Evening star., 1922-02-19

II s-HithoA Se~hS'
~ That was the sign hung
- out when the Great Ara
bella came down the tan
bark lane leading to the aucrfoneer's
box
The Great Arabella swung lazily
along behind q small morsel of Africa.
and stopped with one hip rubbing the
auctioneer's stand. looking calmly
out over the crowd of horsemen from
her great. wide eyes. She was fine.
stronS-looking bay mare. almost six
teen hands high, lean -fanked and
clean-limbed. But there was the
sign: "As the Animal Stands"
Now. then, gentlemen" began
Col. B. Donovan Duckworth. the
auctioneer, here is No. 261 in your
booksIthe Great Arabella, four-year-
old mare. by Simon the Great and
Belle Malone. 1t amt necessary for
mo to say that she's got blood lines
Simon the Great being a son OF
Greatheart, son Of Lockheart. the
great old trotter. daddy of them all.
This mares sire is a second cousin.
once removed. or some such thing, OF
Peter the Great. Her dams by Arab
King, son Of Jones' Arab. Where she
gets her racy look. Are You ready
to bid on her, gentlemen? What am
I offered? whoo'u start the marsc''
No voice rose above the hum Of con-
versation.
George, take her for = little
breather down the aisle and back" :"
He slapped the mare on the flank. the
darky jerked at the halter strap. a
fiunky cracked his long whip and the
Great Arabella went off down the
lane ut . smooth. swinging pace.
horsemen and hangers-on scattering
to let her pass.
Two young men were standing near
the front row. alike as two peas
physically, but totally different as to
pose. One. of q serious air and
scrupnlously well dressed, was George
Arthur. . well-to-do and promising
young lawyer Of Rushville- The other.
good-natured in manner and with no
particular bearing. was his brother.
Little Billy Arthur.
Little Billy. and handed his brother a
piece Of writing paper. George studied
it carefully and shook his head slowly
in distaste.
where did You get this, Billy"
"OHn Old Man Greenaway down
town last night" Billy grinned sheep
ishly.
You know I've asked you a lot of
times not to do that, Billy said
George. reproving1y.
Little Billy, abashed. only nodded.
Here, sign It, on the back" directed
George. producing fountain pen.
II thought mebbe We could use 1t
'smorning." Little Billy said. writing
his name painfully on the back of the
paper. He handed the pen and paper
back to George, and they both looked
up to see the Great Arabella come
swinging back in tow Of the colored
boy.
"IJERE she is again." called Col
Duckworth with seeming en-
thusiasm. Now. then. what do you
say. boys? She's some locker. And
she amt even takin' a long breath.
Not touch of the heaves. Clean n
a hounds tooth. She hasn't even as
much as q sore toe? Who wants this
big bay mare? Who starts her?
What am I offered? What do Lear?"
He didn't hear a word. but he be-
trayed no sign that he had not ex-
pected to receive q dozen bids.
Now. boys, this mare Is here to be
sold She's all the way from Mem
phis. where they breed real PAGERS,
and her owner won't ship her back.
She's in the consignment of William
p. Greenaway, the Tennessee breed
er. and there amt . bad one in the
lot. Mr.. Greenaways got more hosses
than he can race now. The signs as
the animal stands but this mares
sound as a dollar. Step UP and look
her over. What do you say, Mr..
Arthur
Col. Duckworth's keen eye had
caught sight Of George and Little
Billy and noted they seemed inter-
ested.
Here's a man knows a hoss," pro-
claimed Col. Duckwoth, triumph
antly. What do you say. MIR. Ar
thur"
The slim young Mr.. Arthur. stuffed
his catalogue into a coat pocket, put
his cigar in his mouth, and felt the
mares ribs. Then he lifted each foot.
in turn inspected each fetlock, and
raped the front of each hoof smartly
with his knuckles. That done, he
opened the mares mouth and studied
her teeth.
Three hundred dollars" he said
at length. very deliberately.
Mr.. Arthur" exclaimed Col. Duck
worth. Mortified. He stared At the
young lawyer a moment. Three hun
dred dollars for this good-bred, sound,
big mare that's been a quarter in
thirty-ons seconds. I can't believe
it,
For answer. George merely shifted
his cigar from one corner of his
mouth to the other.
Gentlemen. I'm ashamed to admit
it. but the only offer l have for this
mare is three hundred dollars. Have
1 got to let this mare go for moth
ing? Gentlemen, it amt right. What
do I hear"
He looked over the crowd hope
fully.
Three hundred and fifty" said q
drab little man on the outskirts of
the crowd. 1t was an old game. The
new bidder was dummy. patiently
under orders to force the price up.