The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 6, 1898, Page 24

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1898. The Matsers Gave No Sign.of the Least Alarm and Continue Y be as well to confess at once that my interest in Don Beltran wholly in the fact that during the preceding month engaged to his sister Bianca. Still, at the same time y to mention that until the day when it was my for- st In saving his life I had never consciously met him in s of accurate history, when Blanca and I first became en- gaged Don Beltran’s name was not very much in evidence, and although 2s an active Carlist he would have been arrested and thrown into prison if any of the Royalist authorities could have lald hands upon him, there was not at that time any hot pursuit upon his trail. Indeed, Don Guido, in his calm, digni way, told me he believed his misguided son had taken passage to Cuba, or one of the South American republics. But when Beltran brought off his grand coup, which, as every one knows, was within an ace of setting Don Carlos on the throne of Spain, then the situation took a very sudden change. The party in power grasped the fact that not only was Don Beltran in the country, but they woke up also to the real dangerousness of him. The scare made them quick to act. They set a price of 10,000 pesetas on his head (which amounts to some £400 English) and placarded Catalonia with notices that this sum was payable on him whether delivered dead or alive. The situation, too, so far as others were concerned, changed also with abruptness. The Descayno family were requested officially to leave untry seat among the almond gardens and the olive orchards in untains near Montserrat and come down to the plain and take up As a pol drawin, to speal “Archie, don’t. my dear, your northern wits can sometimes be very dense!” uerido; I have guessed less, and if the Teason, here it is in & pistachio shell: since 1 have been in Barcdions 1 have ears and eyes only for Bianca Descayno. has, for me, been peopled “Pouf, a compliment. “But ordinai bellita’s flame? She looked half frightenedly round the room, and then bending her lips to my ear, was going to whisper. hersel? up rather proudly, said: “No of him, poor fellow, now that he is what you call in your English She waved her prett It showed me the T have heard nothing, argon ‘under the weather? ™ alf-length portrait on the wall. Eastern Spain, as he appeared to the painter a bare year before; a siim a laugmng eye, a clean-cut mouth and nostrils, wish to find: a man who was bound big, whether the line he took was straight , ‘‘he is my brother, and if I hate the has adopted, I cannot say that I have ever changed in young fellow of 25, wit and as dogged a chin as one woul by nature to be somethin; or_crooked. political cause he my love for him “And_Donna_Isabel Bancee, do you mean? “T could not say that; between them, and all Barcelona knows this as well as I do. lasted ever since he was & lad home from university at Madrid, and she was a school girl staying with me here durin “But what do her people say to it now? they are not likely to approve of Don Beltran’s latest dofngs.” rls in Spain are allowed , if you, Archie, had not found favor Ry ¢ N TRU TR [ 1 \y\‘\l\‘x N d What Was Apparently an Ordinary Cnversation. Haven't you guessed? Oh, But haven't you heard? ith lay figures only. “After all,” she sald, all T know is that there in Barcelona.| They arrived there to find their palacie in the “Ah, that is where the cruelty comes in. We Rhambla beset with spies night and day. All the family, all the friends so little say in such matters. . Wh of the family even, were dogged by the agents of the Government where- in my father's ey z ever they went; se, although old Don Descayno and his other son -1 should have carried you off in spite of twenty oyal to the existing regime, it was felt that domestic (if it came to the pinch) toward sheltering the . As an Englishman, I re- intensely; as Spaniards, the Descaynos he natural and Inevitable consequence of tran belonging to them. > to fate in this matter, and made me do so also. when for the third time I had caught a seedy-looking I'slouch hat dogglng me about the city, and had con- g him generously for his pains, “querido, for my sake You will only make it worse for us. And besides, you from the country if you persist. Spain times, Archie, and she hae to defend heself e knows how. She has no time now to invent new methods.” ed her on her mocking lips. u are not the worst off,” sald she. py on her even more closely than they do on you. ned and read. hat on earth 1ould they meddle with Donna Isabel for?” I asked surprise. ias she invented a new cotillon figure, and are they pilfer it from her before the carnival? Or is it her domino they to discover the secret of, or—"" fiippant one, Isabel may carry a laughing face, but I think as an aching heart just now.” ell, you ought to know,” I said, “I suppose you're her biggest ‘were notoriousl; irrev espionage most fessed to thras] you must not do this. they think fit to e through troubl pai “Think of poor Isabel La Paz. r 'greatest girl friend, perhaps, Archie.” fhen there's a mah In the case? Is he one of thoss Carlist ruffians?” “Oh, to !