[PDF]The Money Rider

SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON. D. C


OCTOBER 19. 1924.-PART 5.


BY GERALD BEAUMONT


Billy Ten Tupper Discovered That His Happiness, His Future, His Fortune, Were in the Keeping of a Boy

on a Bay Mare.


the night before the race when they
“put the works” on a starving: boy.


gnawing at the meat, tearing at it
with the savage fury of a starving
dog. Kitty flung herself on the boy,
using all her strength to pry the
meat from his hands.

“Marty!” she pleaded. “Marty,
listen! There’s three Pinkertons out¬
side—track dicks! They’ve probably
been shadowing you all evening. They
always watch you kids before a big
race. Gimme that grub, honey! You
lassen’t be beaten now, even on the
square! Don’t you see that you’ve
gotta win?”

The boy stared at her stupidly. “I
can’t win,” he mumbled. “I’m licked!"

“You ain’t licked!" she flared. “Look
at me, honey! You simply gotta salute
them judges tomorrow from the win¬
ner’s circle. If you don’t land that
marc in front. Silk will figure his
dough turned the trick! Hell boast
of it. If you lose, how can you prove
you was doin’ your best? Nobody'll
believe you! Aw, honey, it kills me to
take the food right out of your mouth,
when I know how you need it, but
it’s for your own sake. I want the
whole world to remember you as a
good square kid and a winner. Trust
your girl, Marty. Here, take this
whisky and egg. I’ll go make up a
bed in the front room.”

“Gimme*! a kiss first.” he pleaded.

“You can have thirty thousand,”
she told him, “one for every dirty
dollar that Conlin put up. Here's a
couple on account. Now, you go to
sleep. I got a tough hour ahead o'
me.”

“What you gonna do?”

The little waitress smiled bravely.
"Me? I’ll tell the cockeyed world I'm
gonna pray.”

It was post time in the Belmont.
Here was color, confusion, gayety. A
bugle sounded, and eighty thousand
people rose en masse to cheer that
bravest of all spectacles—a string of
thoroughbreds parading toward the
post, with fame and fortune hanging
in the balance.

Lady in Lavender was no longer a
favorite in the betting. A mysteri¬
ous plunge had developed at the last
moment on Torpedo, the wond*r colt
of the Whitehall stables. Torpedo
looked every' inch a champion, tip¬
toeing into the sunshine under the
guidance of Johnny Doyle, winner of
the Derby.

The field straightened out. Then,
from th * 1 man at the barrier: ’You're
off! Hide ’em. you little devils!"


doing a hundred and the whole field passed over him!

. , . . I Crushed and senseless, he was hur-
iough. an nr y j rie j to t j, e neart , 8t hospital, and there
oney’s planted in : he remained for six months.

; Devlin saw the fall, and his only
oting the beetles j comment was, “Well, there goes a
pile o’ dough!”

Hospital fees were rhargtd to Billy
Ten Tupp. r und«-r the general head¬
ing of “stable expense.” but the young
millionairs. in Paris at the time,
knew nothing of the accident. The
New York tracks closed and Devlin
undertook an Autumn campaign in
Kentucky. Other youngsters rode for
but they had not the class of
r Kreuger.


RESPONDING to a summons he
*** thought was from Devlin, Marty
found himself in the back room of
a downtown cafe. But the man who
rose from the table proved to be Silk
Conlin, whose occupation was to out¬
wit 4he Pinkertons.

“Sit down." said Silk. “Jake will
be here after a while. We’re havin’
a little dinner. What can I order for
you T*

Marty shook his head- “Hidin'
light tomorrow,” he explained.
"Thanks just the same.”

The other smiled. “Well, excuse
me If I go right ahead. Hippo phoned
he'd be late, and I’m kind* hungry.”

It waswa wonderful dinner. Silk
Conlin bail seen to that. He knew
that the boy had not eaten in 24
hours, had not permitted himself a
square meal in months. Wherefore
he passed the steaming dishes under
Marty’s nos*-, commented on their ex¬
cellence and smacked his lips over
each mouthful. The torture told.

Suddenly the boy half rose, clutch¬
ing at the tablecloth. “What’s the
idea?" he croaked. ' Where’s Devlin?”

Conlin got up, locked the door and
returned to the table. Don’t get ex¬
cited, - ’ lie cautioned. “Jake ain’t
cornin’, lie’s in a poker game up¬
town. This is just between you and
me. Now, listen, rny boy; I’ve got a
hunch that you'ro too weak for a
winning effort on I*ady in Lavender.”

“The devil I am!”

