The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-17

of new life was in all things Hard as
he rode he could glimpse the faint green
ing OF the new grass. pushing up through
last years brown mat, and hear, soft and
rant, the dove calls from the wood. IL
was two months to the cup day-it fell
always early in April. That was hltle
enough time for his experiment, but
great deal too much for his suspense. He
wanted the cup, he wanted Constance as
he had never wanted anything before.
And he had somehow sense that he was
TO win or lose both upon that fatefnl,
swift-coming April day.
Three hours later he sat opposite Mai.
Eyre in the library at the Bluffs. smoking
a particularly sothing cigar and toasting
his feet at swapping open fire. Constance
stood beside the south window pottering
over her plants. All morning she hal
shown herself so particularly enchanting
Jewett had been tempted to propose at
once. The Major himself had beel unus-
ually approa chable; he had, indeed, in
dulged in one or two bursts of, confidence
which made Jewett certain he himsel,
was coming 10 be regarded as one of m
family So he took his courage at last in
both hands, and told of the orders he
had given his trainer.
The Major heard him in silence, then
turned and said: Constance. lit seems
to me you had beet go and-and write TO
your Aunt Maria. Say you will come and
stay month with her-and that-that 1
myself may run up, for week at the
last"
Yes. fatherw Constance said sweetly
her eyes telegraphing to Jewett a whole
code of danger signals. Jewett was
aghast. He sprang up to open The
door for Constance. but the Major Got
nimbly between. Still holding it open
he said dryly: 81 am going out 10 the
stables, MIR. Jewett Shall 1 order your
Sta 1OnQPT-Dllt
engagements must be kept
Il will go with you" JeWett said; then
as they stepped outside: Maj. Eyre
cannot pretend to misunderstood you
but please give me in exact words your
reason for this dismissal"
II hardly think that is need a. the
major said stffly. Certainly 1 do not
wish to say to any man in my own house
especially not to one who IS the heir
of my dearest friend-that-that a racing
man who gives such orders as you have
done must be either an unheard-of idiot
which you are motor thorough scoun-
drol"
80! 1t is scoundrelism to try to give
yourself an honest chance at the gold
cup!" Jewett said through his teeth.
"Sir, I had rather lose on a horse prop
erly trained, than win over one running
for arples-even if such a thing We're
possible The best wish 1 can make you
thing gets wind, ana ruins the fair name
of the Wynyard stable
THANK you major. I will at least keep
that-whateYer else I may lose" Jewett
said, bowling very low. He flung himself
into the saddle and sent the horse off al
full run. checking only to open the lawn
gate. There he looked back and saw in
an upper window, faint and uncert ainly,
Constance waving him a last goodby.
When at last tie cup race was called,
all West Side Park was one big guffaw.
Notwithstanding. everybody felt that the
comedy of Sarsaparilla and the appl
had an under-element of tragedy. Jew
EFT had backed the mare so heavily as
to cripple himself sadly if she lost-and
it was certain as anything in racing
could be, she had not the ghost of a
chance to win. Heaton said so openly.
He did not deny, though, that she had
thriven on the apples. nor that sometimes
Sc had run for them, as few mares could
run. But she had never held her speed
for the whole distance and soft as she
must be through such unheard of pam
paring, she could not go the route and
! We the pace.
1t was sure 90 be a killing pace. Him
self had paid forget, but Tenderfoot was.
in Heatons judgment, fit enough and fast
enough 10 win the Derby-if only he
could be miraculously set down in his
present fettle upon Epson Downs. and
only to think! Not dollar of stable
money on him, eXcepun' my httle nab!
| Heaton communed with himself. Jew
| cit must be plumb crazy-declarin' ter
win with boss and mare. and then put
tin his whole pile on the ongodliest crit
| ter that ever trod a plate"
Tenderfoot was one of the two even
money favorites. Her owners steadfast
| support alone kept Sassy as good as Is
n well indeed.
| Extry weighed a hundred and ten pounds
even, so he had neither to make weight
nor lose il. He was lucker than Bruce,
the weakened head Jockey, who had TO
make good with lead Tenderfoot's hun
dred and twenty Lustral, the other fav-
orite, carried a hundred and twenty-five.
Whips, conceded to be the best horse in
the race had abe top weight, a hundred
and thirty. Everybody knew he was as
good as anchored by it, so the books laid
s to l against him.
Nobody took seriously any of the half
a dozen other horses. They were SUI
pers-simply part of the procession, yet
well worth looking at, as they paraded
past the stand, necks arching, hoots
dancing the soft sunshine playing on the
gay colors in saddle so it seemed as II
rainbows had been spilled over the broad
stretch. For each there were cheers and
hand-cla ppings-strongest of all for
Whips. who the public felt, was i'll used.
Even those who had put their hopes and
their money on the other horses gave him
q CHEEKY hail.
II was otherwise with Sassy. She came
last, and headed the other way: She S
| a. procession all to herself" one grinning
fellow said to his elbow neighbor. The
neishbor chuckled hard: "Yes!' he said;
IAN applicant beside, with some sugges-
ton of an almanac"
Hush! There's Jewett-the man VINO
owns her" the grinning man said. The
other looked hard, and answered under
his breath Say, hasn't he got any
friends? They might have sent him to
the lunatic asylum, and saved him. From
all hear he'll hardly own a coat to. his
back when this business is overhaul an
hour or so from now"
Il don't know about that, another
man said, edging in, and speaking very
low; Pm just from the ring. L tell you
those fellows are shaking in their shoes
Strange man has been up and down the
line putting hundred-dolar bets on Sassy
and blacks, all but two bookies have
turned their slates-and those two have
cut the price for her in threes.
So many others were about, saying the
same thing there was a general craning
of necks TO watch the big ungainly brown.
She held her head low, and went meekly
along as though oppressed with a con-
seriousness of her own many sins, and the
futility of her owners hopes. He met her
at the post, patted her lean neck, ana
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