The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-05-16
CHAPTER I.
"Beauty of the Brigades..

Mr.. Rake, factotum to the Hon.
BERTHE Cecil, of the First Life
Guards. But he's true gentle
man; never grudge FLYER to you.
never out OF temper. either. and
I'll he id il | care what l do
for him."
With which to the stud-groom,
Rake ran up the back stairs of
his masters lodgings In Piccadilly.
On the softest of sofas, half
dressed, was the Hon. BERTHE him
self, second son of Viscount Royal
lieu. known generally in the
brigade as Beauty" The appel
lative, gained at Elton, was de-
served lie was the handsomest
man in all the Household regi-
ments. not even excepting his old
est friend and closest comrade, the
Marquis of Rockingham, known as
the Seraph."
lie looked at the new tops that
Rake swung in his hand, and
shook his head.
Better, Rake, but not right yet.
Wilton up?"
Yes. sir. Come in this minute
for orders
Tell him III look in at the
stable after duty. Send that bout
! uuet to Mrs. Delamaine. Write
about the stud fox terrier, and buy
the blue Dandy Dinmont; Lady
\ Guinevere wants him. I'll take
\ him down with me. But first put
me into harness, Rake; it's get
ting late"
Murmuring which multiplicity
of directions. for Rake to catch as
he could, BERTHE Cecil surrendered
himself to the martyrdom oil
cuirass and gorget.
"Ah, young one, how are YOU
Is the boy very bad?" he asked
as the door opened.
Women said that Cecil cared for
nothing longer than fortnight
unless it were his horse, Foresi
King. This was not true, for, be
sides Forest King. he loved his
young brother, Berkeley.
"Beastly!" replied that youni
gentlemen, in reference to the
weather. IL say, Bertie--are you
in hurry?'
"The very deuce of hurry
little one; why?'
Because | am in hole and
thought you'd help me- muir.
INJURED the boy.
Whats up, Berk?'
The boy hung his head. II wan
some more money; a couple o
pones," said the boy a little
huskily.
Cecil gave low whistle.
you're always wanting money
So am |. Two ponies. What's i
for?"
!, 81 lost lat chicken-hazard last
night. Poulteney lent 1t to me
How shall I get the money, Ber'
tie? I daren't ask the governor
and besides / told Poulteney he
should have 1t this morning
What do you think If | sold the
mare? But then I couldn't sell
her in a minute"
Cecil laughed a little. but his
II eyes were grave. ocii .ho hoiO
Nonsense, / cam pull you thru,
dare say"
He gave his brother the re-
ouired amount, waved aside all
thanks. and ran down stairs into
the street where his charger was
waiting.
The Royallieu Peerage, one oil
the most ancient and almost the
most impoverished in the king
dom, could i'll afford to maintain
its sons in the expensive career on
which IL had launched them, and
the chief there was to spare usu-
ally went between the eldest son,
a secretary of legation at Vienna,
and the young one, Berkeley,
thru the old viscounts Partially
All BERTHE had was his pay and
the few hundred year from his
| mothers settlements. Neverthe-
less, he managed to live as did the
other men in his set, and main
| tain a stable which included For
est King, the great steeplechaser,
on whom the Guards had laid all
their money for the Grand Mill
tary--the soldiers blue ribbon.
The course was near the old
family place Of the Royallieu
house. Here BERTHE congregated
half the guardsmen in the service
/ for the great event, and in its spa
cious stables Forest King was
housed with all the luxury of a
| woman.
II was known that the Guards
had backed their horse treV :
dously, and the county laid M
of its money on him. Yet despite
this the Fancy" took most to
Bay Regent.
Whatever the King might
prove, however, the Guards must
stand or fall by him; they had not
another horse entered, SO COM
plete was the trust that, like the
Seraph, they put in Beauty" and
his gray.
The clock of the course pointed
to half-past one; the saddling bell
would ring at q quarter to two.
Carriages were standing in long
lines along the course: the
stands were filled with a bevy OF
fashionable loneliness.
One man, "'ossy" all over.
turned so that his back was to-
ward BERTHE. as the latter was en-
tering a bet with the Seraph, and
he himself was taking long odds
...sal, mat n.~Ix N~asI