Evening star., 1924-07-26

finishes it. I shall give up training
after this-Ill never train another
horse! After all, as old Captain Mar
' sham said, shall get the credit of
Ripplins Ruby's success. If-if she
wins"
You're certain that she'll win. Peg
gle" I said You know you are.
SOS everybody! Good Lord!-you
can't get money on her now except
IT .know-I know" she answered
hurriedly. "But I'm depressed-Ive
got a queer black feeling as If some
thing was going to happen"
Newest" 1 said. You're upset by
last nights and this mornings doings
That beastly thing round her
neck" she interrupted. "Jim!-sup-
pose-suppose the Chinaman'S there
and-and he sees the Burma Ruby?"
In the excitement Of the moment l
had forgotten the Chinaman.
and left. 1t was difficult to conceive
Of any oriental being able to lurk
unobserved amongst that crowd of
fashionable men and women.
could do--here," I said. you saw
hat Ripping Ruby's being guarded
rs carefully as ever right up to the
.ast moment And didn't you notice
hat Jifferdene and some of his men
were close by her and Lady Renards-
mere, though of course Lady Renards-
mere doesn't know them from any
other racegoers? L can't see how the
chinaman, or any of his accomplices,
he has any, can get at either horse
Or owner"
'I care nothing as to what happens.
or might happen, to Lady Renards-
mere" she said. "She'd have brought
t ali on herself by buying. that vile
thing. But the filly :"
What can happen to her? 1 inter-
rupted. Shes so guarded now that
= fly couldn't settle on her unob-
shell be out and going down to the
starting gate. Once Meddertield's in
The saddle and on his way :"
Il wish it was over, all the same!"
he broke in. am anxious, Jim
2uxiousr
There's not much anxiety amongst
Rippling Ruby's hackers, Peggie." I
said. trying to cheer her. Keep your
ears open"
And. indeed. judging by the scraps
of conversation that one caught on
all sides, you quickly picked up two
mpressions-the first, that every
body looked on the result OF the
Derby as a foregone conclusion; the
second, that everybody for the last
Two months had been piling money on
Lady Renardsmere's filly. Peyton,
,teering Peggie into a place close by
:he rails next to Miss Hepp1e, turned
Seems like as If everybody around
bere regards this event as a sort of
procession in which Ripping Ruby's
o come ahead with all the rest meek
Y following!" he observed drily. I've
heard six different men say there's
only one>horse in it, and that the rest
, might as well stop in their stables!
Say guess Miss Manson's taking it
Very" said L IT wish it was all
over
We'll" he remarked 'T see no
danger now. There's nothing to do
Now what's the etiquette Of this his
ioric event? SuppoSing Rippling
Ruby wins?-is it the proper thing
for her owner TO go out on the track
here and lead her in?"
ut is" said I. "a very proud mo-
ment-for the owner"
Will Lady Renardsmere do that?"
'!e asked.
If ] know ANYTHING about her:
answered. Nobody more readily
mad or sane"
He gave me a look and drew me
little aside.
"Thatll be the dangerous moment"
ne said. Il reckon there'll be crush
III round horse and owner. Then will
come the Chinaman's opportunity"
You think he's about, PeytonT /
said. glancing around.
he spot-somewhere. And if he sees
that ruby-therell be developments
He'll go for it-somehow"'
He can do what he likes-when
he race is over" I said. But
don't see how he can get at anything
or anybody before"
It'll be when I say" declared Pey-
ron; And see no need to warn
horses are coming out!"
The horses came out in the order
# the card-I took no particular
'Iotice of any of them except of Jack
'ade. great, raking brown colt, and
If Hedgesparrow, a somewhat lightly
Huilt, graceful chestnut filly Nor d i'd
my one else-everybody's eyes and
Lttentions we're for Ripping Ruby,
Eho merged into full view halfway
DOWN the lot, to be greeted with a
oar from the crowd on the opposite
side of the course.
She looked as well-behaved as she
"as well-bred. and murmurs of ad-
'"iration sounded on all sides Of us.
aut a sharp-eyed man close by me
uddenly spoke-loudly.
What's that strip of bright green
he fillys got around her neck, and,
he shining thing set in it?' he ex-
"'aimed. What damned nonsense is
Another man,half turned and look
ID at the speaker, quietly and signifi-
'sntly.
Have you never heard of old Lady
Henardsmere's superstitious passion
or precious stones? That's her way,
Hvldently; OF ensuring good luck"
More likely to ensure bad luckl"
declared the other peevishly Deck
ng out a horse as fools do 4 motor
ar. Mascot be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
NeTer saw an English race horse
Win such a thing on in my time:-
pretty long time too, now, begad"
Don't suppose it'll make any diff
-erence, one way or another" said the
Second speaker, laconically.
she's about as dead sure to win
rs she can be-they're wanting seven
10 two on, now"
The parade went through and one
BY one the horses got down to the
Jockeys caps moving about like bits
OF colored glass in a Kaleidoscope.
Peyton, head taller than myself,
turned to me with a question.
How'll we identify our little lady
as she comes round and along~' he
asked. Even through these glasses,
is which"
Look for a bright green cap." I
said Lady Renardsmere's colors
are bright green cap and jacket, with
IL band of orange from the right
shoulder to the left hip. Look for
the cap! There's no other light col
.red cap that I can see. Keep your
They're off"
The sudden might roar from the
crowd made Peyton jump, and I saw
hfs cheeks flush with eagerness and
excitement. Towering above the rest
OF us he could see more than we
could, and following the bobbing
caps as the horses swept forward
over the high ground at the far side
Of the course, he began to murmur
Information.
''I can see the light cap-it's right
N the middle of 'eml There's a dark