Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-01
BY JAMES FORBES,

take the first train back. OF wisht ye'd
| expinse."
The styble's for syle? What for?'
asked the surprised Duke. Don't 1,
p'y?'
| 1T amt that. an OF can't give yez the
partic' lars. SEEM they don't concern yez
The al partnerships broken that's all"
| he calculated. How about the Shrimp
as e gomez
"Yes. he's already gone"
Too bad. I'd like to "a seen him"
Pressed by Mrs. O'Brien. the Duke .ex-
planned the reason Of his summons by
telegraph and recounted the story of his
trip to England. She already knew as
much OF his family history as he had told
to Nora.
! ME uncle; mothers brother. 90 we
| caime to America to look for, wusn't ere
at all" he said. He'd gone to Austrylia
where e myde fortune. e pegged aout
larst year an, not 'aving any other rela-
tons alive, left $4,000 to mother an me
an there you are. Mothers still on the
| other side, but I caime back. got 'ome-
| sick. No one amt been kind to me like
you ave: An wanted to arsk Mr.. NAL
me stryght.. I'd like to invest some Of me
$4,000. an I don't know nothin' 'ceptin'
'orses. Dyou think ed tyke me into
business with i'm instead of breakin' up
the styble? I'd like the chanst If it don't
cost too much. an motherd be satisfied,
I'm sure: She's worryin' abaout what
I'll do with me money!
He added. feeling apologize at daring
to place himself on anything like a level
with his former employer, who he held
You see. If I'm in the business with
Mr.. Mallory e might put me in the wy
of becomin' a jockey. I'm goin' to be a
gryte jockey one Of these d'ys.'
10 -
this announcement was intended to i'm
press. She had listened to his story at
first with disdainful indifference. but as
it proceeded her interest grew until it be-
came very deep. She began to see all
kinds of qualities in the Duke which.
strangely enough. had not been visible
to her before. For the first time IT struck
her that he was good looking, and when
at last he overcame his bashfulness suf-
ficiently to glance in her direction she
was smiling at him amably, and her gaze
meeting his set the blood pulsing wildly
through his veins and his heart to beat
ing violently.
When Mallory and O'Brien came in
from the stables little later the former
had already been made acquainted by
Patsy with the Dukes story and desires.
That evening there was a lengthy con-
ference between the trainer and the ex-
stable boy. who remained for the night
as the guest of the family. The next day
both started for New York. and the Duke
knew as much about the financial condi-
lions and possibilities of the stable as
Mallory did himself.
About the most amazed man in New
York was Richard Crawford when his
loan and Nora's debt were repaid and his
partnership interest in the training stable
as determined by the dissolution proceed
ing duly settled. He was further baked
of his revenge by the fact that neither
Patsy nor Nora sought another engage
ment on the stage. Nora had become
suddenly reconciled to staying at home
and. to the delight of her parents, had
recovered her vivacity-likewise her in
disagreeable with was the Shrimp, who
had returned to Maple Grove in the ca
pacity of head stable boy.
Mallory was helped not little in the
reorganization of his affairs by the fact
that Mr.. Perkins-no one save Mrs.
O Brien continued to call him the Duke,
and he liked to be SO designated by her
buying Lady Belle for himself at the
price offered for her by McGovern. The
purchase was made for sentimental rea-
sons that Mallory could know nothing
about. but the retention of the mare
proved big thing for the stable subse-
quently. In fact. Dams new partner de-
veloped an enterprise and ability that
Mallory admitted in his heart of hearts
that he unaided in this manner never
could have placed it.
Mr.. Perkins was very fond of Lady
Belle. but he no longer needed her as a
confidante. He was bent on murmuring
his souls secret into other ears when the
proper time and opportunity should come,
and he had every reason to hope that 1t
would not be unfavorably received.
('Fhe end.)