“Well,” said Silk, “I may be wrong,
of course—in which case you’ll win a
thousand bucks and some glory that
don’t mean nothin’. But if Devlin
has compelled you to ride so low
that you haven't got the strength to
win, whose fault is it? My hoy. your
alibi is perfect! And now look here.”

Conlin reached under the table, pro¬
duced a bundle done up in an old
newspaper, opened it and counted out
3“ packages of bills. In each was a
thousand dollars.

“Nice little stake for a fellow that
wants to get married.” commented
Silk, “for a jock’ that’s about through
ridin’.”

The boy dropped hack in his chair,
eyes closed and his head moving back
and forth in a ^pleading negative.

“Lay off!” he muttered. “Lay off
me! I never pulled a horse in my
life, and I ain't gonna begin now.”

“Who's askin’ you to pull a horse?"
Conlin demanded. “You got me
wrong I’m merely bettin’ that you
ain't strong enough to put it over in
a nose-and-nose finish. Tf I should
happen to be right, you can quit the
turf, eat all you want and have 30.000
bucks with which to set yourself up
in a nice business. Here’s a chance
to ride for your own dough. What
could be fairer?”

He rewrapped th© money, tucked
the bundle under one arm and un¬
locked the door.

“Better sit there a few minutes and
think it over, kid. No use us being
se^n coming out of here together. If
you’re beaten tomorrow, I’ll find a
way to get in touch with you, anti
this dough is yours.”

He nodded genially and left the
room. Into th * 1 boy’s mind came the
memory of what Danny Hogan had
said to him years before.

“Some day you may find out what
beat me. but for your own sake I
hope you don't!”

Poor little Hogan! He was ruled off
now. and his wife had left him.

Marty Kreuger felt himself slip¬
ping. By a supreme effort he lurched
out of the room and made his way
into the clear night air of the street.
He had but on*? idea—Kitty would
i.iderstand. She would pull him
t.. rough!


,• » 1 I Y BOSS is always trying.

• ^ l\ /ft and so am I.”

I \l 1 Little Marty Kreuger
X ▼ \ was defending the man
who owned him. No
wonder th * 1 more experienced jockeys
laughed! The idea of any one talk¬
ing that way about Jake Devlin,
who fur obvious reasons was called
’ Hippo.”

Jake called himself a “father of
jockeys.' but he was more nearly a
- lave dealer. His business was to buy
:* youngsters for little or nothing,
develop them into race riders, and
ihtn sell their contracts at a hand-
; ome profit.

But to little Marty Kreuger his
boss was a great man. Jake had paid
a w idowed mother three hundred dol¬
lars, taken out guardianship papers.
..ud thus secured a riding contract,
ihat, under racing rules, established
him as the owner of his legal war*!.

The boy was one of those rarest of
all things, a natural race-rider. He
had a tine seat, splendid hands, and
.'a instinctive aptitude for the game.
More than that, he knew how to get
ihe most out of a horse. He made his
mistakes, but it was a matter of gen-

• ral comment that he never made the
..me one twice, and that is the test of

good jockey.

The day came when he “hung it on”
Danny Hogan at Belmont Park “three
noses’’ in a single afternoon. The
..tiier hoys expected a great fist fight
in the dressing room. But Marty was
■> nice about it that he earned every¬
body’s respect.

“Didn’t go to pull a mean' one on
'•oil. Danny!” he apologized. “Guess I
>'as just lucky enough to be on the
right horses. No hard feelings?”

The older boy stared out the win¬
dow.

“Oh, that's all right.” he assured.
“Have a good time, but don’t get the
Idea that it was you who beat me.”

Marty ' puzzled. “How come,
1 ».inny V”

But Hogan shook his head. “Oh,
nothin’. I'm riding light—that's all;
and 1 ain't eaten since yesterday
morning. The wife’s runnin' around
with furs and diamonds. Some day
? «*u may find out what beat Danny
Hogan, but for your own sake, I hope
you don’t!”

That triple-headed victory at Bel¬
mont Park marked the beginning of
little Marty Kreuger's spectacular ca-
i * er as a “money rider.” which is just
u hut the term implies; a boy who
rides for the money.


i Hippo told him. “I'm gonna take a
! cliam/e on you in the Belmont.”

! Paint color crept into the boy's hol-
! low checks. Th*- Belmont! Why. that

• meant New York, with Kitty Keller
! watching in the stands! Devlin saw the
I impression lie had created.

“Sure! The Belmont Stakes, biggest
of ’em all! Flfty-thousand-dollar
' purse! Make a rep for life! What’s
more. I'll put you on the winner, and
there’ll be a thousand bucks In it!
Doin’ right by you, aint I?”

