The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-08-13
BATS BEST GIRL
BY ISABEL FROST.

4
the colonel had picked him out of
paddock down IN Lexington probabl,
II one could have taken the soul Of m
Bat md dissocted 1t. one wonld bav
4 found the old law Of "thy duty towar
thy neighbor" reduced to his duty i
| the colonel
! When they took Starlight Bess up I,
| capture the sweepstakes at Mirama
! Park, the Bat had no more doubt Of IN,
| outcome than he had Of his own OK
lstence. She was the colonels best an,
had never been beaten.
The week before the race the Bat
shared IN Starlight Bess' honor. Amonr
the other iockIes and their crowd oi
followers he was the chief. and small
wonder that he fell under the magic
spell Of Denver Lou She had come
on with the toy balloon concession
tucked under her arm, so to sneak
hiring small boys to peddIe her bal
lcons for her and putting up her own
money In bets on the races. She was
about twenty-five, a year older than
the Bat.
de had a horror OF big women.
ANY girl that goes with me has got
TO weigh In with me nt one hundred
and nineteen" he would say, laughing
~. And Lou was 105.
At the end Of tire fifth day Before
the races she was wearing the Bats
lucky nugget scarfpin, and the colonel
admitted that he admired the boys
choice.
You'll be too heavy to ride In q
year or two moro. You'd better set
/ tie down as a trainer, with wife Of
your own. Every man needs one.
sooner or later, and like the looks Of
the young lady Tommy
The Bat awung out Of the stable.
glowing with pride. It was absolutely
true, and he felt that he had met his
fate. The only trouble was he didn't
have the money to swing It. Here was
a girl whose father had been noted
horseman IN his day. After his death
she had followed the races all over the
country placing a sure bet where Ii
was needed and ha1dBng her conces.
sions as she pleased.
Just as the Bat came 10 the corner
where the hotel stood he saw her run
ming down the steps to meet him.
u was watching for you" she said.
II was in one Of those temporary phone
booths they'veput up over at the truck.
AS | was waiting for my number /
heard Eddie Daly's voice In the next 7
booth talking low. Tommy, as sure as
you're alive, they're planning some
DEVILS trick on your mare"
The Bats eyelids narrowed as he
threw away his cigarette.
what did he have to say?p he asked.
"He was telling someone that Star
light Bess was IN the fifth stall from
the right end as you 90 into the pnd-
dock, and he said there wns little
window over the feedbox that was
LETT open at night. That was all, but,
coming from DAILY, 1t was enough. VIII
you tell the colonel?"
He won't be back till tomorrow
morning" replied the Bat. "If have
hem change her to another box stall
TIL raise the dust, and without evil
lence the association would scratch
is. Don't you worry. I'll fix it,
The Bat made but few preparations.
3efore the days when the colonel had
,nown him brass knuclzles had been n
art of the Bats wardrobe, and he dug !
nut the old ones that night with
mile Of "reminiscences. 4
About 9:30 wiry, 1.-THE figure Il
rawled Indian fashion through the
Ill timothy along the paddock fence !
nd after a swift survey unlocked the y
utter door Of Starlight Bess' quarters g
nd disappeared inside. d
The colonel was entertaining large 81
arty Of friends at the Grand Southern d
otel that night Dust in the midst Of
Is after-dinner speech he was called to
lswer the long-distanee phone. 1t was Y
ie Bats best girl at the other end Of q
e wire. fr
Hello, heIlom she called breathless- &c
Colonel Connoly? You don't know "
G, sir I'm Denver Lou, the Bats girl. j,
hey tried TO stab Starlight Bess in
e neck tonight. No, no, I don't mean =
at. They tried to give her a hypodcr- "
ic Of something to put her out of the G
nning. Yes, sir through the window
owe her head The Bat was laying
r them and he knocked out Eddie
lly's trainer, but they've done him 4
pretty badly. I've got him at the
tel with two doctors. He's got three
IS crushed and a broken nose, but
says he'll ride tomorrow, sir, If
u'll only let him."
God bless the boy" gasped the
onel. "Tell him III be there by
dnlght" th
The code Of honor is strange In rae tri
| circles. The Bats injuries were sup
sed to have come from a bad fall in uo
arelsing. but while the crowd were ch
eering Starlight Bess and her win ~.
le Jockey. tie colonel and Denver
i watched the finish side by side. ~
die DAILY and four other men had 'nt
/ on the noon train in charge Of pri- thl
te detectives. rol
III there's anything really serious be,
tween Tommy aud yourself. Miss qu,
ssidy." the colonel remarked hap Ia,
y. "rd be wonderfully obliged II you ~