Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-02-18
CHAPTER XVIII.

lc9Sto VI Sl-gTedSy, DTdSS-
shOvel-hatted, brazen-throated. brazen-
browed-with wolfsh greed of gain stamp
ed more or less on their features-the
hungry, gold-seeking mob oscillate round
that low doorway. The turtles temple
Dever shuts the fell war between hackers
and layers never ceases. Eager murmurs
arc heard midst that vulture-faced crowd.
He went very bad in the market this
morning Tell me they offered threes,
at the clubs What's wrong with
him. What against The Saint and
similar hurried interrogatories fall on the
ear. Now brougham. now well-ap-
pointed cab, whose driver throws the reins
from his lavender-kidded hands to the
next tiger: now the hansoms of ordinary
life drop their respective occupants at
the small doorway.
The Subscription Room is full; round
the big circular desks much paying and
receiving is going on. The sofas round
the room are crowded with Ioungers the
tessellated pavement is trod by a fuctuat-
| ing mass. who ebb and flow to different
points as some one or two large specula-
tors vociferate the odds, or cease to do so.
Ii is the settling day after the broken
week al Newmarket, and sinister rumors
are rife about the first favorite for the
! Two Thousand. He has stood at five to
! two for a long while, but report says
that three to one has been laid and of
! fered, to any amount of money, at the rae
! ing clubs this morning.
ualf-past f0ur--fatal hour for many
! favoritc at Tattersall's, the adjustment of
last weeks accounts-is over, and the
ring has time to turn it's attention to
| forthcoming events.
Three to one against Coriander for the
! Guineas,' is yociferated in more than one
quarter. Nothing positive seems known
about the horse but a panic has set in,
and hackers stand aloof from a wager
that yesterday they would have jumped
al Some few adventurous men take the
increased odds to a little, but speedily
repent as they find the disposition to lay
that price rapidly increasing.
At this juncture Pearman. attired in
deep mourning entered the Subscription
Room 1t was but a few days since his
fathers funeral. and, to do him justice,
he would not have been there had not a
friend telegraphed to him early in the day
the onslaught that was being made on
U,
he argued. whether racing or otherwise.
and knowing his horse to be perfectly
we'll he ran up at once to town to stop
this demonstration against it.
Foremost among the opponents of the
favorite was a big, corpulent north coun-
tryman. who enjoyed the reputation of
by no means throwing his money away.
In turf parlance, when he persistently bet
Il.
Here's 1000 to 300 against Corian-
der :" vociferated Mr.. Plyart for the sec
ond or third time.
Put it down to me-" said Pearman,
quietly.
Yes, sir Will you take it twice."
Pearman nodded.
The bookmaxer pencilled it into his
note book The crowd attracted by the
fact of COriander's owner coming to the
rescue, had Surged round them; but no
sooner had Mr.. Plyart completed his
memorandum, than he reiterated his
hoarse war cry of Here's 1000 to 300
against Coriander.'' a shout in which he
was Immediately Joined by two or three
other large spectators.
Put it down again, Plyart" said Pear
man. grimly; and now, inspired with con-
fidence by the way in which his owner
had supported him, several hackers in
vested on the favorite.
For a little, it seemed as if Coriander
would rally in the market; but the layers
of odds far exceeded the hackers and
finally came forth Mr.. Plyart's ominous
shout of 1000 to 1000 against the favor
lite for The Guineas =
4,l-. IL. D. ~
his establishment knew no bounds: and
as the bookmaker noted it, he remark ed
with sneer, You'll find my horse bad
to get out of on the Two Thousand day
l don't think you will hedge, except at a
loss"
Perhaps so, sir-perhaps so but II
bet you an even hundred he don't start
Done, and I'll make it 5000, if you
like"
NO you might start him on three legs
won't risk more than hundred on his
not starting; but here's 1000 to 1000 he
don't win. once more"
Sam Pearman shook his head, and, al
all events for once in his life, walked out
Cf Tattersall'S thoroughly puzzled. HI
knew his horse to be perfectly well, ht
had seen him that morning. As far as BIZ
had tried him, he had never tried a three
year-old better. What were these rims
5 men going on?
They make great mistakes at times
these members of the magic circle. Thcil
l brethren of the Stock Exchange occasion
} ally get the worst of it also; but, as 6
l rule either hackers or shareholders ar
i justified in feeling alarm at a persistan
assault on what their money may be in
vested in. The decline of the favorite fol
big race in the market is hardly so dis
/ astrous TO the world in general as banl
e shares dropping twenty per cent below
premium Before Pearman left Londor
{ the next day. he was aware, from various
sources that Coriander'S status in tn,
e letting was still further shaken, and tina
: is much as FIVE TO one had been Offered
i against the crack of forty eight hours ago
4 Ile thought of it all the way home, ant
: felt more utterly bewildered than he ha,
ever done before in the whole of his tur
experience.
Could Sam Pearman have been presen
at a conference held in Silky Dallison'
/ rooms, between that astute gentleman ant
Granville Rose, though he would hav,
: been still long way from enlightened ol
t the subject, yet he would have learned
d good deal 1t was the Friday night befor
d that eventful Monday. Granville had re
+ turned from Glinn the day previous. :
: mouldy old parchment lay on the tabl
s between them; it had apparently BEEF
consulted and thrown aside.
e "Rumford says the deed is perfectl
It good and Mr.. Denison is quite certain
l there has been no enfranchisement. That
q tie case, Gren, isn't it,
h Rose nodded, and Mr.. Dallison for
n few minutes pulled meditatively at hi
is cigar
( Well he continued, 1.-THE law part
leave to you. presume that is all RICH:
'e Eumford's opinion is quite good enoug
!" to 20 on, and old Denison, you say, wa
(" quite clear there has never been an en-
l. franchisement. Odd there should no
y have been; but no doubt Pearman de
n funct was quite unaware of the existenc