Evening star., 1926-04-04

7 F YOU would pass among the fire.
quenters of the race track--any
race track--aS an initiate there
4 are four expressions YOU must
not use. Never say that you
bet on a horse; tell them you had
the horse. Let no one hear from
Your lips the words. Il won money
il must always he Il win money,
even though you are referring to
successful wager of three seasons ago.
Never describe a wager as an even
money bet; il must always be eve
ming money" And finally, never
speak of a hea Willy backed horse as a
favorite; as you value your standing
among the Brethren Of the Turf, call
that horse the favoright.
Thus you might recognize at once.
In Fleabit Corrigan, an initiate, even
If he wasn't recognizable as much OF
anything else while he stumbled wear
lily toward the living quarters of the
Charnley barn at the New Orleans
Fair Grounds Fleabit bore all the
earmarks of having happened to meet
a holocaust, or something; tooth
marks and finger marks too. Just
as he stood he could have passed for
one of those smudged newspaper cuts
" ich bear the caption, In the Wake
of the Cyclone"
But by his speech you would have
known him, even though the words
that issued from his puffed lips were
more than a trifle indistinct.
Il had RompaWay for evening
money to place in the sixth. and l
win" quoth Fleabit thickly by way of
explanation.
You had inn" eagerly demanded
Tad Beasley, thus addressed.
- i'm
out the favoright for second money,
too. And Holy Joe welches on me"
Yeah? And then what?'
III say an then what Then it was
him an me, an finished fifth"
Cit out"'
Whereupon Fleabit. who was only
IA years old despite his renown as a
race rider and his uncanny skill in
the rating of thoroughbreds from BAR
rier to judges stand. sat himself down
on a conveniently placed bale of prime
alfalfa and wept, finding therein
balm for his bodily hurts and for the
sting that spent rage had left in him.
1t was then that +. B. made his own
presence in the stable known.
Even though you be no initiate
among the Brethren of the Turf, you
have heard of Z. B. and the Keep-a-
Hustling Stock Farm, which he
owns. For one thing, Elton Beau
regard Charnley has this unique dis
tinction he is the only native Ken
tuckian who ever achieved renown
in the Kingdom of Bangtails without
acquiring also the title of Cunnel,
Najah or Jedge. He was simply f.
b; and among turfmen that name
means much the same as the name
of Einstein means in the field of
physics
You must picture a tall figure
whose original harsh outlines have
been mellowed a bit by the softening
hand of time. But no fattiness, mind
you, and no stoop. Add pink
countenance, always cleanly shaven,
surrnounted by heavy mop of
white hair, fine blue eyes, firm lips
and a jaw whose square contours are
still definite. Season the whole with
a general air of kindness and omit
every last 'you-all" and the other
trappings of the stage kentuckian.
Then you have E. B.
1t is quite true that the kindliness
was not apparent as the tall man
stood in the stable where he sur
veyed the wreck of his premier
jockey.
"Fleabit," he remarked without
heat-and without warmth, would
you mind going over that story again.
please?"
y x = X
ELEABIT came up for air with a
l. start. and Tad Beasley success
fully performed the evolution which
among the movie folks is known as
a fade-out.
"Sir?" asked Fleabit.
II said would you mind going over
the whole thing again, SOM"
"N-n-pos'r."
well, let's have it"
1T wasn't nothing. sir. 1t was just
men one of the other boys get in
argument"
"Hm-m-m, He must have been
right handy with his fists, this other
boy, to mark you up like he did Big
boy, was he?"
s'N-n-not so very. I look lot
worse'n 1 feel, sir. See?" He stood
up and limbered himself just to show
there was life in him still. See, l
amt hurt-much." Then he WINGED
as a sudden stab of pain caught him
unawares. He couldn't help the
little cry that escaped him. Where
upon E, 3. sat himself down on the
bale of prime alfalfa the boy had
quilted and gathered the little bundle
of miz'ry up in his big arms.
Now they amt a mite OF use you
irwin to fool the old man, son, ne
said gently. Besides which / heard
=. smart of what you was a-tellin Tad.
-~S~.>