Evening star., 1902-08-23
"ALLIs, TOO, WAS FIGHTING. -

ton saying that he preferred to look at
the horses. 'Ill show you Diablo. and Lu-
cretia, and Lauzanne the Despised-he's S
my horse, and I'm to win a big race with
him next year. Gaynor is down at the
stables, and I'll give you a tip'-Mortimer
Winced-''if you want to stand well with
Mike let him suspect that you're fond of
horses
Al the stable door they met Mike Gaynor.
Mike usually vacillated between condition
or chronic anger at somebody or some
thing. and an Irish drollery that made peo-
pie who were sick a heart laugh
Allis familiar with his moods as
she was with the phases of Lauzanne's s
temper. she had developed the sense of
reading minds in remarkable degree: the
association with her father and other men
perhaps had procured this
On Mikes face was d map of disaster
the disaster might be trivial or great That
something was wrong the girl knew, but
whether it was that a valuable horse was
grain bag, she could only discover by
questioning Gaynor, for there were never
degrees of expressed emotion in Mikes
facile countenance: either deep scowl or
broad grin were the two normal condi-
tions.
Whats the matter, Nike" questioned
Allis.
''Mather is it?" began Gaynor. Its lust
this, Miss Allis; if yer father thinks I'm
goin' to stand by an see good colts spilled
In their timper, just because a rapscalion
by has got the evil intints av ould Nick
himsilf, thin he's mistook, that's all"
Who is it, Mike-Shandy
That's him, Miss. He's the devil on
wheels, bangin' thin horses about AS
though he was King Juba''
Alis saw that Gaynor was indeed angry.
I'm speak to father about him, Mike"
she answered; Il won't have the horses
abused"
Mark my words Miss Allis, Diablo I'll
take it out of his hide some day. TIL b'yll
onnl i'm oft
there'll be no by left"
May we see the horses, Mike-are they
having their lie down, or anything?'
Not yet, miss; they're gettin' the rub
down now; don't We hear Diablo bastin' the
boords of his stall wild that handy off
hind foot av his"
There's a fily fer yer life" exclaimed
the trainer, rapturously, as he opened gem
tly the door of Lucretia's box stall.
There's the straightest filly iver looked
through a halter he continued. putting
his arm with the gentleness Of a woman
over the brown mares beautiful neck
as he drew the battered head toward the
visitors.
Mortimer looked with interest at the big
comfortable box STALL Uttered a foot deep
with bright clean, yellow straw How
contented and at home the mare appeared.
1t seemed almost complete recompense,
this attentive care Of animals, for the
cruelty he ina gined race horses suffered
you don't tie her up?' he asked.
Tie her up! CALCULATED Mike, a fine
Celtic scorn in his voice. 'Pd rather tie
up wife-if 1 had one," he added by way
of eXtenuation. mo man would tie up a
mare worth tin thousand dollars if she's
worth a cent, an take chances av her
throwin' hersilf in the halter; av course
she's hitched fer bit after a gallop, while
she's havin' a rub down, but that's ALL
Lucretia's black nozzle came timidly fer
ward, and the soft, velvety, upper lip snug
gled Allis cheek
She knows you, miss said Mike
That's the way wild horses; they're like
children: they know friends, an you can't
fool thila. Now she's sizin you up, mis-
Mortimer's chin, keeping a wary eye on
him. She'll know whether you like horses
or not an I'd back her opinion agin fifty
minis oaths!
Alls watched with nervous interest the
investigation. She almost felt that if I.u-
cretia liked her companion-well, it would
be something less to dislike in him, at all
events. Lucretia seemed turning the thing
over in her mind, trying to think it out
There was some mystery about this new
conner. Evidently she did not distrust him
entirely, else she would have put her ears
back a trifie and turned away with a lit
tie impatient warning shake of her delicate
head. She always turned in that cross
manner from Shandy. the stable boy She
had also discovered that the visitor was
not completely a horse man; she did not
investigate his pockets nor put her head
over his shoulder, she would have done
with Mr.. Porter or Mike, or even with cne
who was perhaps a stranger as was Nor
timer, had she felt the unmistakable some
thing which conveyed to her mind the