The Argosy, December 1905 — page 87: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

+ NO WAY. OUT. ‘ Skinner & Wheeler, where he was em- ployed, his heart was hght and his pocket was heavier by a roll of bills rep- resenting a total value of two hundred dollars. When he entered the office, he was ap- proached separately by the managing clerk, his two fellow-draftsmen, and the office boy. “ Gotd-morning, Mr. Ladd,” said each in turn. “ Got anything good for the handicap ? ” Kor Arthur had on several occasions given out good tips on the races, and this was the day of the great event of the season. “ Yes,” replied Arthur to each. “ Play Alexis as hard as you like. He’s bound to win. I’d advise you to get in good. It?s your opportunity.” Arthur was never the fellow to keep a good thing to himself. That afternoon he hurried to a cer- tain near-by pool-room where he was well known and inquired the odds on Alexis. “Ten to one,” was the reply. “ Good,” thought Arthur, and for a full two minutes went through! a mental struggle as to how he should lay out his two hundred. If he placed the whole sum on Alexis to win he could earn two thousand dol- lars. If he split his bet and laid fifty on Alexis to win and one hundred and fifty on Alexis “to show” (i. e., to come in first, second, or third) he stood a chance of winning one thousand one hundred dollars if Alexis came in first, and five hundred and fifty dollars if the horse came in second. Prudence suggested the latter course. Under ordinary circumstances Arthur would have been disposed to throw dis- cretion to the winds on such a sure tip as this, but these were far from being ordinary circumstances, and he split the bet. ; “Tl probably do myself out of nine hundred.dollars by this piece of coward- ice,” he told himself with a sigh. “ The horse is bound to come in first. How- ever, I suppose, that this being a matter in which Rosa is concerned, it is right to be careful.” The news that the great race had 69 started flashed over® the ive. Arthur stood among the excited throng in the pool-room, nervously chewing on the end of a big cigar. Of course Alexis would win, or at least show—but if he didn’t? Ladd shuddered at the thought. Bah, such fears were groundless. Pete Murray’s tips were always reliable. The telegraph instrument was already ticking out that Alexis was in the lead. It was a cinch! What a fool he had been not to place his bet straight, and thus win two thou- sand dollars instead of a paltry eleven hundred. Rosa should have her ring, and she would never know how he had got the money to pay for it. That must be kept a secret, and he would never play the races again. Surely, though, it would have been criminal not to take advantage of this tip. It would have been throwing away money. : See, the telegraph instrument was al- ready ticking out the finishing of the race, and the man at the key was open- ing his mouth to shout out that Alexis had won. * Tack-tack-tack,’” went. the instru- ment, and the operator read out: “Finish of the handicap, Pioneer, first; Portcullis, second; Rough Dia- mond, third.” Arthur listened to the words with a face white as death. “Pioneer, first; Portcullis, second; Rough Diamond, third!” he gasped. “Where’s Alexis? ” “T don’t know yet,” said the man coldly. “ He isn’t mentioned.” Dazed and trembling, Arthur stag- gered from the pool-room. Good heavens! Could it be possible? He had been “stung” by one of Pete Murray’s tips! But there must be some mistake. He wouldn’t believe it until he saw it confirmed in the sporting edition of the evening papers. Ordinarily he was wont to bear his losses stoically; but, as has been said, this was not an ordinary occasion. very cent of that two hundred dollars he had ambled away. To-morrow he had to buy that ring. How was he going to do it? He hadn’t COmiclbooks (C@