The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-31
When Beggar Lady Won
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

a young BaltimOrean and his wife
rele the second anniversary Of
their marriage by coming over to
Washington on Monday morning
last to see congress assemble
and they remained over a day for
the purpose of having a look at the
Benning racing. Despite Tuesdays
vicious weather, they went out to the
track. 1t was the first time the
young man had seen 'em run" since
his marriage, although 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, how
ever, he had kept 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 a
fair chance of breaking about even
with the layers of ODDS. His wife had
never seen a horse race in her life be-
fore, and when the horses clamped
around through the mud in the first
race she exhibited considerable ex-
element. despite the cherries sur
roundings caused by the weather con-
ditions. Her husband. however. did
mt look particularly inspirited when
the number of the winner was hung
mp. His face wore a sheepish grin, in
fact.
Why" said his wife, noticing his
chagrined look, didn't the horse that
you bet on VIM"
NO" he replied. He was beaten
head on the wire
well, it looked to me as if they
both passed by just at the same time"
she said, with rather an aggrieved
air. 81 don't think it ought to make
any difference if one of them is lust
teeny little bit ahead of the other,
do you?"
Well" he explained, there's got
to be a winner, you know, unless the
races a dead heat, which this was
MT"
81 don't care one Bit" she replied,
81 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 you were to tel them" said the
husband. Funny | couldn't pick the
winner in field of only four horses,
isn't it? Well, I'll run down to the
ring and see what the betting is on
the next"
She looked as if she had something
to say, and she said it before he got
away.
Jack she said, in a wheedling
tone, 'let me bet a teeny weeny little
bit, too, won't you? 1t makes it so
much more exciting"
Jack" looked at her with a grin.
"You bet, eh?" he said. What
dye suppose your mother 'ud say to
me if she found out that | let YOU
bet? And, say, isn't it enough to
have one hoOdoo loser in the family?
Can't you have just as much fun
roofing for the one I bet on?"
"Oh, but it would be so much nicer
if | could bet just a teenchy weenchy
little bit on one of the pretty things
that | picked out myself on the pro-
gramme," she answered.
"oh. that's all Imagination, and
you"
please she said, still more wheed-
lingly.
"Oh, well, then, beggar lady, go
ahead" he said, stripping off So 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 programme.
'Beggar Lady," she exclaimed. half
aloud, as her eye caught the name of
one of the horses to run "Why.
that's just what Jack just this min
ute called me! Beggar Lady,"
At that instant one of the grand
stand messengers passed by, with mis-
list of odds against the horses in his
hand She stopped him.
Can Beggar Lady run real fast ?"
she asked him, demurely.
Il don't know, ma'am,' answered
&he messenger, smiling. THE flly's