Nantwich, Sandbach & Crewe Star — 1888-09-08 ()

WILLIAM PALMER.  BY W. 0. N. COLLINSON.  CHAPTER XVI—CoNTINuED  When the day of the Chester Races arrived Pahne: was found once more upon the Itoodee, this time nol as a backer of other mons' horses, for his own horse, Goldfinder, was entered for the Cup. We have described the scene on the Roodee in pre'ions chapters. Goldfinder was not expected to win by those that are called the "knowing ones," bul among a few it came to be whispered before the twenty-eight horses competing in the race were brought to the scratch, that Palmer's horse would come in winner.  One of those who professed to be in the secret said :  "Do you know who is going to win the cup ? " "I don't," was the reply; "but Talfourd and Trifle will stand a good chance, I think. They are the favourites."  " Well, never mind that," was the reply of the son bf the judge of the course; "you put your money on Goldfinder, and then you will be right." In these days the judge of the course lived at Nanterich, and the speaker was his son Tom, well known Ihirty years ago by the sporting men of Cheshire. The race was a close one, and as tkis horses neared .be winning-post, Talfourd, Trifle, and Goldfinder were elmost shoulder to shoulder and neck to neck, bul aoldfinder won the race—though only half a neck iv Avance of Talfourd.  It was the greatest hour of triumph that Williaii Palmer had yet had in his racing career. Goldfindei had won! His own horse was victorious in ths Chester Cup! The eager shouts of the crowd of, "Goldfinder mins 1 Goldfinder wins ! " were music to his ears. Hie gd friend, Jerry Smith, stood by his side s.nd shared tie triumph. For a few minutes the Rugeley doctor was (hued end speechless, and was only aroused when Jeri" ffhispered in his ear: "William, you are king of the turf to.day I" Palmer said nothing, but roused from his stupor of iriumpb, descended the steps of the grand stand, fol. towed by Jerry. snd rushing towards the winning gorse, he seized Goldfinder by the bridle. Amid the loud buzzes of the people, and waving his own hat in response to their shouts, he proudly led Goldfinder down the course. Who would not, that had given himself up to a bet. Sing life, be elated at such a moment? Goldfinder stepped proudly along, as though conscious of his own achievement, and pride and pleasure showed themselves in every act and look of its master. Thousands saw William Palmer that day, who afterwards heard of him as the centre of a different crowd ; and some even, who joined with him in these cries of victory, raised their voices when they saw him once more, in execration and curses. _ _ _  The vision of this other crowd, and of these fiercer eliouts, was denied to the victor. He felt now only She joy of having won, and the cup of his triumph waa sot in the least embittdtd. to his drinking becaus 1101318 alleged that Talfourd, who might have won, 1404, been held back by the jockey who rode it, in order thits Goldfinder might come in first. His success at Chester placed Palmer in the front of owners of racehorses ; and to show that he had now become a man of substance, when he returned home with his winnings in his pocket, he looked about for some means to prove that the Rugeley doctor who had turned betting man, had prospered in his new career. It happened just then, that at Stafford—in which town he had almost spent as much of his manhood life as at lingeley—a charming residence, called "The Hawthornes, ' was for sale. It is situated just over the railway bridge; and close to it resided Mr. Painter, a friend of Palmer. It jwas a very pretty plaoe, and had been made beautiful by its former owner, a clergyman of the name of Anglesark. Palmer had often admired it when visiting his Siena, and now that it was for sale, and he was 4' flush " with the money that he won at Chester, he determined to possess it. He ?Aar 21b,titt RiAta befQe Jib t at various times, had been in bad odour at Stafford, and he thought that this was a good opportunity to prove to his detractors that the man they had ridiculed and contemned had prospered, in spite of them. Iflo he waited for the public auction. An the day of the sale he told his agent to bid as long as he kept his hand in his waistcoat pocket, and when he took hie hand out he was the last bidder, and £2,520 was the price at which it was knocked down to him. He paid dearly for his ostentation, but, still, the words of the bystander's fell gratefully upon his ear— Palmer, of Rugeley, is the buyer I" At first Palmer thought he would go to live at. the Hawthornes, because it would be more convenient to him, as Stafford was a better railway centre than Rugeley. But that night, when he went home, and proposed this to his wife, at the same time picturing the beauty of the place, Annie Palmer resolutely objected. She did not care to live in the town where her father had committed suicide, and Willie, she said, would be away from his friends. Her husband the more readily yielded to these objections because, on reflection, he decided that he should lose as much by living so far away from the training stables at Hednesford as he would gain by residing so near the railway station at Stafford; and so the Hawthornes, with its beautiful grounds, was never occupied by its new owner. Indeed, as if to prove that the purchase had only been made to display his ivealth to the people of Rugeley and Stafford; he mortgaged the Hawthorne§ the very day after the sale for £1,600, to Meyers. Cooper, solicitors, Of Newcasile-Andevlanct