Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-07-23
CHAPTER II.
MISS LELAND.

Gossip in the racing world travels
about as quickly as anywhere else.
I'd been ruled off the turf at half
past ten. At half past twelve the
telephone in my room at my hotel
rang and the clerk told me that Mr..
Benton was calling.
Send him up" I said. And then I
braced myself against a storm of re-
breaches. But I needn't have bother
whitest man that ever breathed, and
the last to reproach a nan for doing
what his conscience commanded.
He sat down, in a chair Whose
measure was all too small for his
overlooking bulk, putting from excite
ment as well as his swift entrance.
well. Sale, I hear you went and
gone and did it,"
"Who told you?" I asked.
Jerry Kenney called me up from
the stable fifteen minutes age. I was
just getting out Of bed-poker last
Inight-and I left the house with Mrs.
Benton telling me I'd die Of dyspepsia
If I went without my breakfast. But
I hollered back to her that I was TAX
ing a ":lrc wasn't eating breakfast
any more. l came down here as, fast
a the a would take me and for
once the traffic cops were looking the
other way. Now give it to me
straight"
He paused, all out Of breath. AS
briefly as possible I told him the oc-
currences at the meeting Of the
stewards and their outcome. Old Sam
heard me through in silence. Indeed,
after I had finished he made no COM
ment until he had carefully and slow
~ selected a cigar from his case.
lighted it and had smoked half an
inch of its length. Then:
"Of course, 0 know the old rule:
never start anything you can't finish.
Why didn't you back down."
You don't mean that; Mr.. Benton"
I said shortly.
mo. darned II I do! You did Just
right, Sale. only-why in blazes did
you ever talk to Williams in the first
to, you know"
IF I hadn't I'd have gone before
the stewards, anyway" I retorted,
"and the outcome would have been
the same"
mo, you wouldn't" he said. "1'd
have reasoned that out of you! But
you always were a headstrong youth,
Sale. However-ruled on, Ell? Sale,
what you going to do? I don't sup
pose you've thought Of that; any
more than you did Of my string when
you started all this"
Look here, Mr.. Benton" I said
holly, "how could you expect me to
think Of your string? MY duty as
your trainer only consists in looking
after. your horses; not in keeping my
eyes closed to crookedness."
Don't 60 of at half-cock, Sale"
he said: you know I don't blame
Herman that ever came out of Ken
lucky to forget his future. his hopes,
his plans-everythinx for the sake Of
what he considers his duty"
What is his duty" 1 corrected
him. "And I hope that what you say
is true. I'm mighty sorry, Mr.. BEN
ton: training your stable has been
most as much pleasure as though it
were my own. but-there are limits to
I can get reinstated now by an
apology. I'll see Classon in Hades
first"
He pulled at his cigar. I bent over
suitcase I'd been packing when he
was announced and began tossing
things into 1t. Benton pointed at 1t.
Where bound. Sale?"s.
stewards power doesn't run that far.
At least. the enforcement Of their
rules is mighty lax there. / may not
be able to train under my own name,
but under the rose-IIl ind plenty to.
do there"
mot at the ten thousand q year
I've been paying you" he said.
/ made no reply. and after a mos
ment he went on: "But a mans self
respect Is worth thousands, Sale. Yes,
you'll land. but-Sale, what good will
1t do to land at Juarez? A Mexican
track without much standing. OF
there's your living, but-li
II know that. but I don't want. to
borrow" ! told him.
But even II you do 90 to Juarez-
hurry: 1t isn't quite October yet.
and they won't open there for 4
But / can be drawing salary be-
fore the racing starts. reminded
him. b