Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21
TIE JUBSONS' KILLING

! mfr. Jobson." inquired Mrs Jobson al
breakfast on Tuesday morning last. after
| Mr.. Jobson had had come coffee and was
consequently safe to be mildly addressed,
what is a good thing?"
Mr.. Jobson looked up at her over the top
| of his paper and blinked.
| "A good thing, eh?" he replied, after the
| cautious pause which some men make in the
early morning, before they are fully alert
to what may be coming from the party of
| the second part. That's pretty general
| question There are more different kinds of
| good things than there are breeds of f1eas.
| For example, I've been a good thing around
this house for good many more years than
\ care to think about. That being the case.
should think that you ought to know.
/ by this time, what one kind of good thing
| Is, at any rate"
| Mrs. johnson smiled good-naturedly into
her coffee cup Mrs. Jobson is all for do
nestle peace in the morning. She knows
| her little book as to the male biped and his
state of mind for couple of hours after
| getting out of bed.
But" she said, what is meant when
they say that horse is good thing?'
| when who says?' asked Mr.. Jobson.
Who's been talking to you about horse
good things?
''Well.'' replied Mrs. Jobson, soothingly,
II tHiS way. DOWn Town yesterday met
an old school girl friend, Carrie Emstreet,
| that used to be. She married a man named
Rundown, who has always had something
| to 90 with horses-race norses-in different
parts of the country. I think Carrie said
he was a trainer. or something like that.
Whatever he is, he certainly takes fine care
of Carre-she was beautifully dressed and
wore more jewelry than she really ought to
on the street. Well, Carrie asked me If
ever went to see the horses run. suppose
l seemed awfully stupid to her, but / said
that you never let our horse run when we
went driving. Carrie laughed then. and she
said that if was going to the track today
she could tell me a good thing. 'Cloverdale
is going to win ON the bitsky,' Carrie said-I
didn't know what in the world she meant
but that is what she said. 'Cloverdale is
one of the best things of the meeting-a real
good thing, she added, and then she went
away laughing over her shoulder, at my
ignorant look, l suppose. What did she
mean by Cloverland being what she called
good thing? Did she mean that Clover
land is good and kind and quiet while being
hitched. and that he never runs away, or
--'
mo. madam Mr.. Jobson broke in. 'she
meant nothing of the sort She didn't mean,
either, that Cloverland would let four chill
dren ride him a once, or that he would eat
cough drops out of the hand of little four
year-old girl Your friend was talking
strictly in a gambling sense, and she meant
that Cloverland figured the winner in a race
day So much for that. But that's not the
point. The point is that 1 want to know
what your idea is in mixing UP with women
that talk that kind of a gambling, race
horse patter, Ell? Do you think 1t is becom-
ing for you to go gadding around Wash
ington with person who has all the slang
of the race track at the tip of her tongue?"
oh" said Mrs. Jobson, in mild but
earnest defense of her friend, but you are
entirely mistaken as to Carrie-I am sure
you are. 1 have known her all my life, and
she is one of the best girls know. There
couldn't be a more amiable or respectable
woman than Carrie Emstreet-I mean Rub
down. she now is. OF course she uses
some of the terms Of her husbands bust
ness. but that doesn't make her anything
else but good woman, does it?'
Il don't know anything about her, said
Mr.. Jobson. severely, nor am l banker
| ing for extended information about her.
All know is. that don't care to have my
| wife''-and Mr.. Jobson swelled up some at
thiS-"on chummy terms with a horSy wO-
man. Race tracks are all right for men If
| they care for that sort of thing-and I've
known a heap of men that've cared so
much for 'em that they're wearing fringe
on the bottoms of their trOusers-but they
are no place for women, IN my opinion.
And I'd just a leetle bit rather you
wouldn't pick up and spring upon me the
patois of race-going women. that's all
However, as you have already permitted
yourself to listen to talk of that character,
suppose you go ahead and tell me the rest
of what she said about this Cloverland
good thing?"
ooh replied Mrs. Jobson, not appear
| ing greatly sQuelched. Il can't recall just
what her words were. But I remember that
she said something about Cloverland being
a maiden-I thought that SO queer. a horse
being a maiden-and that he had been Sc
cretly prepared for a-a-er-oh. yes, kill
| ing and that he was the-the goods; yes,
she said the goods She said. too. that all
the wise people were going to fall to Glow
erland hook. line and sinker-I remember
her words now. fok they seemed so pecu-
! liar to me-Carris1 never spoke SO SYM
bolically when she was girl
"Um-symbolically is good" said Mr.. Job
son. ibid she say that this good thing. as
she calls 1t, is going to happen today?'
YES" said Mrs Jobson. That's why I
| mentioned it to you. | thought perhaps
you might be interested.
st am not consumed with interest over
| anything appertaining to race track gam
bling. Mrs. Jobson," replied Mr.. Jobson.
not without asperity-and then he turned
the morning paper over to the sporting page
and studied the racing entries for Tuesday
with some little attention, although Mrs.
Jobson didn't know that was what he was
doing.
Mr. Jobson had sort of interrogative
look in his eye when he boarded the car for
his Office. and when he saw friend in a
paddock coat on the back seat of the trailer
he Joined him.
Morning" said Mr.. Jobson to the sporty
looking friend in the paddock coat Say,
Jim. they're telling me that this Clover
land is
"Sh-sh-shi'' interrupted Mr. Jobson's pad
dock-coated friend, giving Mr.. Jobson a
slight poke in the ribs. Don't put every
body next. 1 didn't know it had got out
Where did you get it?''
why, my wife was telling me this morn
ing that trainers wife,
"Well. hope it doesn't get all over town.
anyhow" said the man in the paddock coat
at I'D kill the price II 1t did"
"Is it all right?' inquired Mr. Jobson, in
a sage whisper.
''Skinch,' replied his friend Money
from home. But don't give it to another
soul, or it'll be even money, whereas If it's
kept quiet there ought to be as good as 10
or i5 to 1.
Good boy" said Mr. Jobson. with IL
Illuminated features. See you out at the
track. / won't say a word to anybody"
When Mr.. Jobson reached home a bit
after o'clock that evening his hat was on
his left ear a trifie. and his countenance
was unusually rosy. He carried under his
arm package which proved to be a couple
of quart bottles of champagne.
Thought we might as well have a little
treat for ourselves once in a while" said
Mr.