HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1942-11-19, Page 7=*:
• Serial Story ’
V
CHAPTER XXXIV
THE EXETER TIME^^VOCATE, W»Y MORNING, NOVEMBER WS, 1942
in her heart’—- By ■
ROB EDEN
b
“I
The
first
tion
, 41
said I’d have to see a gpy first,
guy was Count, and he has
call on account o’ takin' an op-
on Johnny’s contract. .See?”
Johnny's the only boy who can
ride Kokoa and now it’s too late to
scratch him
“Sorry,
about it.
got him,
boy,”
“He’s
Kokoa to ride in a race, yet.’
“Looks like you’re stuck,
Laurie. Wish I cpuld help you out,
but I gotto do what Count says or
I’ll get myself thrown off the track/’
Anne rushed back to the barn to
tell Doc the bad news,
“Only thing we can do is. to take
a chance on Sammy,” he said, sadly.
“If only he’d had a few more days
to work with the horse—”
They called Sammy over.
“Sure, I’ll ride him. Miss,
said confidently, “I
him,”
It’s a lousy trick.”
but I can’t do nothin’
How about
ain’t you?
not familiar
Sammy?
He's a
enough
You
good
with
Miss
he
can handle
The Blinker
" “It's, not a question of” sticking
on his back, What you've got to
do is pull that blinker at the right
moment. Do you think you -can
remember to dp that?”
“Of course. I gives the string
a yank just as we turn into the
stretch.”
“That’s all there is to it, but it’s
important that you do it at the right
split second,” Anne insisted.
“Gee,” the boy remarked to Ce;
phus when Anne and Doc had left,
'‘that dame must think I’m, dumb.
An easy thing like that!”
“Doin’ you all git too cocky ’bout
it, son,” the old Negro cautioned.
“It means a lot to -her. Jus’ yo’ all
’membah what she done tole yo',
dat’s all.” \
Sammy promised that .he would,
and he renewed the promise again
in the paddock to Anne and Doc
when they gave hipi His last minute
instructions.
$50 Extra
“I don’t care if he wins or not,
Anne told the boy: “In fact, I'm
pretty sure he can’t as he hasn’t
had a race in a long time- Timing
the blinker gadget is more impor
tant, and if you do that right,
there’ll be fifty dollars extra for
you after the race.”
“Okay, Miss,” the boy grinned.
Anne saw Rusty in the paddock
with Brenda close beside him. When
she glanced in their directions, they
Were in earnest conversation,, add
then she saw the girl hurry toward
the stands.
Rusty saw her and grinned. As
the horses left the paddock for the
track, he walked with her toward
the club house.
“■See you’re sending Kokoa to the
Wars,” he remarked. “Think he can
.make it?”
“I’m more interested, in seeing if
he bears out than where’ire finishes.”
the girl confessed. "We've been
working with.him,- you know, but
I’ve got
day and
pen.”
the girl confessed.
a strange boy on him to-
I don’t know wliat’ll hap-
Good Luck
good luck. I’m • going
the ’chute,” Rusty said.'
“Well,
down by
Anne waited for Doc to catch up,
and the two of them found a place
high in the club house, where, with
glasses, they could sea how Kokoa
behaved when he turned into the
Kokoa had Number 3 position
and was away like a flash when the
automatic gate released the impa
tient 3-year-olds at the start of the
race.
As they rounded the club house
turn, he was in front, although Sam
my had made no particular effort to
get him there. As always, • Kokoa
was setting his own pace and he
loved to be out in front.
On the back stretch he increased
his lead by half a length, and the
dozen other horses in the race were
strung out behind him. Moon Jade
was coasting along easily in fourth
position. Sky Writer was seventh.
Kokoa in
At the far turn,
and one-half length
nearest horse, and
Tunning without appreciable effort.
Anne nodded approvingly as she
noted that Sammy was merely sit
ting on his back, content to let him
run as he pleased
(Front
Kokoa was two
in front of the
apparently still
A sudden shout went up from the
crowd, and the girl, sweeping hei’
glasses off Kokoa for a moment, saw
that Merna Jade was making his bid
and moving up rapidly.
He quickly went into second place
and just before they hit the last turn
into the straightaway, he had edged
his npse’up to Kokoa’s flank on. the
inside.
Through the binoculars Anne saw
Sammy cast a sudden frightened
glance over his left shoulder and
the next second, as the leaders swept
into the stretch, she groaned.
Kokoa had run wide and led by
Moon Jade half a dozen horses
poured through the opening and
came pelting down the straightaway.