Tlie di*y nodded eagerly. “What
horse, boss?”

“Lady in lavender.” said Jake.
"Ten Tupper’s mar*-. She was 50 to
! in the winter honks, and 1 got him

• to lay live thousand **n her nose.
Took some more myself. Twelve t*>

. one now. By post time, she’ll be
t favorite. Mile an* three-eights is her
distance, ought to walk in!”

A shade of anxiety darkened

j Marty’s features.

■ “Weight’s been announced yet, Mr.

i Devlin?”

Jake moved his brad up and down
in a ponderous affirmative.

“Ye-ali, that's what brought the
price down. We’re in at a hundred
. an’ five.”

! “A hundred an* five!” said the lit-
, tie money rider. “Gee boss! You
; don't figure that I Can—”

Devlin’s fat hands fluttered in an¬
noyance. “Now. don’t get started

• belly-achin'! You’re doin’ a hundred
an’ seven, aint you? What’s two
pounds, when you’ve only got to
make it for a day? You jocks give

’ rne a pain!”


him,

Marty

said Hippo. “He
ting hurt!”

In the language of her social pa¬
trons. Kitty Keller “knew her eggs
and coffee.” which was the highest
compliment they could pay her. A
wise little kid and tough as they
make ’em, but her eyes laughed and
her soul was clean. An orphan and
the sister of three jockeys, she had
kept house for them until on*- after
another they married and established
homes of their own. Kitty stayed on.
slaving at the track “chow counters.”

Wh* it intelligent** finally replaced
his long period of torpor. Marty
Kreug*-r opened his eyes t«» find Kitty
Keller leaning over his cot.

" ’Atta ol* boy!” whispered the little
waitress. “Come on, you Marty! Who
said you couldn't win? Gee, kid. 'at
was a long rid* ! Li*- still, now; I'll
do all the applaudin’ necessary.”

He got his first kiss, and she rang
for the nurse.

"Pipe what's in the winner's circle!
Told you to play him, didn't I? l’.y-
by, Marty. I’m duo for a noon work¬
out, but I’ll bo back when I’ve crashed
the dishes.”

And back she came, to sit long
hours at his bedside, giving him all
she had of courage and humor and
philosophy. What need of medicine,
doctors or nurses when little Kitty
Keller was there to hold his hand, tell
him all the track gossip and whisper
between funny stories; “Marty, you
look lige a million dollars. Gee, kid.
I'll bo tickled to see you in silk
again!”

The time came when Marty was
able to leave the hospital, leaning on
the arm of the little waitress.

“It’s like this.” he explained to his
sweetheart. “Can’t tell whether I'm
there or not until T get in a race or
two. If 1 can still boot 'em home,
why, you and me, honey, are a cinch
to go the rout**. But no jock’ can
support a family by riding losers.
Babe, that's th*- gospel!”

“Well, the gospel ain’t down on
my bill of fare.” said Kitty. “Ix?ng
as you love me I'll go to the post
any time you’re ready, and I don’t
care a rap whether the track’s fast
or muddy. Get in your stride, Marty,
and when you’re ready we’ll double
up and run it out together."

“Girl, oh girl!” he told h«-r. “ 'At’s

pledging yourself sweet and prettx
If I can’t bring ’em home with that
kind of backing my name ain't Marty
Kreuger!”

He telegraphed Devlin, who was at
Tia Juana. Mexico, and Jake sent him
transportation, with orders to come
on at once.

“I’ll wait!” said Kitty, kissing him
good-bye. “And I’ll write you once
a week regular. And r* member.
Marty, I'll always love you, so don’t
fall for any of them Mexican dolls.”


Damn that kid


had no business get


TELL THEM. SHE DID SCREECHING OUT THE TRUTH


length advantage. She closed quick¬
ly. nosing up to the saddle-girths of
the flying leader, but there she hung,
unable to do more. Nothing but horse¬
manship could save her now.

Down went the little money rider’s
head, and he doubled low in the sad¬
dle, prepared to give his owner all
that was in him, and maybe a little
bit more!

The crowd had gone crazy. Billy
Ten Tupper. crushing his silk hat.
screaming at the side of a little wait¬
ress, drank deep from the well of un¬
derstanding. H*- knew now the value
of a money rider. His happiness, liis
future, liis fortune—everything was
In the keeping of a boy who was
coming down th*» stretch astride a ba>
mare, booting her while his whip
cut steady circles in the sunlight.

“Marty! Marty! Marty!”

The boy was in a trance, sustained
only by the subconscious suggestion
that he must win! By heartbreaking
inches h«* regained the lost ground in
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