Evening star., 1923-05-27

stretched out more comfortably in
the tackle room OF old Johnny
whisksrs. ana permitted the copy Of
'"rhs Arabian Night" to slip from his
fingers. The light from the little
coal-oii lamp winked at the ragged
volume open to the story OF the sad
princess who never laughed. Far
down the avenue of whftewashed
stalls, shimmering in the warm Ken
lucky moonlight, q banjo strummed
plaintively. SNOWFALL. lazy as
crocodile, was singing to the queen
Of the Southern three-year-olds:
It rained all night the day left:
The sun 80 hot froxe to death
stzanna, don't you cry!
Oh. suzanns. don't you cry for me-
I've come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee.
* X
a Nd in the third stall from the
n right Susanna herself listened
contentedly to the serenade. while
Luna, from high in the heavens.
wrapped the Latonia course in a man
tie of witchcraft.
The night wore on. and the lnforma-
tion Kid busted and supperless,
slumbered uneasily. Finally Snow
ball sought his blankets and Susanna
ceased her restless stamping.
Susanna was slender. golden
chestnut filly of" sristocratic lines, with
four white stockings and a blaxed
face. She was by Duke of Charles
town out Of the great mare Dawn o
Virginia. She was the swiftest and
most conscientious little piece OF
Iorsefiesh that ever sprang into ae-
tion when the starter yelled: Come
on
But" old SNOWFALL used to say,
"Ah never did see in all NAH bawn
days such a chill for notions.
wouldn't have nothin' to do what
sumeveh with Missy Sue today
cause Majors daughter done wore a
silk skirt what rustled. No, sir, and
thar amt nobuddy can give Susanna
apples. ner sugar. ner candy-jes' to-
matoes. Man. does y all give her a
tomato. she am yo' lily love. for a fac.
Sho' am de beatines' baby All ever
sees in NAH whole endurin' lifo.'
Susanna's sire had a twelve-cylinder
motor under hisA ribs, but he was a
Npli 6h tuS pS@e, oiA ~@1SS1
trouble to the starting crew than a
nest OF hornets. The Duke was all
bulldog. ard once he took IL into his
head to run, he was off like q flash;
and he finished with TIE throttle wide
open. neither knowing nor caring
where the wire was. He developed
naturally into very uncertain bet
ting proposition, ana finally was re-
tired to the farm.
Dawn o. Virginia was just a. high
strung, but Of a different tempera-
ment. Susannas mother had to be
eased away from the poat with
silk glove, and permitted to select
her own sweet pace and route, the
latter usually one position from the
rail- She declined absolutely to run
on anything but a fast track, ana
went without food for forty eight
hours on one occasion because MAI
Nrlfngton's bull pup got fox.tail In
his ear and had to be sent away to
a specialist. Not until her canine pal
was back in his accustomed box In
her stall did the mare bend head to
the feed-box.
But with all the peoulisrities OF
1ttE oISpOSIllOH, tuOE0 was 88haht
heart in the bosom Of the Virginia
matron. This the Information Kid
remembered, for he was present at
Lexington when the mare was kicked
at the post in a mile race for horses
OF all ages. A two-year.old with
eighty pounds on his back beat her
by a whisker at the wire. and the
veterinarian reported to her owner,
Maj. Arlington, that Dawn o. Tfr-
glnia had suffered a green-tree frae-
ture of the radical bone of the right
foreleg. and had really finished on
three hoofs and her golden heart.
So she also was retired, and a few
years later Susanna, her daughter.
appeared as the glory of the southern
circuit.
II there was one thing more than
tomatoes that Susanna liked, it was
to romp under the wire hrst. and
then 60 back to the stables and dance. !
Calm as q nun when going to the !
post Dawn o. virginia's daughter was
sight for the gods when SNOWFALL
led her back to the barns after she |
Lad earned her brackets. Then /.
took all hands and the cook to ban
dage her. cool her out and lay her
away-for Susanna knew when she
had won. and her dance OF victory
was the apotheosis Of equine eIatton.
needing only the Anal spanking from ,
SNOWFALL, and at night the twanlsiag
of the banjo, and the distant murmur
Of darky stable hands gathered under
a lantern outside Johnny Whiker's
room. and coasing the worries:
Fights NAH point. and An lets it
ride. Throw it down. nigser. throw
it down. Six and two Is eight, and
Ah buys me some tan dawgs. Foah
and foah is eight, and Ans on NAH
way. Five and three, five and three.
five and three, wh'a is yo'? Five and
three, come to yo' daddy; Ave and
three-and All spits all ovah yo'
(, neck"
Thus was Susanna soothed.
* \ Y X
Now the majors horses always ran
Y in the money. and he always ran
out of it; wherefore his debts became
oppressive. and 1t was a case of either
sell Susanna or relinauish the last
hold On the family home in Virginia.
He offered the fllv at private auc-
tton, ana ehuddered when he learned
that the man who took Susanna at
fifty thousand dollars was an agent
rse Bart Nxon- gambler a.a fat as
pirant for SOCIAL recognition.
But the deal had been made, and
Nixon ordered the filly shipped to
Canada 20 that he could be win