Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-19
CHAPTER I.

the village of Brookfield.
A hundred years of expansion in the
surrounding land had acted inversely with
the little hamlet, and had pinched 1t into a
hermetc isolation.
The Brookfeldians had discovered huge
beetle In the amber of their serene exist
ence II was really the Rev. Dolman who
had unearthed the monster The beetle in
the amber was horse racing. and the prime
offender practically the sole culprit, was
John Porter.
BY an inconsistent twist of fate he was
known as honest John His father before
him had raced in old Kentucky to consider
able purpose. and with the full vigor of
man who races for sport; and so, too, the
SON. John, in consequence. had come little
beyond nOt-to-be eradicated love of thor
oughbreds. To race squareiy, honestly and
to the glory of high-couraged horses was
to him as much matter of religion as the
consistent guardianship Of parish morals
was to the Rev. George Dolman. There
fore. two men of strong beliefs were set
on opposite sides of the fence.
Even in the Porter household. which was
at Ringwood farm, was divided allegiance.
Mrs Porter was possessed of an abhorrent
deteStatiOn of horse racing: also an assert
I've Christianity.
The daughter Allison had inherited the
horse faint. In the saddle was elysitIIn, in
the swinging galop of a striving horse was
the oblteration of everything but sunshine,
and the smile of fields and the blur of swift
gliding hedges and the driving perfume of
clover-laden winds that pressed strong into
spread nostrils.
For Alan Porter. the son. there were
columns of figures and musty smelling
bundles of tattered paper money where he
clerked in the bank. There had been great
unison In the Porter household over the
placing of Alan.
In addition TO horse lore, Johl Porter was
fair Judge of human nature, and beyond
GNrrhr otr IL
Alan which would havn twisted easily in
the compressive grip OF the race course.
AS if the evil one had meant to try solely
the reCluSive jewellers of BroOktield, Philip
Crane. the banker, wandering from the re-
spectacle highway Of finance, had allowed
himself to become interested in race horses.
But this fact was all but unknown in
Brookheld. so the full resentment Of the
place was effusively rendered to John Por
ter
In his younger days some money had
come to Philip Crane with no extraordinary
plethora of cirCumsp ection. The gambler
spirit, that was his Of Inheritance, had N
instructive truth as allied to finance; but.
unfortunately for Philip Crane. chance ard
speculative restlessness. led him among
men who commenced with the sport of
kings With acute precipitancy he was
separated from the currency that had come
to him. The process was so rapid that his
racing experience was Of little avail as an
asset, 50 he committed the first great wise
act Of his life-turned his back upon the
marched finance &
strongly So peTsistently, that at forty he
was wealthy and the banker of Brookfield
Twenty years of deliberate remiriscence
convinced him that he could crafty the
desire that had been his in those immatur
days and possibly work out a paying re-
venge. Thus 1t was that he had got togath-
or a small stable of useful horses: and. of
Tar greater moment, secured a clever train
CT. Dick Langdon.
Cranes latter-day racing mad been sue
resSiui-h" made money at it NJ man was
ever NOR" naturally endowed TO succeed on
the turf than was Banker Pn;iiD Crane
Cold paSSIOnleSs. more given tn deep con-
centrated thought than expression. holding,
silence as a golden gift-even as a gift Of
rare rubies-1"thing drew from him un-
guarded word no sudden turmoil quivercd
his nerve II Was Chara CrSttc Of the man
that he had waited nearly twenty years
to resume racing. which really came as
near to being passion with MIN as was
possible for anything to be
There Is saying in England that II takes
two years OF preparation 10 win big hand
leap; and these were the lines on which
Philip Crane. by instructive adapta ton
worked
Quite by chance Dick Largdo1 had come
into his hands over matter Of borrowed
money. II ended by the banker virtuaIIv
owning every horse that raced in the train
er's name In addition. two OF three horses
ran In Philip Cranes own name.
II there had been any distinctive project
IN the scheme of creation that gave Dick
Langdon To the world IL probably was that
he might serve the useful tool Of a subtle
thinker Now. It did seem that Langdon
had come INTO his own-that he had found
his predesttued master
John Porter had not been successful: Ill
fortune had set in. and there was always
something going wrong Horses wonIa
break down or get beaten BY accident
there was always something The steady
financial drain had progressed even TO an
incumbrance on Ri1gw0od
Ringwnod was simply training farm
located close TO an old disused race course,
for there had been no racing in BrookfeId
for years.
Inadvertently the Rev. Dolman had in
tenslhed the strained relationship that ex-
listed between the good people who frowned
upon all racing endeavor. and those who
way Of life
The church was in debt-everything in
Brookheld was. except the town pump
The pastor was nervous. jealous work
er and II occurred TO him that concert
might tighten the financial load The idea
was not alarrningly original. and the carry
Ing out Of II was on conventiaI lines
local volunteer talent and a strong appeal
TO the people Of Brockfeld for their patron
age
The concert In the little old clapboarded
church. its sides faded and blistered by
many seasons Of tempest and scorching sun.
was an unqualified success up to the fifth
number.
Nothing could have been more successfu,
fourth effort, Anchored" rendered by
the village pride In the matter Of baritone
singing: even De Rsszke never experienced
a more genuine triumph The crescendo of
applause gradually fell away into the soft
rustic of manpula ed paper. as programs
were consulted preparatory to a correct
readiness for the fifth Offering. The pro
grams confded tat the Death of CRU
sader, by Miss tllis Porter was the next
item.
IN the front Of seats prim little
body full Of a severe quaIntness in every
quirk OF dress. Tilted her head toward a
neighhor and whispered, IT'S that racin'
gal Of John Porter's."
The neighbor answered in a creak meant
for whisper. I'm right glad she's took TO
religion for onct. an is givin' us someth.n'
about them crusaders. They was III Pales-
tine, You know. She's been away TO board
IN school all winter. an I guess it'll be a
h!gh-falutin' account of the war"
The quaint little old lady jerked her head
up and down with decisive bobbiness. On
the third upward bob her eyes opened wide
in establishment: a small. slim figure in a
glarirg read coat stood In the center of the
fmprovised platform.