Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-15
WHEN THE LONG, SHOT WON.
A STORY OF OLD ST. ASAPH

peen scheouled TO pack.
For the remainder of the afternoon
Stoves picks were hammering at the door
at all kinds Of good prices. but they didn't
| quite connect The one he liked for the
| third race was at 60. 20 and To- and /
| spread S. on that each way across the
| board. The 30 to l thing came like a wild
cat from nowhere in the stretch, being
nudged out one nose for third money-three
Jumps past the wire, and II was in the
lead! The fourth race had a mare in II that
l. Hommedteu liked TO win, and to win
| only. and l put SO on that one at 30 TO I
and even at that his disgust over the pix
\ ing character OF my bets was palpahle and
profound. The 40 to l mare was beaten a
neck by the best horse at the St Asaph
| track. The other remaining two races were
| just as near things for US, but when II was
| all over and the gang made for the gate
| was just $40 worth, and internally | was
bawling murder because hadn't stuck 10
1 my determination to salt the $500 In dish
| ware and other domestic paraphernalia.
Bound for jackson City.
The only thing to do. therefore, cheer
| fully observed L'Hommedeu when We
| climbed on board the return train. is TO
take a slap at bank and try to get It that
\ way. I've got all of five myself and he
| flashed IS bill that he'd got hold OF some
where. There's something sweet going to
happen In the first race tomorrow. but that's
too far away. You are dropping OF at
Jackson City, / s'posef
"'Uh-huh-I feel so lucky today, I re-
Piled grouchily. and then the train started
| SO suddenly that both OF our hats were
blown off and lost.
The train didn't stop at Jackson City
| but at little crossing about half a mile
away from 1t. Just stepped off, one
OF the most devilfsh wind and dust storms
that ever saw began. The road was a foot
deep In red Virginia dust, and L'Homme-
dieu and l were caught right in the middle
of that simeon. When we arrived at the faro
bank about half an hour later, after CROP
frDp
tornado. the man the peephole at the
door wasn't going to let in. We looked
like pair of grave robbers that had lost
our hats. and. although that was good
many years ago. and I'm nice respectable
middle aged party now, 1 can't quite make
up my mind yet that I'm thoroughly
cieansed of the dirt thSf was ground and
Sifted into my frame In That dust storm.
We'll. bought into the bank game to the
tune Of $40. and Steve passed over his s.
Tor chips. Everything was coming our way.
and both Of us had several tall stacks In
front Of US. when something broke loose. A
big zap of a prizefghter. the champion
heavyweight of Virginia at the time got
into chaw with the lookout of the game,
and then the pug kicked the table over. The
oil lamp went with the table. We got out
OF the bank and watched the shack burn to
the foundation rocks. The faro people got
their money out, but we didn't get ours The
boss OF the faro bank told US that he'd let
US have what was coming to in chips
after he'd rebuilt his plant-he'd have II re-
built and running again. maybe he said. in
side of three or four months or perhaps
six months. or something like that. uh-huh
BY that time 1t was 10 o'clock at night.
and LHommedieu and l hoofed II back
over the dismal old Long bridge to Wash
ington. Total assets $50. in my kick. We
took the side streets for 1t until we reached
| Turkish bath. apprehending that We might
| have to stand for a pinch II we were ever
seen In the shape the Virginia dust storm
had left US.
1t would be sin and a shame and a
| scandal not to have something to put on
the sugary thing that Is to eventuate I'm the
first race tomorrow L'Hommedieu said to
me as We sat in the hot room at the Turk
ish bath. Only wan 1 know now to get It
| Is to put dent in that stud game at the
Blank House.
Tried Stud Poker ..
He referred to the all-night stud poker
game that was then running at a hotel
within a rock toss of thestreasury. 1t was
o'clock in the morning when we slid into
the stud game l made a cut of the $18 l
had left after paying for the Turkish baths,
giving l. Hommedeu 50. SOS he could buy
in. We played till dawn, and when daylight
began to streak in and the game dissolved
We were each abon s. winner. CofnbineH
price Of two straw hats. at 81 ieach-we'd
been going about bareheaded since losing
our hats from the car the night before
and breakfast for two and shaves and the
price of telegram which / sent to my
wife. informing her that had been sitting
up with fellow-lodge member suffering
from heat prostration. and when we got to
St Asaph about an hour before the races
of that afternoon we were just $50 strong.
the same being divided into two equal par
cells. On the ride down on the train Steve
was pretty serene.
You'll be buying your household junk
with all kinds of the green trading stamps
tomorrow he told me. It's going to hap
pen today. And look here: When you get
oQfR h ieI,n
and behave. You ought to be ashamed of
yourself, doing all this gambling
Il didn't make any reply figuring that
he was probably some fighty from loss OF
sleep. When reached the track he left
me and disappeared in the direction of the
barns. Presently he returned and beckoned
me over into distant and shaded corner
OF the betting ring.
Jodann.' he said to me. worked five
furlongs in a minute by lantern-light here
yesterday morning before sunrise. and
that's good in itself. But they're going to
make It better. Jodann's going to get the
strongest hypo punch Of the quick juice
just before saddling time that was ever
pumped into an equine carcass by means OF
needle. That'l make him do the five
eighths Of a mile in nothing Gimme your
fifteen
But what's this johann plugs pricer
I inquired demurringly
Hundred when / left the ring but it's
probably $50 now-all of that, he replied
airily. johann. you know. has finished
dead last in fourteen straight races-dead
last
Sleepy Sarcasm.
Whats his price to finish last again.
I asked. with dreary attempt at sarcasm.
for l was tired and sleepy.
% 'Thatll be about all OF that-gimme
your fifteen repeated LHommedieu.
Not your Internal daguerrotype.
will L. replied. It's the small profits and
dead-sure returns I'm looking for from now
on. and I'll give them all the odds they
want to get the small profits What's the
favorite's price to show?
Two to one to win, to the plotz, 2 to
5 to peep said L'Hommedeu. deliberately
restraining himself. as he afterward told
me.
Well said 1. passing him my SIS. get
mine down on the favorite to show-Si5 to
win SO. see?
Without a word of reply L'Hommedieu
took the money and darted into the betting
ring. l waited anxiously for his return. but
he didn't come back with my piking favor
ite-to-show ticket, although the horses Were
already their way to the post
THE horses had just got away when |
found Steve standing quietly at my Shout
der l was all eyes for the favorite, and
7 hat nnI. Ial