The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-10-23
SPORTING BLOOD
BY JACK LAYTON.
toopyright. 1918. by western Newspaper Union,

When the girl had climbed to the
nook in the cliff, she drew back at
the appearance of an old man en-
sconced on the rock which was her
favorite resting place.
81 beg your pardon" she said: II
thought no one was here"
The old man smilingly waved his
hand. "Well, Pm just no one at all"
he replied, $50 make yourself COM
Portable, and don't mind me-"
Janey hesitated, but as he returned
scenic panorama, she sank down upon
a lower rock, and was evidently soon
lost in troubled thought. A deep sigh
at last escaped her.
"Only the aged should SIGH" the
| old man remarked pleasantly. Janey
turned to look into his shrewd eyes
beneath their grizzled white brows,
desire to confide in the possessor or
these same kindly sympathetic eyes.
As though reading her scruples. the
old man bent down encouragingly.
"WenT he asked.
The girl laughed. Its about Billy"
she answered, the words seeming to
| say themselves.
when a young woman sighs," her
odd companion responded, at usually
is about Billy, or Jack or Tom! Has
he been called to war;"
Janey shook her head. "Not yet"
she said. BILLY is just little above
the age limit That seems to be his
fault; he is always just little out Of
everything"
"And this particular thing In which
he failsr' the man persisted.
'I am strangely moved to tell you
| all about It." Janey said slowly,
though am sure don't know why"
"Most people are moved to tell me
things" he assured her; sometimes
/ am fortunate enough to help them
sometimes not. In this instance"
'Billy and I had decided to marry"
Janey said. Father places an obsta-
cle.'
The old man nodded.
"My father would like me to marry
>
"a very promising young man."
''But you wouldn't like It," her COM
panion supplemented; $50 what is ia
TIERS obstacle in Bflly's case?'
"Oh! it's mean" the girl cried out
Indignantly, "and it's unfair Years
ago father sold a cumbersome house
| and barns on the hills to some strang-
| er who agreed to carry the estate
along and make payment when he
could. Father was glad, then, to have
| the taxes taken off his hands. But the
| man who bought the place went away
Che was some sort of assporting MANI
| and he left the house with caretak-
ers, the barns filled with his horses.
| Then one day the estate came back
into fathers hands. The sporting
| man was bankrupt, they said. He had
| paid nothing on the property. and
| house and barns were all out OF re-
pair. They really had abused things
4 shockingly, so father sued for dam
ages, just enough to put the place In
selling order again. But his lawyer
| could get nothing. The sporting man
| was clever enough always to arrange
his affairs that way. they said. And
| now" Janey threw out her hands
| despairingly, 'this is fathers insur-
mountable obstacle: Billy must make
good by collecting those damages.
| Father knows this is impossible. And
Billy" A tender smile lowered about
| the girls mouth. ooh, Billy is SO
| confident of everything"
/, ST like a man who is sure of win
| ming" the old man told her.
| Janey laughed. THAT is the way
| Billy was sure about me-" she con-
fided. He really is poor, you know.
| and father is quite rich. Yet Billy
came boldly counting. and You see"
her tone was wistful, BILLY won me"
The old man nodded "Yes." he an
| swered, 81 see. And what was the
] name of this INSCRIPTIONS man who
purchased your fathers house to de-
| stroy it,"
The girl arose. "It was an Irish
| name" she replied, "Jerry Sullivan.
And perhaps he did not know how
| badly the place had been used; he
was away, you know. But at any
rate" she sighed, ''no one can collect
from Jerry Sullivan; that's his reru-
ration" Her companion chuckled :
then with old-time gallantry he turned
| to assist her down the cliff.
snow if they'd sent you to him." he
said, "they might have had a different
| story"
81 wonder" said Janey, with a part
| ing handclasp.
From below she waved up to him,
| then turned to run into her lovers
arms. aust hunted you up" said
Billy. "to tell you I'm on the way to
| Sullivan's Office; he's in town"
Billy" cried the girl, will you sue
| him todayT
The young man shook his head.
Any eyes but Billy's might have
| been discouraged by the shabby appear
ance of Jerry Sulliyan's Office. Surely
bankruptcy. even poverty was evil
| denced here But when he had stat
ed his case. the old man in the chair
| before him pushed forward pen and