Moon Jade, running easily, . was
out in frpnt by half a length, then a
length. Johnny’s bat was never
raised.
There was another roar from the
crowd as a horse coming up on the
outside passed the bunched group
of thoroughbreds and looked like
he might give Moon Jade an argu
ment.
Moon Jade. Wins
He had made his move too late,
however, and they went across the
finish line with Moon Jade holding
a length’s advantage,
horse was Van Evers’
which had made the
drive at the finish.
Kokoa came like the
the .middle of the track
had finally straightened him out.
He was going faster than any of
the others. His costly swerving,
however, had lost too much ground
and lie (barely stuck his nose out to
finish sixth.
Burgpss was swearing like a .pir
ate as he fought his way down
through the screaming crowd, with
Anne fighting to keep up with him.
*' “It’s no use, I tell, you,” he was
shouting above the din of the
crowd. Anne, her lips closed tight.-
ly in a firm line, looked more ang
ry than discouraged but she didn’t
open* her mouth until Sammy can
tered. back to the judge’s stand to
dismount, unsaddle Kokoa and step
on the scales to be checked out,
The Jockey
While Doc took the horse in
hand and tossed a blanket Cephus
had carried over the steaming ani-
;mal, the girl grabbed the little jock
ey.
She started to demand why he
had failed to close the blinker un
til he was well into the straight
away, when she saw he was in tears
and abruptly stopped.
“I’m terribly sorry, Miss Laurie,”
he gulped. “I got excited when I
' seen Moon'Jade cornin’ up on the in
side, an’ forgot for a second. I’ll
never do it again if you’ll just gim
me another chance.”
Anne didn't have the heart to be
rate him as she felt like doing. She
could understand how he momen
tarily lost hi§ head and forgot. It
was a big responsibility she’d load
ed onto this 17-year-old youngster.
“Suppose I do give you another
chance?” she suggested.
“I’ll ride that horse righ-t, or kill
myself tryin’!”
“All right, then.
She walked after Doc and Ce
phus who were taking Kokoa to
the barn. Half way there, she
caught up with Rusty Who was lead
ing Sky Writer away.
"Nice work,” she congratulated
him, “Your horse ran a swell race.”
“He did all right, didn’t he?”
Rusty grinned. “He’ll be right at
his peak after this race and watch
him run over Moon Jade next Sat
urday. Sorry about Kokoa—guess
you haven’t got him cured yet.”
Her' Problem
Anne shrugged it off and’ made
no mention of the fact that ’Sam
my Harris had forgotten what he
was supposed to do. That was her
problem, not Rusty’s
else’s.
“Guess it won’t hurt
■ings if we give Dick
licking
Rusty laughed,
th At Count and
ing to hock the
■thing they own,
of Moon Jade Winning next week. If
they lose, that’ll be the end of
them and good riddance, Ydu
starting Kokoa?”
“Unless he breaks a leg. I’ve got
to for Tim’s sake, whether he has
a chance or not.”
They plodded along in silence
tor several minutes, but just before
they reached the stable area, Rusty
turned toward her.
“Anne,” he said, “there’s some
thing-—something I've got to tell
you, I—-I’ve been wanting to tell
you for some time, but-
A 'sudden
cut him off
sentence.
■way and up a flight of stairs to the
next floor.
Nerve patients were not permit
ted to have radios, in fact, there
were none on the second floor, hut
a few convalescents t on the third
floor had them, he knew.
He’d heard a low familiar rumble
coming through the ceiling of his
room, so he was certain that the
patient directly over him had one.
Without bothering to knock, he
turned the knob of .308 and walked
in. He knew this must be the right
room, as he had 208. As
ed the door he was more
4 Radio
A man, easily0 as old as Tim-, was
lying with one leg rigged up in an
elaborate harness above the bed.
The man, whose white heard
spread out like a fan over the
covers, was listening so intently to
the radio beside his bed that he
didn’t notice until his visitor sudden
ly grabbed the dial and started twir
ling it.
“Hey! What’r.e you doing?”
demanded,
“Excuse me, stranger,
get the. Mayfair Stake
you mind?”
“Mind?‘Of course I do
me off right in the middle of Con
nie and Jack. I haven’t missed a
chapter since it started.”
“Well, you’re missing'Sthis one,”
Tim retorted, frantically turning
the .station knob.
“I’U
thrown
ed.
“No _
skipped to the bedside and grabbed
the cord with the electric push but
ton which would call a nurse.
