Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-17


couldn't untrack herself; an today shs
comes, without any pull in the weight, and
wins In a walk from the Dutchman; and
didn't he beat her just as easy the other
day?"
Belle Langdon looked into Cranes face,
and her eyes were smeared with a look of
reciprocal meaning. Crane WINGED. How
aggressively obnoxious this half-tutored
girl, mistress of many gay frocks. could
make herself. There was an implied crime
partnership in her glance which revoited
him. Dick Langdon must have talked in
his own home.
Cranes conscienoe-well, he hardly had
one. perhaps; at least II was always sub
servient; to put It in another way, the
retrospect of his manipulated diplomacy
never bothered him. but this gratuitous
sharing in his evil triumph was disquiet-
ing. The malicious glitter Of the girls
small. black eyes contrasted strongly with
the honest, unaffected look hat was for
ever In the big. tranquil eyes of Allis.
They warc just at the head OF the steps
and the tou. was saying TO the fat expostu-
lator. ! could have put you next; l
steered a big better on--he won a thousand
over the mare. / saw Boston's betting man
havin' an old time play, an / knew It was
a lead-pipe cinch. He's a sure thing bet
tor. he Is; odds don't make no difference to
him, the shorter the better-that's when his
W boys got the mount"
TITS all right to be wise after the race"
grunted the fat man.
"G'wAn! the stable didn't have a penny
on Lucretia last time; an what do you
suppose made her favorite today?' queried
the tout derisively. at took a bar'l Of
money" he continued, full Of his own
logical deductions, IAN I'll bet Porter
cleaned up twenty thousand. He's a pretty
slick cove, is old Honest JOHN IL you ask
me-"
The girl at Cranes side eackled a laugh.
Hes funny. isn't hep she said. noddlng
her big plumed hat in the direction Of the
man group.
banker. shortly. "The steps are clear on
the other side, Miss Langdon: you can get
down there. I've got TO go into the pad
~dock-you'n excuse me-"
Being vicious out OF emptiness-for the
fun Of the thing had never appealed to
Crane; he raced, as he did everything else
to win. II other men suffered that was the
play Of fate. He never talked about these
things himself, almost disliked 10 think Of
them. He turned his back on Belle Lang
don and went down the right-hand steps.
On the grass sward at the bottom he
stopped for an instant to look across at the
jockey board.
Three men had Just come out from the
refreshment bar under the etand. They
were pcssested OF many things; gold of the
bookmakeTs IN their pockets. and its ever
attendant exhilaration in their hearts. One
Of them had cracked a bottle OF wine at the
bar. as a tribute to the exceeding swiftness
OF Luere,ia, for he had won plentifully. Az
that particular stage there was nothing left
but TO talk II over, and they talked.
Crane, avarieieus, unhesItating in his
nghting, devoid Of sympathy, was not Of the
eavesdropping class. but as he stood there,
be was as much a part of the other mems
conversation as though he had been q
fourth member OF the brotherhood.
Il tell you none OF these trainers amt
In II with a gentleman owner-when he
takes TO raein'. When a mar OF brains
takes 70 runnin' horses as a. profesh. he's
centrally a Jim Dandy" It was he of the
Whispering. who let fall these words Of
wise value.
'D'yOu mean Porter. JimY' asked number
two Of the trio.
Maybe that's his name. An he put Il
all ever Mister LAngdon this trip"
Al how2" queried the other.
Last time he runs his mare. she's goi
eorns in her feet the whole journey. an al
the time he oEns the winner, Lausanne
seeG-buys him before they so out. TheI
Langden thinks the Dutchman's the goods
an buys him at a fancy p~riee-gives a bali
Ct Ions goods for him-I've got IL straigh
that he parted With hftssn Thousand. Thel
the gentleman owner, Honest John. turn
the trick with Lueretia. an makes tn,
I Dutehman look like q sellin' platter"
I Guess Langdon1l feel pretty sick.
haEsrded number three.
} '"Td been Watehin' the game continues