Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-27

! CHAPTER XXI.
| The next day. intent on persuading Porter
| to accept the money won over Diablo, Crane
took run down to the Ringwood farm.
As Allis had foreshawdowed, his visit was
Of no avail. so far as Porters acceptance>of
the winnings was concerned
With natural forethought, Crane first
| talked 1t over with Mrs Porter, but that
good lady would have felt a sort of moral
| defilement in handling any betting money
much less this that seemed obscured in un-
| certainty as to its rightful ownership. She
believed very much in Cranes bona fides.
| and had no doubt whatever but his state
| ment Of the case was absolutely truthful.
But If Allts had refused to accept the money
| 1t would never do for her to go beyond her
daughters Judgment. She even thought it
unadvisabie for Crane to discuss the matter
| with her husband 1t would only worry him,
| and she was positive that, in his pride of In
dependence. he would refuse to touch pen
ny that was not actually due him.
But there's a payment on Ringwood due
In few days Crane argued, land We
| must arrange for that at all events. If this
money, which is rightfully your famiiy's,
could be applied on that. it would make a
difference. don't you Think"
| i suppose John must settle it." she said,
resignedly; perhaps you had better see him.
have no head for business she added. apol-
| ogetcally. I'm not sure that any of us
have. except Allis. We just seem to drift,
drift drift"
Crane stated the facts very plausibly.
very seductively, to John Porter. Porter
almost unreasonably scented charity In
| cranes proposal. He believed that the bet
was a myth; Crane was trying to present
| MIN with this sum a compenSa ton for
| having lost Diablo 1t wasn't even lean,
1t was gift. pure and simple. His very
! helplessness, his poverty, made him decline
| the offer with unnecessary ferceness If
| AlltS had refused II if he
| enough to stand without this charity surely
he, man, battered though he was. could
pass 1t by. He had received hopeful mes
| sage from Allis as to Lucretia's chances in
| the Derby; they felt confident Of winning
That win would relieve them of all obliga-
| tions.
Il can't take it, Porter said to Crane
| "Allis is more familiar with the circum-
! stances of the bet-if there was one-than
l. 1t must Just rest with her; she's the
man now, you know he added, pain
| lively: I'm but a broken wreck; and
| what she says goes
| But there's a payment on R:ngwood
| falling due in a few days" Crane remon-
! strated. even as he had to Mrs. Porter.
Porter COLLAPSED fretfully. He could
| stand out against prospective financial
| stringency. but actual obligations for
which he had no means quite broke down
| MS weakened energy. He had forgotten
about this liability, that is, had thought
| the time Of payment more distant He
| would be forced to recall the money he
had given Dixon to bet on Lucretia for the
| derby. to meet this payment to the bank
Quite despondently he answered the other
| man. Il had forgotten all about it; this
shake-up has tangled my memory. l can
| pay the money, though he added half
dehantly: lit will hamper me, but L can
| do it,
| sudden thought came to Crane an in
| spiration. I've got it,! he exclaimed
Porter frightened up; there was such a
world Of confidence in the others man
Wen lust let this Diablo money stand
against the payment which is about due
| on Rtnewood: put 1t in the bank to cover
| IT, SO to speak-later me can settle to whom
| 1t belongs. At present 1t seems to be no
body's money; It's seldom one sees a few
thousand going a-begging for an owner"
| he added. iocularly You say it isn't
yours: | know it isn't mine; and most GER
talniy it doesn't belong to the bookmaker
| ior ne S lost 1t fair and square. We can't
let MN Keep it: they win enough of the
| public's money"
Reluctantly. Porter gave a half-hearted
acduescence. He would have sacrificed
| tangible interests to leave the money that
was in Dixon's hands with him to bet on
Lucretia. 1t would be like not taking the
| tide at its flood TO let her run unbacked
| when her chances of winning were so good
| and the odds against her great enough to
| insure a big return.
| was after banking hours, quite toward
evening, by the time Crane had obtained
THIS concession. He had brought the Win
| nings for John Porters acceptance should
the latter prove amenable to reason. Now
IT occurred to him that he might leave the
money with one of the bank staff, who
could deposit 1t the next day.
crane drove back to the village and went
at once to the cashier. Mr.. Lanes house.
maps he was still in the bank. Crane went
there In search Of him. He found only
Mortimer, who had remained late over his
accounts. From the latter Crane Learned
to of,yt,
boring town.
1T doesn't matter" remarked Crane; IT
can leave this money with you. It's to
Porter about the middle Of June You can
put 1t in a safe place in the vault till the
note falls due, and then transfer it to Por-
ter's credit"
I'm attend to 1t, SIR replied Mortimer
IN attach the money to the note AMI put
them away together
On his way to the station Crane met
Alan Porter.
Il suppose you'd like a holiday to see
your fathers mare run for the Derby
wouldn't you, Alan?" he said.
Il should very much, SIR but Mr.. Lane ia
set against racing"
'Oh, I think he'll let you off that day.
III tell him he may. But, like your mother
| don't approve of young men betting-.I
know what 1t means"
He was thinking with bitterness Of his
own youthful indiscreticns.
IF you go, don't bet You might be
tempted, naturally, to back your fathers
mare, Lucretia. but you would stand a
very good chance Of losing
Don't you think she'll win. sir?' Alan
asked, emboldened by his employers free
dom of speech.
az do not My horse, the Dutchman, is
almost certain to win, my trainer tells
me-" Then he added, apologize of his
confidential moods. Il tell you this, lest
through loyalty to your own people you
should lose your money. Racing, fancy, is
very uncertain, even when it seems most
certain"
Again. Crane had cause to congratulate
himself upon the somewhat clever manipu-
lation of difficult situation. He had scored
again in his diplomatic love endeavor. He
knew quite well that Allis' determined
stand was only made possible by her expec-
tation of gaining financial relief for her
father through Lucretias winning the
Derby. Should she fail, they would be
almost forced to turn to him in their diff
culties. That was what he wanted. lie
knew that the money won over Diablo, if
accepted must always be considered as
coming from him. The gradual persistent
dropping of water would wear away the
hardest stone; he would attain to his wishes
yet.
He was no bungler to attempt other than
the most gently delicate methods.