The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1909-12-17

John" said Peggy, after Fogarty
had finished his eulogy, ''step aside a
little. want to speak to you quietly"
She whispered few words into Fo-
garty's respectfully inclined ear which
brought look of horror to his honest
face, and to which he vouchsafed no
answer but decided shake of his
head in the negative. A few more
words from Peggy ELECTED nothing
more than further and more decided
shakes of the head, but Peggy's witch
craft was not for nothing.
By and by honest John Fogartys
head ceased wagging sideways and re-
manned stationary. and ultimately it
went UP and down, slowly and reluc-
family, but still up and down. Peggy's
witchcraft had at last prevailed
Whereupon the witch, having cast her
spell, gave him a few parting injunc-
tons and vanished, leaving Fogarty as
bewildered and anxious as was ever
an honest Irishman.
Jack Braddon had been laid UP for
the last two weeks with two ribs and
a collar bone broken. Gossip had it
that there had been another fracture
OF far more serious nature-in short.
that Peggy Strangeways had broken
his heart. Certainly Jack was in a
very blue and Respondent condition
for man who had only sustained
such injuries as are looked upon as
the fortunes of war in the hunting
field.
1t did seem a little rough. After
hunting and dancing and flirting with
him all winter Peggy had suddenly
sent Jack about his business with the
advent of spring for no apparent rea-
son whatever, at least no reason which
was apparent to the Meadowthorpe
set.
There was no logical reason why
she shouldn't marry Jack Braddon.
He was well off, young, good-looking.
and as passionately fond of horses as
was Peggy herself. All Meadowthorpe,
except few impressionable young
men who had been touched them
selves by Peggy's witchcraft, had ar
ranged the match some months back,
and it was looked upon as highly in
considerate of Peggy to upset their
plans. But upset them she did, and
Jack Braddon's too for some reason
known but to herself, and doubtless a
good and sufficient one in her own es-
timation.
Jack had entered Whalebone IN the
steepIechase more In q spirit of bra
vado than ambition to win it. To tell
the truth, he did not expect the horse
to stand any chance of winning.
Whalebone was a recent purchase, an
animal of which he knew nothing ex-
cept that he had devilish temper and
considerable speed when he chose to
run straight, which was not often. He
was chestnut, fully sixteen hands
high and grand type of thorough
bred.
AS Jack could not ride himself, he
would not ask any of his friends to
ride the brute, so Fogarty, his head
man, had orders to put professional
up, Tim Grogan, a young Irishman,
who had gotten quite reputation as
a lightweight steeplechase jockey.
Jacks interest in the whole affair was
lukewarm at the best, and he only
drove on the course IN time to see the
Hunters Cup steeplechase run off.
The saddling bell had sounded and
a bugle blast had summoned the horses
to the starting point, some quarter of
a mile away. Jack saw Whalebone,
his ears laid back and the whites of
eyes showing, swathed in his clothing,
being led up and down by groom in
front OF the weighing tent.
Then Fogarty came out of the tent
accompanied by slight figure wear
ing Jacks racing colors.
Thunder" said Jack. to. himself