“You can listen to # this Connie
rot any old time—there’s only one
Mayfair Stake, and I got a couple of
horses running in it.”
They’re Off!
had finally been re
voice roared
he open
certain.
a
‘Yoohool Oh, Rusty!”
in the middle of the
The second
Sky Writer,
sensational
wind down
for Sammy
We'll see.”
or anyone
your feel-
Count the
of his life in the Stake,”
“My boss toll§ me
his gang are try-
stables and every-
they’re so sure
Brenda
Brenda ran toward them waving
sheaf of money in one hand.
“Boy, can you pick the spots!”
she crowed. “I bet Sky Writer for
the place—just where you said
he’d run, and collected a wad. Eight
dollars ‘he paid for second, can you
beat that? And we had a thousand
on him!”
Brenda hooked, his free arm with
her own and turned toward the
Van Evers stables.
“So long, Anne,” Rusty called.'
“I’ll be seein’ you.”
Anne turned toward her own
barn, but not soon enough to over
hear Brenda
“Boy, will
night!”
Anne was
she thought it over later, that Bren
da had happened along when she
did.
“He was going to tell me about
her,” she told herself.
CHAPTER XXXV
I got
race.
You
he
to
Do
cut
•say:
we cut some rugs to-
just as happy, when
Old Tim was up early the :morn-
ing of the Mayfail’ Stake. It was
useless for him to try to get a news
paper. Only half a dozen were al
lowed at the sanitarium, and with a
wide variety of nervous cases? Dr.
Lee had set a rule that kept the
papers under lock and key.
There were too many idlings in
the papers these days to upset his
patients, and only those who were
there for other ailments were per
mitted to read them.
Then, it was only while* a nurse
or an attendant was present. When
finished the papers Were returned
to the office and locked up again. -
Tim’ would have given $50 for a
racing form to scan the detailed re
pords of the entrants in the big race
■and' to read the experts’ views on
the probable winner,' but he might
as well have wished
tiara.
He’d had a letter
Friday in which she recounted the
latest news. Previously, she’d writ
ten that Moon Jade had won the
trial, and he had whooped with joy
until Dr. Lee came running and
quieted him down.
Anne hadn’t exactly lied to her
father, but she
tion that they
Moon Jade.
Countess
Another piece
for a diamond
from Anne on
neglected to men-
no longer owned
Q.
of
forwarded a letter from Na-
Oity, too, saying Mister
had recovered from his in-
as a result of mis salt water
and they would have him
Doc
ring for help
out,” the old
and have you
man threaten-
you won’t.”Tim nimbly
whip. Sky Writer is third, half a
length iu front of Chico Kid. Rod
ney George is fourth and moving
up.”
“in the stretch. Kokoa is mak
ing his drive now. He’s flying. He’s
drawing away from Moon Jade, and
here comes Sky Writer,
They’re coming down to the line
of finish, and the winner is—»” the
radio suddenly went silent. Tim
felt as though the" throbbing veins
in his temple were going to burst.
“The winner is Kokoa easily/’
came the voice at last. “Sky Writ
er is second and it’s a photograph
for the show. It looks to he be
tween Moon Jade and Rodney George
and Chico Kid, ’which made
minute bid/’
“Whoopee!”
a wild yell that must
half the nerve patients
pital a relapse.
At Mayfair, there was
could be heard several miles,
though to -echo Tim Laurie’s trium
phant shout.
Anne, in a grandstand box with
Doc Burgess, found herself jumping
up and down and screaming while
she pounded the vet with both fists.
He shouted to, Anne.
“Come on, they’ll whnt you down
below.” Holding her by the arm
he elbowed through the crowd, With
the aid of two policemen they fin
ally got to the judges’ stand.
Winner’s Circle
Alternately laughing and cry
ing, Anne was thrust forward as
Sammy Harris, grinning from ear
to ear, rode Kokoa into the winner’s
circle before the grandstand.
CHAPTER XXXVI
-a last
loose
given
Old Tim cut
have
in the hos-
a roar that
as
His of forts
warded. A
“They’re off!”
“Turn that
er ordered. “
•from me.
softly.”
glued his ear to the loudspeaker.
“Kokoa is going to the front,”
the announcer’s voice droned. “Bright
Fan is second. Chico Kid is third.
Jade is fourth.” «
Tim chuckled... “Hot darn!” he
said, it’s my strategy, just as I
planned it. They’re letting Kokoa
set the 'pnee to kill off the speed
sters while Moon Jade lays back
and takes it easy.”
