Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-24
CHAPTER ii.
The First Days Run

IHOUGH Medenham was no turf deV-
otee, he formed distinctly unfavorable
conclusions as to the financial stability of
the bawling bookmakers near at hand. If
you wish to do any betting, Miss Vanrenen,"
he said, give me the money and | will in
vest it for you. There is no hurry. The
Derby will not be run till three o'clock. We
have an hour and a half in which to study
FORM
For the life of him he could not initiate the
complete humiliation of self practised by the
well bred English servant. The American
girl missed the absence of this trait far less
than the other woman; but by this time
even Mrs. Devar began to accept Meden-
hams good humored assumption of equality
as part of the days amusement.
Cynthia handed him a card. She had
bought three while they were crawling up
the hill behind load of jeering Cockneys.
What will win the first racer" she asked.
Father says you men often hear more than
the owners about the real performances of
horses"
Medenham tried to look knowing. He
thanked his stars for Dales information.
Il am told Eyot has chance" he said.
well, put me a sovereign on Eyot,
please. Are you playing the ponies, Mrs.
Devar?"
That woman, being quick witted, took
care not to offend Cynthia by pretending
not to understand, though it set Meden-
hams teeth on edge to hear a racehorse
called pony. She opened gold purse and
produced a coin. II don't mind risking
little she Uttered.
Medenham found, however, that she also
had handed him a sovereign, and his con-
science smote him; for he guessed already,
with accuracy as it happened, that she was
IL,
absence of the girls father on the Con-
tinent.
PERSONALLY, am duffer in matters con-
nected with the turf" he explained. "A
friend of mine-a chauffeur
EyOt-"
"Oh, that is all right" laughed Cynthia
Il like the colors, Eau de Nil and white.
Look! There he goes!
She had good eyes, as well as pretty ones,
else she could not have distinguished the
silk jacket worn by the rider of horse can
tering at that moment along the cleared
course. Crowded coaches, four rows deep,
lined the rails near the judges box, and the
gay hued parasos of their feminine occu-
pants almost completely blocked the view,
distant one in any case, owing to the width
of the intervening valley.
MEDENHAM raised no further protest
A'A He walked to stand where press of
people betokened the presence of popular
layer of odds, found that Eyot's price was
chalked up at five to one, and backed him
for four pounds. He had to push and elbow
his way through struggling crowd. Imme-
diately after the bet was made, Eyots quo
tation was reduced by two points in response
to signals ticktacked from the Enclosures.
This, of course, argued a decided following
for Dale's selection, and these eleventh hour
movements in the turf market are illunna-
tive. Before he got back to the car there
was mighty shout of They're off," and
he saw Cynthia Vanrenen stand on the seat
to watch the race through her glasses.
Mrs. Devar stood up too. Both women
were SO intent on the troop of horses now
streaming over the crest of the six-furlong
course that he was able to stare his fill with
out attracting their attention.
Il like Cynthia" he said to himself,
though shall be in deuce of a mess if
meet her anywhere after this piece of mas
querading. Not much chance of that | ex-
pect, seeing that Dad and | 60 to Scotland
early in July. But what bore to tumble
across Jimmy's mater! l hope it is not