Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-08
WHEN BEGGAR LADY WON

brated the second anniversary OF their mar.
| riage by coming over to Washington on
| Monday morning last to see Congress as
semble, and they remained over a day for
| the purpose Of having a look at the Ben
| ming racing. Despite Tuesdays vicious
weather, they went out to the track. 1t
was the first time the young man had
! "seea 'em rum since his marriage. al
| though before that solemn event he had
been an often-bitten victim of the horse
| bug" Like all men who have sworn OFF on
| fooling with the thoroughbreds. however,
he had kept a pretty fair Zine" on the
| runners by assiduously reading the results
from all of the tracks. so that when he
went to the track on Tuesday he thought
that he had fair chance of breaking about
even with the layers of odds. His wife had
never seen horse race in her life before,
and when the horses clomped around
through the mud in the first race she ex-
| hibited considerable excitement despite the
cheerless surroundings caused by the
ever. didn't look particularly inspirited
| when the number of the winner was hung
up. His face wore a Sheepish grin, In fact.
why" said his wife. noticing his cha
grined look, didn't the horse that you bet
on win?'
NO" he replied. HE was beaten a head
the wire
"Well 1t looked to me as If they both
passed by just at the same time" she said.
with rather an aggrieved air. Il don't
think it ought to make any difference if one
of them is just teeny little bit ahead OF
the other, do you?"
We'll" he explained, there's got to be
winner. you know. unless the races a
dead heat, which this wasn't
II don't care one bit she replied Il
think that horse that the old things in the
judges stand say came in second Is just
as good as the one they say came in first"
"They wouldn't admit that, though. If
Funny 1 couldn't pick the winner in
field Of only four horses isn't 1t? Well,
IN run down to the ring and see what the
betting is on the next
She looked If she had something to
say, and she said it before he got away.
Jack" she said in q wheedlng tone,
"let me bet teeny Weeny little bit, too,
wont you? 1t makes it so much more ex-
citing
Jack looked at her with grin.
You bet. eh?" he said. What dye sup
pose your mother 'ud say to me If she
found out that I let you bet? And, say,
the family? Can't you have just as much
fun roofing for the one bet on?''
on, but 1t would be so much nicer If I
on one Of the pretty things that 1 picked
out myself on the program she answered.
"Oh. that's all imagination. and you"
Please, she said, still more wheedlingly.
"Oh. well. then beggar lady, go ahead"
he said stripping off S. note from his
roll of bills and then he rushed down the
stairs to the betting ring.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked over the
names of the horses for the second race on
her program.
"Beggar Lady, she exclaimed, half
aloud as her eye caught the name of one
OF the horses to run. 'Why. that's what
Jack just this minute called me. Beggar
Lady,"
AT that instant one of the grand stand
| messengers passed by, with his list of odds
against the horses in his hand. She
stopped him.
Can Beggar Lady run real fast" she
| asked him demurely.
~ don't know, ma'am.' answered the
messenger, smiling. The filly's never run
| out" '-'ne
We'll If she wins, how much do eet
for this?' she said, showing him the So bill.
me messenger grlnned and glanced at his
list of prices. 400
"Beggar Lady's one O. the outsiders.
ma'am," he said. ''She opened at 40 to l.
back $205.'
The little woman paled little.
Goodness gracious-very well. then,'
handing him the s. bill. Il will bet you On
Beggar Lady, them
The messenger jotted down the bet and
the young woman's initials. Immediately
after which another grandstand messenger
rushed up to him and said something to
him In low tone. The messenger. who
had registered the betting transaction with
the young woman. approached her again.
We'll you just were in time. ma am"
has been hammered"
'Hammered!' exclaimed the young wo-
| thing"
oh" hastily explained the messenger.
II mean that they've been knocking her
| price down in the ring. and now she's only
| t. l, so that it looks like she may be
| what's called good thing"
rot ojo tod he
woman. and just as the messenger went
away her husband came up wearing IN
| easy smile Of confidence.
There's only one In this" he said to his
wife in a cock-sure tone, pointing 20
Zenaide's name on the program. land that's
the favorite Zenaide'll win romping all
the way; bet $50 on her-got $50 to s2o
Can Zenaide run so much faster than all
the rest Of the horses in the race them
she asked him with big eyes.
Sure, he replied. ITS cinch. A lot
of yaps down in the ring think they've got
a good thing in this Beggar Lady. and they
are more than eating 1t up. Played the
f1lly down from so to to to 1. and they're
still hammering at it. I've seen too many
of these good things go wrong in my day.
though. No more good things for me.
Friend of mine out in the paddock told me
that Beggar Lady-she's never faced the
starter before by the way-stood rafting
show to land in the money, and advised me
to string few along on her. one, two,
three across the board-but not for mo!
Zeraide's the trick. By the way. what did
you do with your money! Play any CT
emp
Eyes. bet." she replied. 81 felt awfully
wicked but bet. all the same"
(which one?" he inquired.
It'll be more fun telling you after the
race Is all over" she replied. slyly.
Then the horses paraded In front of the
stand and went to the post. After short
eeiay away went the large field, the favor
lite. Zenaide, in front. 1t was fair start
for all except Beggar Lady. who was
standing flat-footed when the flag dropped.
A laugh went up in the stand.
"The good thing can't find her feet
was the cry. 'She's all but left
Beggar Lady was last away, 1t was true,
but she quickly shot after her field and at
the far turn, so great flight of speed did
she exhibit she was right on even terms
with the leaders and still going like sea-
soned campaigner. She led the field OF
thirteen by head in turning into the
stretch.
by jing!" muttered the young Baiti-
morean to his wife, why didn't have
gumption enough to put a few dollars on
that Beggar Lady? She's passed the whole
bunch and she's just galloping in. that's all