“I’ll never know how Connie got
out of that mess,,” came a moan from
the bed.
“Shut up and listen!” Tim
manded.
out,
own-
away
thing off,” the
‘They’ll take' it
.. I ^promised to play it
Tim toned it down .and
Claimed
news was that
Countess Q. had been claimed on
Thursday after having run second
in a hard race.
. Doc
tional
Pound
juries
baths
.back in training again .soon,
thought he'd be in shape for the
late meeting at Del> Mar. .
There was only one thing in his
daughter’s letter that worried Tim/
although he had • snorted at the
suggestion when he first read it.
“I don't want you <to be too cer
tain of winning the Mayfair,” she
had written. “There are several
horses entered that have been train
ed away from the track—they’re un
known quantities.
Regardless of how it comes out,
I want you to know I’ve triedx the
very best I know how. I’ve probab
ly made mistakes, but. I’m a tyro at
running a stable and it’s been trial
and error for me.”
There was some more, just gos
sipy bits of news about old friends,
which he paid little attention to.
By lunch time he had worked him
self into such a state that Dr. Lee
watched
Tim was
an hour
com-
voice
front
Chico Kid is sec
ts' now third
Kokoa in Front
“At the half/' came the.
from the radio, “Kokoa is in
by two lengths,
ond. Moon Jade
and—”
‘Tim’s curses drowned out the
rest, of the call/
“That boy’s, rushing Moon Jade
too .fast.” He stopped swearing to
listen.
“At the far turn—Kokoa in front
•by a length and a half. Moon. Jade
is second. Chico Kid is third. Rod
ney George is fourth and Sky Writ
er is moving into contention on the
outside,”
“They’ll kill Moon Jade!” Tim
raged. “He's too close to the pace.”
Kokoa Is Straight
“Turning into the - stretch,” the
radio went on. .“Kokoa is running
wide as usual—no, the boy has him
straight but he’s losing .ground.”
“Moon Jade is in second place,
half a length back and going to the
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“I didn't forget today, Miss Lau
rie!” Sammy shouted.
The horse shied and almost un
seated the boy as a famous movie
actress placed a floral wreath about
Kokoa's neck.
Photographers flashed their speed
boxes like ;mad. A radio announcer
thrust a portable microphone at her
and shouted*a request “for a few
Words.”
“I only wish my father, Tim Lau
rie, were listening,” she said, “-so
I could tell him I’m flying to Phoe
nix tonight to see him.”
The president of the Mayfair
Turf Club presented Anne with a
big gold cup and congratulated her
while the photographers’ flashlights
twinkled again.
Rusty pushed his way through the.
crowd and grabbed Anne’S hands in
his and executed an impromptu
dance.
F. J. DELBRIDGE, Representative EXETER
Count is Beaten
“Attagirl, Anne!” he cried,
beat
And
gang with Moon Jade,
clear
Reporters crowded around, among
them Pat Barnes, demanding inter
views—stories of how she trained
Kokoa.
“How about a date tonight?” Pat
asked.
“Sorry, Pat,” Anne
“I’m flying to see Tim.
time.” She moved away.
‘There won’t be* any other time,”
Rusty grated in Pat's ear, “because
I’m flying to Phoenix with her.
Scram!”
Anne was hustled away for a for
mal-presentation of a check for
$54,000 in the turf club. The extra
amount was the added money paid
by owners whose horses had start
ed.
Doc. Burgess was dragged for
ward to receiveta $5,000 check as
the winning trainer.
With the celebration at is height,
Anne quietly slipped through the
crowd hugging the gold cup in her
‘You
me, but I’m glad» you did it!
we both beat Count and his
He was
out of the money!”
answered.
Some other
arms and made for the stables.
She sank down on a bale of hay
and smilingly watched the grin-?
admiring
the rub-
ten min-
over for
the.
and
fly-
ning Cephus and several
volunteers giving Kokoa
down of his life.
Busty
Rusty found her there
utes later.
“I’ve been looking all
you. Mind if I sit down?”
“Help yourself.” Anne made room
beside her.
“I’ve gotta talk fast, because
plane’s leaving in an hour
there’s a lot to be done.”
“What plane?”
“Yours. You said you were
ing to Phoenix, didn’t you?”
“The regular ship doesn’t leave
until eight. I’ll' have to phone for
a reservation.”“Your iplane leaves in an hour—
I just made the arrangements. There
are two seats beside the pilot’s, and
I’m going with you.”
“Thanks, Rusty, that isn’t neces
sary. I want to tell Tim. exactly
what has happened since I came
here. I can be truthful now.”
