Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30
HIS LUCK WAS WITH HIM
Jack, don,t!''

"yack, don'tr
young wife's throat as she uttered the
words.
Don't" she went on, entreatingiy, ego
to the races"
Her young husband sulkily gnawed his
nails. He had a frank, open countenance
but there was a certain lack Of determine
ton In the lines Of his mouth and chin.
You know, Jack" she went on, 'im-
pioringfy, fancying that she observed signs
Of yielding on his part, '.what distress,
what misery, what ruin, the races cause"
He peevishly crossed the room and gazed
at the rain pools in the asphalt paving,
and he gnawed his nails some more
You have yourself said," she proceeded
IN your moments of repentance over your
TONY, that the poor man, the man employ
ed on salary, has no more right to go to
the races than he has right to go to the
grand opera Have you not?"
made no reply.
And. Jack" she went on, pleadingiy,
there are so many little things We need
Here 1t Is almost Christmas
"Oh, yes, know" he broke in, dismally
"A $39S muf for this one, 81. "a manicure
set for that one, plush-covered clock for
the other one-same old thing. I know.
You needn't remind me of It."
You won't go today, will you, Jack?"
Now, look here, my DEAR" said the
young husband, wheeling about and put
ting on an aggrieved expression, you
shouldn't exact any such promise as that
from me, you know-honest you shouldn't.
Look how we need the money!
That" she replied, 'is exactly the argu-
ment am making, Jack-how we need the
money! You have S27.45, haven't you?
Well, that will pay all the bills and get us
it?"
claimed, deprecatingly. This miserable,
pinched existence-what's the use Of it,.
anyhow I've got three alright good
things today, and look at the chance
have to make rafting good winning ard
fixing you out in that sealskin jacket
you've been longing for the past two win
tiers, and getting all the stuff out Of pawn
and-and-well, look at the chance I've got
anyhow he wound up. weakly.
She bit her lip. heaved a pathetic little
sigh. rocked herself back and forth in the
new wicker installment rocking chair. Thus
she rocked for about five minutes, while
her weak. vacillating young husband was
absorbed in the study Of the dope" and
then she broke the silence in a hesitating
voice.
You are going, Jack?" she asked
YEP he replied, determinedly. looking
up. Il am. For sure thing am
She gazed at him reproachfully
Then" she began.
Now, if this were short story in a
Christmas number Of a ten-cent maya
zine it would go on to relate how the tried
and true wife burst into an agony of tears,
and tell how she threw her arms about
his neck and implored him to pause before
stepping to the very brink of ruin, and re-
minded him of how bright and rosy his
prospects had been before the fatal pas
sion for gambling had seized upon him,
and of how she had never had moments
peace since he first conceived his alarming
love for the races; and then it would go
TO narrata how the brQhaD nd
touched to the heart over her supplica-
lions. folded her to his heart, and promised
her never, never, as long as he lived, to
look horse in the face, and how she grew
merry and happy in her delight, and how
they sat down to a CHEEKY little supper,
and
However. this isn't any short story in the
Christmas number of ten-cent MAGAZINE
Then" said the tried and true little wo-
man, when he announced in such positive
terms that her pleadings were Of no avail
with him, take me out to the track, too"
Sure thing said he Get your things
on and Wen make a start right after
luncheon
No. she did not-as the ten-cent Christ
mas magazine story would have it-want to
accompany him out to the track to shield
and comfort him in his misery over his in
evitable losses. AS long as he was bound
to go, she just wanted to go along to see
'em run.
And SO they went out In the pouring rain
to the race course, the young husbands
hopes beating high. Had he not received
his three good things''-all mud-runners-
from a man connected with a stable? AS
he thrust himself through the betting ling
to get the opening odds, it was easy to see
what clutch the gambling fever had upon
him. His face was alight with eagerness.
and he fought his way up to the book
makers stools as If he were endeavorine
to effect the rescue of 800 doomed men from
burning mine. With the faulty of the
youth hopelessly addicted to horse racing,
he put part of his money down on his good
thing in the first race, while his tried and
true little wife shivered in the grand stand
and when the winner of the race flashed
past the judges stand
judges stand the young mans face did not
suddenly grow old. and there was no hunted
look in his eyes, and he didn't gnaw his
mustache little bit.
The winner was the good thing he had
played. and he had won $3.50 on it with a
IS note, and he hustled into the stand and
told her about it, and she remarked, &C.
statically:
I'VE won't do a thing but eat in one Of
the palm rooms tonight, will we, Jack?''
And the two other good things" went
through with rush, too, and the vaciIlat-
ing young husband quit $50 to the good.
and she has her sealskin jacket, and he has
new raglan, and everything's all right
The short story in the ten-cent maxazine
isn't always exact Life is too varied a
games to be framed up in rules and reeula-
tions. symphony composed of one note
would be the beating Of tomtoms