Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-12

/ through the motley throng of players
surrounding Jerry the Beefer the
| pudgy king of the backstretchers. and
asked the price on the chestnut horse
whose failure to win had wrecked him
at Saratoga Blown Smoke was twelve
| 10 one TO win, Jimmy wrote out a slip
| and passed 1t 10 jerry the Beefer with
his oddly accumulated dollar There
eftcr, he drifted through the hedge and
/ across the track to the infield to watch
j the race
! In the infield he encountered Ben
| the negro with whom he had exchanged
/ whispers on the lawn at Saratoga. Just
prior to Blown Smokes gallant losing
effort there.
Who YOU got, Mist jimmy" the
negro dueried
Blown Smoke" said Smiling Jimmy
stubbornly
He got chance" Ben declared
nodding sagely. Any boss wild his
speed an heat. ne got chance in any
oil race"
Hes horse!" said Jimmy LOYALTY
He's going TO pop down there one of
| these days an / want TO be on i'm
when he does Carried my bank roI!
the last time out and he's carrying II
now. Hes a horse!
In the distant crowded stand the
band was PLAYING "Suwanee River "
Massed over there, In dark silhouette
against the horizon. were more than
30 900 people On the clubhouse lawn
were scores OF men rated as worth
above a million Over there, with his
young wife and a party of friends. sat
c, x. Hickman, heavy-shouldered
strong-faced. g:ayhaired man, the
owner OF Blown Smoke. He stood to
win rich purse IL his horse finished
first, and far more than the amount
Of the purse In wacerS.
A quarter Of n mile distant from
Hickman and hts party, away over
there in the infleld, stood Smiling
Jimmy. leaning on the rail. beside Ben
Smiling Jimmy. who had come in
through hole In the fence with a
dollar bet with an outlaw booky on
Blown Smoke to win. Between c. K
Hickman on the lawn and Smiling
Jimmy was far out there in the infield
there was a quarter of mile of terri
tory. vast gulf of social and financial
position, and no difference In attitude
toward the race about to run
They were horSemen both Men who
loved the creatures, on which they bet.
and got bigger bang out of vindicated
Judgment than in collecting money
The horses pranced and sided about
at the barrier. The wire snapped 40
and the flag dropped, The cultural
roar from the far stands was family
echoed by the few in the infield. AS
the field Numbered by the four furlong
pole where Smiling Jimmy and Ben
leaned on the rail. Blown Smoke was
running third, scant length back OF
the leader
He amt in bad spot. Mist Jimmy"
Ben said mildly.
Jimmy nodded Hes got a chance"
he agreed "A horse like that's always
got chance. II he's up around there
this near the finish"
They could not see the finish from
their position. They heard the roar
from the stands as the horses went
under the wire. And then, after a
moment from the finish line the name
from mouth to mouth bv the rail-hirds
The name thus passed along In varying
tons Of iubilation, indifference and
DESPAIR was Blown Smoke
! Jimmy nodded again. His smile grew
/ wider. He winked at Ben
Hes a horse" he declared I'm tone
/ Of deep satisfaction II knew that.
| Glad bet on him when he copied"
! You have good bet down on i'm.
Mist Jimmy?" Ben asked.
One huck" Jimmy confessed chuck
! ling. One lonesome buck Last time
! he ran l had 600 Smacks right on the
| tip Of his nose, and he lost by q
whisker This time got one lone buck
| on him and he cops"
Ats tough luck Mist Jimmy" Ben
| said Svmpa theticaily
philosophica,ly Twelve to one is a
grand, sweet price. / got thirteen
dollars and an appetite That's better
than no dough and indigestion Well,
| think III go cash"
X "
! A QUARTER Of mile distant, on
the clubhouse lawn. C.. X. Heck
man detached himself for moment
from the jubilant group that surrounded
him, plying congratulations. and spoke
to Mason Gregory his secretary
Take the roadster and get into town
as quickly AS possible" he instructed
! him Go get that bracelet, and give 1t
to me at the Rita before dinner"
| Right said the secretary, and hur-
| ricd away
"A little thing for my wife" Heck
! man explained TO "A friend Been haV-
ing 1t made up to give her at The
dinner tonight"
The little thing" gift To mark
| Blown Smokes victory was a bracelet of
diamonds and emeraltis. with one great
ruby for which MT Hickman was pay
| ing small matter of SOS 900
AS Hickman explained this to his
] friend, Smiling Jimmy was crossing
the track at the head of the back.
stretch on his way To the woods beyond
to collect his winnings ON Blown Smoke
from the outlaw hooky With whom he
had bet, He was struck suddenly with
the feeling that something was wrong
lie quicSened his steps. ducked under
| the outer rail. and twisted through the
| hedge into the woods Silencel M
bAbble OF voices No losers means nor
| winners cries OF glee,
Jimmy pushed through the hrus h
and came into the little clearing In
the woods beside the tree. where Jer,p
the Beefer had been operating his
book, Beside that tree stood two de-
teCtives.
You got badge" one of these
| asked
Jimmy shrugged and shook his he /.
! On your way" said the dick. Out
side! Beat III"