Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-13
DIDN'T BACK BELDAME

MY dear" said the Mount Pleasant
man. who only jumps the track once in a
while, but who &C. orally lands thudding y
at the wind-up of these occasions. you
may have noticed in the course Of your pc
rusal OF the papers that at half-past A
o'clock this afternoon at Belmont Park.
l.. l.. one of the great horse races of the
year. namely. the Metropolitan handicap,
is to be decided.
The mans wife put down her coffee cup
they were at the breakfast table - and
staked him to fixed and reproachful gaze.
Edward Wobblewit" said she in a hol-
low voice. do you mean TO st there and
tell that. after all of your bitter ex-
perience with it. you have permitted your
self to be visited once again by the horse
mania? Just tell me that, Edward Wobble-
wit
Yes M was his wholly frank and anna
bic reply. Got it just Tor today, though
Got it bad. What's more, m going to
pinch out one hundred large round. metal
lie dollars. and put them on the baby that S
going to nail the race Hows that for
prutaly candid declaration?'
Seeing that she didn't deign TO reply, but
just toyed contemptuousy with the kids
twisted around her front hair, he climbed
down a bit and gave her the why and
wherefore.
Il got letter from turf reporter friend
of mine in New York" said he, telling me
to mortgage the old farm and manor house.
and the piano, crockery ware and family
dog. and put the whole bunch on Beldame
to win.'' and he pulled the letter from his
pocket.
We'll" said his wife, sarcastically. Il
suppose you think too much of the family
dog. at any rate, to go quite that far.
This turf reporter friend the man went
on. ignoring her sarcasm, says in his
letter that Beldames a pipe, moral, and
that a bet on her is like getting kale in
a market basket from your cousin in the
country Wherefore, 1 won't be home for
dinner till twilight has fallen. I'm going to
repair to place l know about to hear the
| race called off. l can't let good things like
this run loose. You may bestow your bless
ing upon me and wish me luck
Mrs. Woblewit hadn't gone frequently TO
the races with her spouse without being
aware of some of his wobbly weaknesses,
SO to speak of them.
VERY we'll said she. But allow me to
go on record: You will not play Beldame.
l never knew you to invest your money
our money-in this horrid gambling bust
ness in the way you set out to invest it.
You will put that soreiy needed $50 on
any horse in the race except Beidame l
have spoken. This concludes my portion
of the entertainment. l declare and ma n
tain that if you were endowed with the
gift OF prophecy, and just absolutely knew
in advance that Beldame was going to win.
you would not put your money-that you
risk without the slightest thought of me
evening" with wilted collar, cents il
change and an affect!onate. apo.ogetic jag,
be good enough to remember what told
you-that you will not play Re.dame.'
Yes M" acQuiesced he, seeing the fulfil
ity of words, and departed.
That evening bit after o clock. when
Mrs. Wobblewit went, in company with the
woman friend who had spent the day with
her. to the corner drug sore for a class
of soda, she the announcement on the
bulletin that the Metropolitan handicap at
Belmont Park had resulted in dead heat
between Sysonby, at to D. and Race KING
at 20 to l. and that Beldame hadn't been
anywhere.
"Of course" she said to her woman
friend "And if Beldame had won that un-
fortunate husband of mine wouldn't have
played her. / know him so well.
When she returned to the house with her
woman friend her husband was sitting on
| the front steps. He looked very detected
He gazed at her in guilty. hang dog sort
| of way. She knew Immediately that he had
| been iolted once again.
'Oh, here you are she said to him with
| icy anna bility. "Er-by the way, just no.
| ticed the result of the race on the bulletin
| board. Perfect certainty, Beldame, WASH [
| she? Dead heat, l perceived, between two
horses that l never heard of-Sysonby and
Race King. 1 don't need to ask whether
you played Beldame. because, of course,
| you didn't"
Nope" said he. gloomily, gazing mourn
| fully up the street
Why of courser' triumphantly exclaimed
! his wife, catching the eye of her woman
friend. Which one of them that is still
| running, then, did you put the money for
| our summer clothes on, pray"'
who, me?" said he. rising with greasy
grin. why, played Rayshe King. Thash
reeshon I've been sittin 'down-got smush
money it makesh me tired t pack it round y
and he began TO dig yellow bills out or eV-
cry pocket. Put hunnered straight on
Rayshe King, at % t l, and when they
made it dead heat / got a shplit, or 10 t L,
an nail thoushand bucks. Bedame's h a
| lobshter Can't beat a fat man. Foun
| that out an switched t. Rayshe King"
"Oh, you lovely old switcher!" she ex-
| claimed rapturously. dragging him into the
| vestibule and enthusiastically collaring the
whole roll out of his hand.
And then the eternal feminine asserted it
| self
But I told you you wouldn't play Bel
fla,pa didn't added