‘i“'i'- that Senor la Paz has made Donna Isabel giv cably. “Which sald be forwarded on you are a little bit of a Carlist yourself.” ‘“Archie, I forbid you eve, of the kind. But you know, “Send on that letter. as much under the circumstances, from what I've heard, quite sufficie excellent brother to have made him ters up in person, and probably get caught and earn el garrote for his Eianca's eyes grew moist and bright. will not have him abus Her very letters My dear,” I said, very awkward scrape. mere threats can said she, pinching my cheeck, to Don Beltran's hand. I'm Quite so. *“You are “I am not abusing him. rettier?”” ‘‘you made out just now AR de over days of carnival, are two very different tribes of peopls. Of the pair, the latter {s very much the more to my taste. The Catalonian Spaniard taken au sruxd serieux {s an augmentative person who would talk the hind leg off Balaam'’s ass; he is bitter as an Irishman in politics, when he has any opinions about them whatever; and he is !rs‘uam.ly the possessor of a navaja with a ten-inch blade when he looks least dangerous. He uses this last with energy upon the body of a person he objects to, and where we colder folks of the North would be content with a drive of the fist or merely & tongue load of ugly words, he leaves a corpse, or sets going a vurg pasgsable vendetta. ut Barcelona, though a business city and sober In its ways, {8 never- uick to change, and when the carnival did come on dur- (ng that vear of my engagement to Blanca Descayno, one would have thought that the people had been preparing for it ever since the year before. All proceeded to enjoy themselves; the women reveled in a liberty which was never theirs during all the rest of the twelve months. The carnival divided itself into many branches and catered for many ades. The chestnut sellers had their suppers, and the factory hands heir great cachucha party, where guitars thrummed amid the cigarette smoke for eighteen consecutive hours. But there was one ball as far removed - from slf the rest as the Rhambla is above all the other streets of the city. It was given in el teatro principal, and the only people who could obtain the entree were those belong&g to the set which considered itself as the one really smart set Barcelona. But the unrest of the political air had disturbed the serenity of even the grandees that year, and they had elected that their carnival ball should be bal masque in fancy dress. Think of it! Imagine the frivolity of such a proceeding! - But, then, of course, one must remember that they rested serene in the knowledge that no person would be present outside the social fence of their own set, and infinite precautions were taken to guard that this should be so. But precautions have proved useless before when clever men have set their wits to circumvent them, and as I know for a fact that one person who was not an invited guest danced at that ball, it stands to reason that very possibly others slipped in'as well. The news first came to me in virtue of the fancy dress that I wore. £1ad got myself up In the uniform of a private of carabineros—which is the local :?ulvx.len of policeman—and I ad a tolerable deal of fun out of it already, since a good many stewards and other peog_le refused to believe that 1 was not the real article, just masked for a freak. The dance had been going on for some time and the theater was very hot. In my heavy uniform I was nearly melted, and so as a bolero struck up which was not in my line I strolled down some passages toward a door- way, 80 as to get a wWhiff of the draught. A voice from one of the shadows outside said: “Well, amigo, he is there. We're certain of that now.”. I peered into the darkness and saw a bonafide carabinero, who had taken me for one of his corps. “‘Oh, {s he?” said I, and was Eculnil to pass on. He laid a hand on my sleeve. “You must go back,” sald he, “and stand as near the ball room as you are able. en you can give help when it is wanted.. He is certain to resist when they try to capture him. They say he is a very desperate blade; imdeed, he must be, or he wouldn’t be here to-night.” “Who Is this you are talking about?’ sald I "Why, Don Beltran, to be sure,” he answered, with a lift of mr:}:lse. “1 was only wondering,” I sald, *whether.it had been found out that Don Beltran had got any, friend Inside there besides himself. By the way, ‘what 1s his fanfy dress?