The San Francisco call., 1910-12-04

Yes, like that other farmer you i'm
ported who fought three rounds, and
then suddenly remembered his mother
was opposed to boxing" said Ledyard.
And the quartet hooted Mr.. MuraSky
and his champ" Ledyard, the boyish
book keeper at the shoe store. brought
the conversation again to the races,
and again Mamie breasted the onset.
He had a horse in pickle-yes, he did
something juicy in the fifth. and
magnanimously would let his friends in
to the roof. "Th' talent t'ink this horse
is a jungler from Spokane" confided
Mamie, shaking his thin shoulders un-
til his yellow diamond let loose
headlight radiance. It's exclusive
Bomba, in tn fft'-don't forget tat
name. Sell your sisters hatpins an
get on"
The shoe store mans eyes gl1ttereu
nervously; Mamie had landed long
shot one time; he busted himself much
about the track. Perhaps p
At his side Arnold suddenly muttered
unintelligibly He had been In some
queer moods the past month, his GRO
MES said-ever since his big drunk, IN
fact. He was still immaculate in dress,
but he drank more than he had ever
been known to before, and had been
at the racetrack every afternoon Wnile
drawing his salary from the state
treasury for his clerical work at the
capitol.
Strange stories had gone about con-
cerning Han-things at which even the
tenderloiu WINGED a bit; they centefeu
about some unknown country girl
whom he was said to have brought 20
the city, robbed and turned adrlrt. Inc
street was pretty swift, but that was q
raw dealt didn't seem like the Lel-
low. But there was Fergy, or the Ma
plewood. who had seen the money, ana
fr.,
some had even heard Arnolds declafa-
tion that he was to marry her. ana
then she had disappeared, and J. ram
had been going it strong. lie hao
spent more money than ever before,
plunged higher on the ponies, drlIted
deeper into the after midnight Ire,
reckless, mordant, untiring, unappeased-
But in the hectic life Of the street.
the affair was already almost forgotten
by his familiars. It was some queer
work, but then 1t was no ones business.
The grand jury inquiry into the regis
tration frauds had also dropped from
view; some unseen Vaccinations or the
sinuous power that creeps for ever
about the underpinning OF the soclaI
structure had intervened and an &C
quiescent if doubling public was gulled
from the issue. The banded evil or the
city flung John Hamilton Arnold 1or-
ward as a challenge; honest men dared
nonchalant perjury was now OF the
past He, himself, had bothered about
it least of all; he had been busily TAX
ing to himself the aids Of oblivion
What odds are you getting, Ham!
How's Presidepte posted?' repeated Ed
die Ledyard curtously.
Five to one, straight Just flyer;
1 don't know anything about the horse.
But young Ledyard's face grew crarty >
there was something doing"-sure
there was
II en- get you better" interposed
Mamie Murasky; five an half.
'Presidente - Presidente - repeated
Ledyard. Tets look up the form He
rose, and then turned to the table:
Coming out some night, HammyY
We've got new piano, and Stella
home from school. And mothers al
ways asking why you never come.
Arnold waved an Indifferent goodbye
as Mamie went with the clerk
That lads got no call to play cent
he muttered L used to run with him
in school, and now he's keeping his
mother and sister on his salary
There's nobody compelled to play the
races" Ferreri protested sluggishly.
Why don't these lambs stay out of the
life?"
We'll as the game is showed at EN-
night and day on every corner, in every
newspaper and by every sure thing man
they meet, guess staying away ISM
so easy. They don't think-they don't
consider until the dope is soaking out
Of them-and there's another long term
sucker or another vote for the push,
when we need to lift anything"
Ferreri sat up with slow interest.
And what's getting into your he
mumbled.
"Oh, nothingl just watch the game
played out-that's all"
J,ae &c l0, inc
out at Sacramento" put IN Weldy
'sThey can't do enough for US, either"
You're on that committee to inves-
tigate the charges that bribery beat
the Lacy bills, amt your queried Fer
reri with renewed interest What II
the farmers scare up next?
The legislator shot a nervous glance
They want an investigation. all
right" said he. 'T guess the track
must have done some raw work last
session
Cost my company ten thousand
The slot machine agent languidly ad
iusted himself in his seat. His con-
Germ had 5000 gambling machines in
the city. reaping harvest that made
$4,000 for buying the legislature a
pittance; Ferreri himself had con-
tempt for the statesmen.
Weldy was restless, seeming to rise
in this nonchaIant recital; he glanced
about the cafe and then turned de-
fensively to the others
s'Twenty-eight suicides and nine men
in the pen from playing the races
that's what Lacy said was the record
in this city during the season, when
he demanded this bribery investigation
to see what beat his bill. That's
pretty tough-everything so open for
bows like Eddie sLedyard."
Gods sake" retorted the slot ma
chine man, hear him talki Say, you
amt bucking, are you
I'm on the committee" Weldy
shifted his big red hands. It's pretty
close. Lots OF the members are afraid
the investigation will be made"
Ferreri sat up straight.
We'll, don't you know how you're
going to vote? If your committee re-
ports against the Investigation that'n
settle it, won't it?"
well, there's lot to be said" an
swered Weldy. and then he felt Ar
nold's foot against his leg. a pressure
that stopped him. "Oh, it's all right,
of course; everything'H go all right"
he concluded lamely. Stillman-Ham,
here-every body knows I'm not buck
ing auvbOdV!''