAN, you tell
him not ter come boderin' you
Stride for stride the horse and mare went
through the backstretch, side by side they
swung for home and the cup. Lustrafs
Jockey, Penny. sat down to ride with all
his might. Extry half sighed as he caught
the swish of catgut and saw the gallant
black forge half a length ahead. Sassy saw
1t, too. She laid her ears tiatter than ever,
and sprang even in two bounds. At the
furlong pole she was neck to the good
and running strong and free. Extry gulped
a great sob Of triumph. He had followed
his mother risked $40 on his pet. He re-
membered that only dimly as one faint In
gredient In his cup of bliss. He dared not
look over his shoulder, but shouts and cries
Il don keer eff US does run fus and sec
ond-des so us two Is fus." he shouted to
Sassy. Then, for breath. he grew blind and
sick. Right in front of him a little child,
laughing fodder, four years old. had, while
its mother-a trainers wife-was absorbed
In watching, crept through the rail and
stood crying uncertainty in the middle of
the course. 1t was in no danger from Lus-
tral; the other horses might also pass 1t
unscathed Sassy must swerve or check
or run over it. The alternative was muir
der or defeat.
Extry drew a long breath, then clear
Pull up! Pull out! Save the child! No
matter about the race!"
Extry pulled to the outside. those behind
him to the rail. The whirlwind hoofs went
past the toddler, and Sassy had lost her
head. She was length behind Lustrh
even with Tenderfoot-and clearly disguised
with the way she had been used. The
wire was just a hundred yards ahead Ex-
try groaned aloud. Must be de Lawd:
he's agin US. ole 'ooman." he said But
but do try. des er little bit MOI!
The wind was blowing down the stretch
l.. brought to him a fino and familiar fra
grance-the scent Of full-ripe mellow APP
pies. AS he shifted it he shouted: GLORY.
Glory! Go on, ole 'ooman!' Sassy answered
am by such Il burst Of speed as the West
Side Park had never seen. Like the whirl-
wind. the devouEing flame. she tore along.
passed Lrss;ra let in daylight between her
self and him. and went under the wire at a
rate that smashed alike the track record
and the racers sex tradition.
And as she caught tho judges eye three
men. who had crowded to the rail Just be-
yond the winning post. flung their hats up
wildly, thereby scattering red apples over
the grass at their feet. They took other
apples from bullying pockets and sent them
voileying all over the shouting crowd When
the volleying was finished they joined hands
and executed Il new pattern of war dance,
in course of which they Rugged themselves
impartaly and shook hands with each
other at least a dozen times.
How did 1t all happen?'' one of them
said to impatient inqurers. ooh. we've had
our eyes open all along. We watched Sassy
at work-we knew she'd go her death for
apples-and that If she'd run her best. there
was just her In the cup race. We
didn't do a thing to the bookes! Oh, dear
no! They didn't know we were loaded
with apples. But we'll let EN- down pretty
easy
Until Extry had weighed in and Sassy
was parading with the big horseshoe of
flowers about her neck, Jewett was as white
as a dead man.
He had accepted defeat, which meant
ruin-and here was victory snatched from
the very Jaws Of 1t. He had pulled off the
bride before he led up Sassy to receive her
floral piece. 'Ill keep my word. Old wo-
man-you shall never put on another" he
said. as he tossed the bride far away. The
crowd parted before him as he came back
and closed behind him like re1uent wave
Everybody was anxious to look at the won
der-Jewett walked bareheaded. as though
in presence of a sovereign princess He
knew Constance was looking at him with
her heart In her eyes. He had passed her
more than once that day. but had not
dared to approach her.
At the paddock gate Major Eyre met
him. The major was almost apoplectic of
countenance. II have come to apologize
Mr. Jewett," he said Il owe you more
than apologies. You have enlightened me
have enlightened US all. indeed. You have
shown Us that there 10 something more to
a horse than we knew. Pedigree. con-
formation and all that have been our
standards. and routine our fetch. You
have shown US that the horse has-what
do you call t?-idiosyncrasies-e especially
when the horse Is a mare. By the way II
you could think Of selling the mare that
won today should like to make an offer"
THANK you very much, major" Jewett
said heartily. shaking the majors hand.
My brand of Sarsaparila Is not for sale
still I don't say you may not have her in
the way Of exchange that is not at all fair
"Oh." the major said. more apoplectic than
ever. then irrelevantly, Constance Is with
the Bruces-I know she wants a chance to
you"
Not so badly as I want her." Jewett
ingly:
my dear fellow, there Is no counting on
feminine, but wish you the luck
to get her. and. strictly in confidence. be-
lieve you will"