The sun., 1908-06-21

In no wise discouraged by ths eloqucnoe
and humor Of this expert. Mfs Cluok Leahy
left the train and walked up y Spggy
cinder path 10 the grand ayAAAas
much deterrniped TO backs$S t@ssavv she
had been In starting out. W
A gusty October wind was driving tho
cold rain ih screening slants across tho in
field. 1t was melancholy day for racing.
The track was quagmire and the horses
warming up for the first race returned to
the paddock piebald with olinging mud.
The little woman who was taking the big
chance found dry seat in tho top tier Of
the grand stand and sat huddled there while
the first two races were run of. scarcely
noticing the numbers Of the winners when
they were displayed. MAY j., May j..
May J."-sthe dry. commonplace name OF
the joke mare continued to beat upon her
mind like the thrust Of cylinder,
1t was Cluok's down and out hunoh. and
now 1t was her hunoh too And 1t was
win out chance, the only one she could see.
And now the wedding ring was in and she
had to 60 through with the hunoh. any
how. and ahe meant to do It,
She heard roar Of laughter from the
crowd Of men massed on the soggy lawn
in front Of the stand.
-Yee-owl there she goeel" the men were
howling. gleefully. "The mare Of the
century, Looklt the old two dollars worth
o glue founder around in the slop!'
Cluck's wife sglanoed down the rain
misty track and saw the joke mare May j..
with a lummox Of O stable boy on her back.
clomping along in the pool Uttered yellow
mud Of the course. taking her preliminary
gallop. The jeers of the crowd for the
willing but incompetent old mare somehow
hurt the heart Of Mrs. Cluck. Like her
self-and Cluck-May j. was down and
out. Why should there be n laugh In 1t
because she was down and outi
She'll win to-day, and show them
said Mrs. Cluck to herself bringing her
teeth together with click. 1she's-got t
TOWN."
A grand stand runner for one OF the
main bookmakers OF the big ring caught
sight Of Mrs. Cluck up in the top tier, and
he hoped toward her with his soribble of
prices against the field. The runner knew
her and Cluck we'll, and he had seen her
bet five hundred of her own money on a
race with as little emotion as most women
bet a dollar.
SIS Cluck gettin' yours down, or dye
want me?' the runner asked her.
What are you laying May j., Joe7' she
asked him.
The runner looked at her with broaden
ing grin.
Don't make me laugh, Missus Cluck-
/ got tn shingles, honest he said.
MAY J-what are you laying, Joe?"
she repeated.
"Oh, there's all the five hunnered 10 one
all over the ring that you can eat" replied
the runner. But you're kiddin'. amt
your
She handed him her five dollar note with
q hand that trembled slightly.
-it's the case five, Joe," she said with
somewhat pallid smile. May j., straight
Say, look a-here, Mrs. Leahy on tn ;
dead, you don't wanna the runner be-
gan, goodnaturedly, to expostulate.
Get the bet down, Joe--they'll be going
to the post in a minute" she said to him.
He thrust the five dollar bill into his
pocket. scribbled 81, 500 to S. on her pro-
gramme opposite the name of May j.. and
loped down the steps to catch the bets Of
some other women who had just entered
the stand.
renewal of the hoarse jeers from the
parading to the post, with the laughable
May j. at the fag end Of the procession, as
she always was Of her races. Again she
felt wave Of compassion for the ridiculed
old mare, and she breathed something like
a little prayer that May j. for once would
show them.
1t was a six furlong race, and the field
started on the far side Of the track, directly
opposite the stand. May J.trailed the frisky
bunch in the canter around to the barrier
patiently taking their mud. There was
something particularly bovine in her move
ments on this wet, dismal day. And yet
Mrs. Cluck, huddled in her seat in the top
tier, never for moment gave her up.
The hunch had to 60 through.
1t had always been an idiosyncrssy OF
Mrs. Cluck' not to watch the start nor even
the middle stages OF race In which she was
deeply interested. When the swinging
field hit the top of the stretoh-it was then