Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1903-11-10

ence calls. The whitened stubble
seemed to shift uncertainty in the
light. A vendor was selling pink
.cmonadc, and thin little man
wendcd his way in and out among
the crowds of field hands, giving
the time-honored cry: Hockey
| pokey, chewing candy, peanuts
and POPCORN Rosy girls leaned
proudly upon the arms of their
"steadies," or walked with them,
hand-in-hand, their fingers dove
tailed together The foot races
had been run. The "tug of war;
and the jumping contests we're
over. "Pickle" Smith had knocked
out LawtOn Perry in the second
round, and only the half-mile run
ming heat remained to complete
the amusements for the day. The
people were growing impatient to
have it over.
There we're but four contest
ants entered. Three of them were
already on the ground. Badly, a
white-faced bay, wore coiors of
blue cheese cloth floating from his
bride. John, a sturdy Mexican
pony, carried streamers of orange,
and Frisco, horse of good points
and evident breeding, had rib
bons of red. Their riders waited
anxiously. Suddenly a whirl of
dust approached toward the
sprinkled track. From it Brady
emerged. His mare carried no
colOrs. Her neck was stretched
forward. Her open mouth
showed the long yellow teeth.
The loose binder of her harness
bride tapped with every step.
Her rider wore no decoration but
the band of new cotton crepe upon
his hat.
"Hiw some one ironically shout
ed. "Six to one on the sorrel
thoroughbred She'll make a
grand stand finish, she willr'
There was a general laugh.
Brady lined up without a word,
and waited for the signal.
They were off! 1t was a capital
start. Frisco was making the
pace. The blue was running sec
ond John was length behind,
and Sinabar-
where's your buckskin> don
key?' roared man. speed her
on! Speed her on! Speed her on p
The crowd applauded.
"A seasons picking on the vel.
low jayw yelled another. "Why
don't you make her go, Brady?"
Brady did not hear them. He
was leaning forward. Every mus
Gle was tense his voice, low. vi
brant, was urging the mare to her
uttermOst. Frisco was making
time. John was holding his own,
but Sinabar was creeping up. She
had cOllared him. She had passed
him! She was running neck to
neck with the blue The people
no longer jeered. They leaned for
ward with straining eyes.
"By gosh" the man cried. "She's
up with old Frisco! The mares
gone aheadw
In the excitement, no one no
ticed the tiny figure trudging
along the road. His frock was
torn and dirty. He held a lank
gray kitten close within his arms.
"We're goin'-ter fnd-my nom
mer," he crOOned, then stopped,
as he heard the rushing hoofs be-
hind. He saw his father in the
lead. Daddy" he cried, stake
m-ew
Four fOam-hecked horses were
bearing down upon him. Four sets
of iron shoes were pounding on
the track. The people saw it all.
Men shut their teeth hard. Won.
en- caught up their own babies and
hid their faces in the chubby
breasts.
And Brady-he tugged at the
bit. but the mare was keen for the
goal. The old spirit was firing her
veins. 1t was his child and-hers,
Marcia's! There was but one
chance. In the days on the ring
Amos he cried, stand
still" White-faced he swept
down upon him, threw one arm
about the mares neck-leancd