“So you don’t want me along,
then?”
“What will Brenda say?”
“I started to tell you the
day that—”
You and Brenda
other
“Never mind,” Anne interrupted.
I know all about it. I overheard
Pat telling Doc that you and Bren
da were engaged and—”
“Wait a minute! I don’t know
where they all got their dope, but
they’re all wrong!”
“Then what were you trying to
you
him closely, When he saw
too jumpy to eat, he led him
You’ve
chided.
Not Careful
let yourself go to {pieces/’
“If you’re not carefulhe
you’ll collapse.”
“You can't kill an Old goat like
me With nerves,” Tim snorted. “I’m
worked up about the race, of course.
Who whuldnt be?”
“I’m going to give you a mild
bromide and I want you to- nap for
“An hour you
craftily. “Okay,
imide. I'
me some hood.”
But instead of
gave him a double dose, defending
himself with the thought it would
■be better if Tim slept right through
the race. Otherwise they might
have an argument over the radio in
the reception
to listen.
When Tim
at the clock,
out of bed, pausing only long enough
to throw a dressing gowh over his
pyjamas and darted down the hall
say?
give
’ Tim asked,
me the bro-
Maybe a, little nap wjll do
n hnArl/’ '
a Single, Dr. Lee
room. Tim
awakened
he cursed.
would want
ahd looked
Ke leaped
Aboard the British Aircraft-Carrier “Illustrious”
The British 23,000 ton aircraft carrier Illustrious, damaged
in ail encounter with Axis forces, was repaired and refitted
in U. S. and British shipyards. Baek in service since early
1042, she now carries hard-hitting American Grumman
“Martlet” fighter aircraft....... Picture shows searchlight crew
switching on for a brief test at dusk,
say when Brenda dragged
away?”
“In my own* Stupid way I
trying to tell you that I’ve
daffy about you ever since the
.day you came here. CI —
ryou’re pretty thick with Pat, and
I thought
“Rusty,
shrieked,
again?”,
“I was never mpre serious in my
life. It’s a terrible way to propose,
but that’s what I’m trying to get
over. I never asked a girl to marry
me before and I’m pretty much of
an amateur, but if you’ll hate
me—”
Her answer was instantaneous and
vigorous. She threw herself into
his arms with such force that they
both tumbled from the hay onto the
ground.
They sat there, locked in a tigkt
embrace tor several minutes, while
Cephus and his pals grinned broad
ly, their faces threatening to split
in halt
SpeakiiV His Mind
“Dawg gone,./’ Cephus chuckled.
“Ah thought Mistah Rusty nevah
was goin' to get ’round to speakin’
his mind.”
After a while Anne recovered n
trace of sanity, pushed Rusty away
and stood up.
“How about this Brenda busi
ness?” she demanded, severely, “foil
said yon fell for me the very first
was
been
first
Of course,
maybe^-”
do.you mean it?” Anne
“You’re not kidding
day you saw me.”
“Well, I sorta got detoured, but
I never was really serious with her.”
“You gave a pretty good imita
tion, and—”
Rusty stopped her lips in a most
effective way and then, holding her
at arm’s length, asked her a per
fectly superfluous question. He had.
only to look at her to read the ans
wer:
“Happy, darling?”
“Marvelously happy!”
“Isn’t there one thing you want?”
he demanded.
Anne hesitated.,
“Well, I’.m still burned by the
way those crooks took Moon Jade
away from me,” she- said finally.
Rusty reached in his pocket,
brought out several legal appear
ing papers and handed them to her.
Wedding present
“Here’s youi’ wedding present—
Moon Jade and all the other nags
those high binders owned.”
“What—how—when—” she stut
tered.
“When I heard Count was trying
to hock his stable to bet on Moon
Jade, I dug $1*0,000 out of my sock
—all I had—and offered to bet ’it
against his stable that he wouldn’t
beat Sky Writer. He thought I
was a sucker and snapped at it.”
“How did you know Moon Jade
wouldn’t win? You took an awful
chance.”
“I knew Count hadn’t trained him.
right—I was counting on that. Now
we can put our horses together
have a pretty respectable outfit,
left Van Evers, you know.”
Anne expressed' her approval
thanks by standing on tip toe
kissing him.
“There’s just one favor I want to
ask, Rusty—about the stable. Won’t
you please count me out and just
let me keep house?"
“Of course. I counted on that,
too. I’ve always said a woman has
no business around a race track.”
THE END
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