Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1921-07-28
Spud McGIone
Ey CLARENCE L. CULLEN
tCopyrirht,J

when Spuu McGIOne, the tout,
nudged into New York from the win
ter race meeting at New Orleans, he
wore a certain sooty and cindery APP
pearance that didn't seem to denote
a ride ON the vanished cars.
Does job at the gasworks. back
In this dump, look good to me?" he
observed gloomily, replying to nobodys
question.
Does it? Ask Smudge Shaugnessy
If he ever had Il yen for a beef stew!
y Southern race tracks, Ell? Say, I'd
rather he moldy ear in Coney Is
land hot-corn boiler than red barn
full of feed and hay down there in
the cockroach Dixie belt, and let that
go with the main bet.
"Thcre's no getting away from the
ring PinkS down there.
THE first day out down there
slanted thing that looked like bean
porridge-hot to me- 1 took him by the
left fin us he mooned around the ring
marking program and trying to look
wise.
'Sh-sh!' says l as I'tried to lead
him under one of the stairways.
'Sh-sh !! would fain uncurl one gold
en- word or two unto YOU IS .
"'Hey? What's thaty he bawled like
a fshpeddler yelling shad on side
street and trying to shake off the
rIntnh hoh on him
"'Not so voicy, major said |, hang
ing on to him.
Hey look-a-here, what's all this?
he shouted, net with any effort, get me,
but just talking in his natural voice.
What dye want%
'Sh-sh! Try whispering, general
says | to him, lamping around to see
If any of the ring Pinks were on the
job. All that | desire to do is 70 send
you away from here lopsided with cur
rency.'
For about halfa. minute he studied
me with that harvest-moon wick.
"'What do you want TO do that forT
he shouted. What is tito you whether
win or not?
1.-The soft pedal and low bridge,
please, judge begged the smudge.
Is it Q hOrseT Ire yelled at me.
"That loud stuff is great in knock
about turn, but here it's liable to crab
a perfectly good sketch. Now, will
you gamble that hundred on one that's
a Rocky Ford wrapped in tissue-paper
and tinfoll and served in a Tiffany
dish?'
Is it some horse that's going to
run in this first race that you want me
to playy' he howled
&. Say, general, won't you try to inn
agine that you're at wake, and pull
the muflling snares down on that drum
Of yours:
Yes, it's one in the first race.
Its 10 to l now, and it'll street
home like cat that's been chucked
into a creek with a stone around Its
neck
"Well, the mark yelped then like a
barker with a d0uble-hOrn megaphone
on rubberneck wagon: 'How do YOU
know that this horse will win, hey?'
"Just then the ring Pink that I'd
piped the minute before breezed W
behind me with the stiff foreflnger for
the middle OF my kidneys,
"'None o that buzz stuff here,
Bright Eyes says he to me- 'or over
the fence for you, and then l had to
smear away from there and join the
elboWers in the main aisle.
1.-TWO days later | snagged, coming
down from thngrand stand, where he'd
sailed his wife, one that looked to me
like "a full basket of quarts.
GUY, says l, as he got to the bot
tom of the steps, dye know the name
of it,
1.-THE name of what?' he asked me
in the tone of the skipper of canal
boat hOllering at Il mule-whacker a
hundred yards up the towpath. Did
YOU ask me what time it was? Why,
it's half past three, pulling out a soup.
er the size of hand-painted porcelain
plaque
~ haven't got an idea in the world
what horse you, mean and, Of course,
you're a stranger 10 me'-he was hol-
lerihg louder and louder with every
chirp-'but lost fifty dollars on the
first race-by this time he was Orat-
ing like the ringmaster of q circus
and if there's, amy chance to get that
money back, why, of. course, I'd like to
obtain the name of the winner.
"'You look as if you might know,
even If, as say, you are stranger
to me; and of course if the one you
uAmed really did win I'd be willing to
--er-do the right thing toward you
for your Kindness, and
"Did have that one hooked? Why,
say, 1t was out of the water and
swinging toward the grass when
Say, Louie says the same Pink
that had given me the kidney poke be-
fore, coming up behind me again, i
thought told you that teli-'em thing
was all off and done away with around
these works, hey? 80
"'Now, you femme pipe you again
hopping a lob to one O. your boguses,
and you won't have any heels left on
your kicks to beat ii with And so
A ! 10.