Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-16
How a Bookmaker
Was Saved From Ruin

The group of bookmakers around the
rathskellar table were talking of the ex-
clusion of the women's betting commission
ers from the grand stand at Benning and
of the likelihood that the same rule will be
observed al the New York tracks this year.
The bookmakers were unanimous in indors-
ing the rule. When they had all expressed
their views, the layer who had taken no
part in the discussion a prominent chalker
on the main line, loosened up with a little
story.
-Four years ago last spring. he said, Il
told my wife that 1 wanted her to stop bet
ting them.
1t is neither meet nor seemIy.' said I
to her. as l gave solemn, meaningful taps
on the front of my waistcoat, for female
persons to gamble in public. l don't mind
your playing casino or "old maid for hair
pins at home with your women chums. But
play the ponies in the grand stand of race
tracks? You stop. that's all; you stop.
My wifes rebate was something to the
general essence that l was selfish and
tyrannical old thing.
" don't lose, and you know it, she said.
1 am away head. Besides, l enjoy it so
much. 1 am not only away ahead, but 1 am
betting my velvet, as you call your Win
nings, and am playing my own selections.
too. l won $50 yesterday on my own picks.
But L gave her the tush-tush.
II is pOtn lnueCOrOuS ana unDecOmlnS,
said L, with intense dignity, for skirted
persons to wager money on the outcome of
contests between animals at the hippo
dromes. Cease it, If you please
She gave me the oh, VARY VARY well.
L shall not go to the track with you at
all any more, then, she said.
That will cut deeply said l, but
there's lot of healing power in ten cents
worth of liniment
when 1 fooled the buzz-wagon in front
of the house the next day to chauff my wife
out to the track with me she appeared at
the front window in a house wrapper and
told me to push right on; that she WASH t
going out to the track
Il missed her society a good deal on the
rides to and from the track from that time
on. But l stood pat.
She didn't pout or NOPE over her virtual
ruling off. In fact, she took it with the ut
most cheerfulness Not only did she settle
down to the stayat-home system without a
complaint, but she never even mentioned
the horses to me. And when 1 happened
to mention the horse business myself she
fell into the habit of waiting me to some
other topic.
Please do not talk horse to me- she
would put in at such times, quietly but
firmly. L am aweary of shop. l hear there
is a good roof-garden show in town. Let's
CO.
II never stopped to think that this sud-
Qen weaving Oh a woman from d game III
which she had been acutely interested for
years was too phenomenal to be genuine.
But it pleased me, and l did what 1 could
to furnish her with other interests to &C.
cupy her mind.
Il had good deal more than enough to
occupy my own mind. After making more
than a fair start the season at the
spring meetings they began to pocket me
and hang me on the fence. BY midsummer
l had dug into the bank reserve, and was
chauffing home of evenings wearing that
worried look.
This was about the time when a young
fellow who sold newspapers from a little
stand around the corner from the fiat in
which l lived began to pick up a reputat ton
as a plunger at the expense of my bank
roll.
The racing papers followed this kid S
speculatons as if he'd been Pittsburg Phil
or Joe Yeager. They called him the new
newsboy high-comber. and they always
tackled on an extra cipher to every bet that
he made and won.
But the youngster won enough at that,
and he made me his mark from the begin
ming The things that he did to my book
from the commencement of his campaign
gave me the shingles. He was right about
four times out of five and about nine-tenths