Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-15


One after another Of the pencilers
| were sponging OF the odds on Lady
Courageous. Schaefer lowered his
glasses and called to Pennington:
who's this Sandy MoKeeT'
MY fathers old trainer" Ted re-
piled.
The bookmaker's eyes narrowed.
Over at his left one book was still
Offering 40 to l. He beckoned q mes
| senger and thrust out a handful Of
currency. place and show on Lady
Courageous" he whispered, "over at
Connelly's-quick"
The messenger aud Pennington
clawed their way through the crowd.
Billy Connolly saw them coming and
guessed their purpose. He shook his
! head and wheeled around to the board.
Opposite The name Of Sandy McKee's
marc appeared the figures "15-s-3"
Pennington held up a hundrec-dsi-
lar bill. Lady Courageous on the
noses
Fifteen hundred to hundred
grunted the bookmaker and rubbed
his slate again. Pennington turned.
! In the swirl;ng mass OF humanity
! struggling at the base of the New
Orleans platform he recognized two
! OF his agents.
! The book held out against the on
| slaught minute longer and then de-
clined all further bets on the Mckee
| entry. Meanwhile. hundreds OF men
| had had time to ask one another what
it was all about; to look UP Lady
Courageous last performance; to note
that she was running under the old
Remington colors. and to recall the
turf tradition regarding a Penning-
ton entry in the Pennington handi-
| cap.
| X Y x r
TOD PENNINGTON hurrier TO tn.
l. paddock. lie vas in time 10
hear Sandy Mckee give his last in
| structions to little Traver.. a SIX
teen ear-oid boy, whom the traine.
had picked out after one glance az
the intelligent gray eyes and another
| at the long slender fingers
Remember" Mckee said. mo whip
nor spurs: when the time comes. talk
to her. Keep close to St. Ivan as you
can without getting pocketed.2 he's
all you have to beat"
| The boy nodded and Mckee gave
him leg UP. Lady Courageous was
trembling in every dainty limb, he,
| eyes twin pools Of liquid fame. She
| reared up. paving with bandaged
forelegs, and Mckee chung to the
/! bride
Easy. you Ii'l OF red stockings.
he soothed. II know what you're
waiting for; Sandy knows-there.'
"Ail right" cried some one.
Mckee released his hold and swep,
a final caress over the mares satur.
ated coat. One after another the
| starters in the Pennington handicar
filed out of the paddock.
bugle sounded.
Come on" Pennington urged. I've
got good place saved for us on the
rail-
The fields Of thoroughbreds pa.
raded past the grandstand and ther
turned back toward the barrier, St
Ivan leading the way.
One glance at the majestic son O.
Petersboro. and another at Lad,
Courageous, strangely docile, canter
ing past on bandaged legs, and tn,
crowd surged back into the ring.
Once more the cry OF st. Ivan t,
vim echoed through the Enclosure
Odds of l to 4 were being writer
when the shout: They're OFF" coup
led with the shrill clamor OF an cleo
trio gong, sent the human It'd,
sweeping again toward rail ant
grandstand.
Southern Belle. the Harbridge en-.
try, carrying 1I2 pounds. had the
early foot. followed closely by Cap.
tain Adams and Starlight. The other.
were punched, with st. Ivan lying IL
fifth place and Lady Courageous still
on the outside.
At the first turn the field shifted
strtnging out into moving blur o
color. McKee's eyes failed him.
The Lady," he questined. "whers
is she?"
Pennington stared through puck.
cred eyes II can't make her out
Sixth, I think-no, that's Starlight
almost the same colors. st. Ivan /,
seventh. All, there he goesr'
A jubilant roar sounded from tn,
packed stands. The race was near.
ing the half-mile post and st. Ivar
was moving UP on the outside. One
after another he passed until he took
command with two lengths Of day.
| light between him and the tirina
Southern Belle. In his admiration fol
the gallant leader. Pennington al
most forgot his own interest in tn,
race and the little old man standing
at his shoulder.
He was recalled to his surround
ings by McKee's hoarse voice: "Th,
Lady. where 10 she?"
Again Pennington shook his head
He turned to a man at his side VIII,
was watching tho race through feel,
glasses.
Can you make out Lady Courag
eous?"
NO." the man replied. IT plunged
on her. too" He looked again at tn,
blur of color nearing the far turn.
my soul" he exclaimed, "ther,
are only seven horses out there ant
there were eight starters. She mus
have broken down.
A strangled cry came from Sand.
Mckee. Three BARS Of eyes swep
the track that lay back of the run
ners. 1t was empty.
The man with the glasses levelec
them again. Then he took off his hat
flung 1t down and Jumped on It,
His wild yell was swallowed in
roar Of wonder that sweiied from tn,
h1a ck mad grand stand ror the ,n{crh