The Columbus journal., 1906-11-28
CHAPTER vll-Continued
0lAcklOck GOES INTO TRAIN
M737EEET A~ A


detail of that dinner-it was q purely
family" affair. only the Ellerslys and
L. I can feel now the oppressive At
mOsphere, the look as of impending
sacrilege upon the faces of the old
servants; can see Mrs. Ellersly try
ing to condescend to be gracious, :"
and treating me as ii were some sort
of museum freak or menagerie exhibit.
I can see Anita. She was like q statue
of snow; she spoke not a word; II she
lifted her eyes, failed to note 1t. And
when I was leaving| with my collar
wilted from the fierce. nervous strain
I had been enduring-Mrs. Ellersly. in
that voice of hers into which I don't
believe any shade of a real human
emotion ever penetrated, said: You
must come to see us. Mr.. Blackjack.
We are always at home after five.
looked at Miss Ellersly. She was
white to the lips now, and the span
giles on her white dress seemed bits
of ice glittering there. She said moth
ing; but knew she felt my look. and
that it froZe the ice the more closely
in around her heart. Thank you" l
muttereG
stumbled in the hall; almost fell
down the broad steps. I stopped at
the first bar and took three drinks In
quick succession. l went on down
the avenue. breathing like an exhaust
ed swimmer. I'll give her up" l
;n<l nj. Il
am a man of impulse; but have
trained myself not to be q creature OF
impulse. at least not in matters of Inn
portance Without that patient and
painful schooling, I shouldn't have got
where | now am: probably Id still be
blacking boots, or sheet-writing for
some boOkmaker. or, clerking 1t for
some broker Before I got my rooms,
the, night air and my habit OF the
sober second thought" had cooled me
back to nationality.
Il want her, l need her." I was say
ing to myself Il am wOrthier Of her
than are those mincing manikins she
has been bred to regard as men. She
is for me-she belongs to me. I'll
abandon her to no smirking puppet
who'd wear her as a donkey would a
diamond Why should l do myself
and her an injury simply because she
has been too badly brought up to
know her own INTEREST,""
When this was clear to me I sent
for my trainer. He was one Of those
spare, wiry Englishmen. with skin like
tanned and painted hide-brown ex-
cept where the bones seem about to
push their sharp angles through, and
there a frosty, winter apple red. He
dressed like a DeadwOOd gambler, he
talked like a stable boy; but for all
that, you couldn't fail to see he was
a gentleman born and bred. Yes. he
was a gentleman. though he mixed
profanity into his ordinary flow Of
conversation more literally than did
I when in q rage.
stood up before him. threw my
coat back. thrust my thumbs into my
trousers pockets and slowly turned
about like a ready-made tai!Or's dunn
my "Monson," said l. what do you
think of me-"
He looked me over as il I were a
horse he was about to buy. Sound.
I'd say was his verdict. Good
wind-uncommon good wind. A goer.
and a stayer Not lump. Not hair
ont Of place" He laughed. Action
a bit high perhaps-for the track. But
q grand reach"
Il know all that" said I. You miss
my point. Suppose you wanted to
enter me for-say. the Society Sweep
stakes-what them"
'Um-um." he muttered refiectively.
That's different"
the varnish was still sticky and might
come OF on the ladies' dresses and on
the fine furniture!''
''Oh-that!" said he dubiously. But
all those kinds of things are matters
of taste"
'-Out with it," I commanded. Don't
be afraid. I'm not one of those damn
fools that ask for criticism when they
want only 1attery, as you ought TO
know by this time. I'm aware Of my
good points. know how good they are
better than anybody else In the world.
And I suspect my weak points-al-
ways did. I've got ON chiefly because
I made people tell me to my face what
they'd rather have grinned over be,
hind my back"
What's your gamer" asked Monson.
I'm In the dark"
@ ''I1l tell you, Mo0son. I hired you
to train horses. Now want to hire
you to train me. too. As it's double
work. it's double pay"
Say on" said he, 'and say it
SLOW"
Il want to marry" explained. Il
want to inspect all the offerings before
I decide. You are to train me 50 that
e I can 60 among the herds tAat'd shy
OF from me IL I wasn't on to their lit
tie ways"
He looked suspiciously ut me. doubt
less thinking this some new develop
ment of American humor."
Il mean it." I assured him. I'm
going to train, and train hard. I've
got NO time to lose. I must Be O
my way down the aisle inside Of three
months. I give you . free hand. IN
do Just what you say"
The Jobs out of my fne." he pro-
tested.
Il know better" said I. I've n
WAYS seen the parlor under the stable
in you. Well begin right away. What
do You think of these clothes!"