* ‘“We haven’t been able to find out bu‘ it is supposed that he is in domino. However, unless we are forced to it, the arrest will not be made inside the theater. All these.people here are well disposed, and we do not want to make a disturbance. So we shall ask all the gentlemen to unmask as they come out, and when they know the reason I do not think That is, of course,” the fellow added with a “no one will object except the man we want, although I dare have reasons enough to bring forward for not taking off his theless at times any of them will refuse. ch\lcrll(l the great place and saw a hundred shades of red at every glance. A car- dinalsrdomxx:xo, the vivandiere had said. Ah, there, sitting in a box and peeping roguishly at me from behind a curtaln! Yes, that must be Blanca. fwave my hand. A message started back from a fan, sent with an accuracy which no one but a Spanish girl could manage. I ;l aled “wait,” and ran away to a staircase. There were two men Wit er in the box, a Mephistopheles and a Zouave chattering and laughing. I Cfin- not say that tEey seemed pleased with the addition to their number. But I dldB‘not ca.rexmui(‘;l about that. “Bianca,” said. = "Traid:r," sal(rl‘ she, rapping me over the knuckles with her fan. The Zouate chuckled. “El %enor Ingles y Donna Bianca'; Mephisto laughed out a “Mille perdons”; and then they both took themselves off and shut the door of the box behind them. “Cruel!"” said Bianca, “you have spoilt sport. They would never gi_wu guessed if you had not spoken my name. Or is that you are jealous : “My dear,” sald I, catching her small fingers and holding them tight, “you must pull yourself together and be ready for a shock. ““What is it?" Tell me quick.” “Your_ brother is here.” *Not Beltran?" “Just Beltran. And his presence is known. The carabineros are watching for him outside. Now, just point him out, and do you leave me 7|l neNo:, Barcelona fn D e L o R Earotiont o o Bt e D e hane yon acel: 1 6 concrete pavement o e ICy, &N e rest. ou o 7| dressed e tote in absurd costimes and permeating the city during the . “I could mot. Oh; I must come with you! -And, Archie, how can I point my brother out? I do not know how he is dressed.” **Of course not, querida. I'd forgotten that. But he will be with Donna Isabel, don’t you think, and as minutes are precious, if you told me how she—"" “She is a Pierrette. I saw her dancing below there not a minute ago. Oh, there she is, just opposite us, in that box! There is some one with her, behind the 'curtain. Let us go to him at once. Dios! .s there no way of saving him?” We went round, and entered the box opposite without knocking. There was a Plerrot inside, who sprang to his feet, and slid a hand to what was presumably a weapon inside the loose folds of his coat. The Plerrette who was with him uttered a little cry at the sight of my uni- Bianca hung_a dead weight form, d the her hands. rm, and then buried her face in her hands. Phe Plerrot was the on my arm, so that I thought she was going to faint. only ‘cool one among us. r‘Ah“ sald he, “you are the bungler who has run against me once before this evening. " sut I did not ask you to bring your apology here, senor. Please go.” “Don Beltran,” I sald, “I belleve it lies in my power to do you & service. Your presence in this place is known to the police, and they have made nrerarauons to capture you.” I saw his black eyes blaze behind the mask. “*And may I ask, senor, who are you that you should lnterelt_’yourlell in the welfare of so humble a person as Don Beltran Descayno? ‘‘Merely the future husband of your sister. My name is Archis Cal- ", he sald, changing his tone, “I have heard of you. And this lady is iay sweetheart took off her mask. ‘“You!" he sald, and drew her to him and kissed her. ‘“Mr. Calvert, please forgive my rudeness, and tell s as pithily as possibl d he heard it unmoved, though e e, and he the Plerrette (who, of Gourss, was Tsabel ia Paz) heid his hand and sobbed over it. “Carrajo!” he sald, vindictively. “T wonder who betrayed me.” “For the present what's “You can think that out afterward,” said L to be done next? I honestly say I don't know. “Once outside,” he said meditatively, “I should be all right, uoeini that they don’t know my dress, and I have a carriage ready waiting. I there were only some window, now—"" There are 200 men in “But there is not. They've every point guarded. and around the theater. It's past 8 o’clock, 'a-ta, Bianca. ““Well,” he said, ‘“‘something must be done soon. and the room’s beginning to thin. I think I had better go. Goodl-by, Isabellita.” % Miss La Paz put her hands upon his shoulders. “Oh, tell me, querido,” she cried, “what are you going to do?’ “Merely go to the door and brush my way out. Don't you fret. It ‘will be all right. I shall get clear.” “No, no, no!” she cried, clinging to him. ‘“They would kil . I know th«;}- would. You could not possibly get out that way. Let e think—. 0, you must be disguised.” s t I am disguised,” saild Descayno. ‘““Who's to spot me?” e you unmask. Senor Calvert sald so. They will make all the men unmask.’™ “Good for the ladies, then,” said he lightly. ‘But really, I will ask I had much better be off before this crowd thins you to excuse me now. more.” “No, no, no!"" safd Donna Isabel, holding him tight. ‘“You cannot go as you are; If would be suicide. We must change you. You must become a Wwoman. “A fine idea,” he said, eagerly enough, “but could it be done?” You shall have my clothes,” said Bianca. My excellent little sister,” sald he, “your head doesn’t reach my chin. I should be nowhere in them.” en I saw vivid blushes chasing themselves across the other girl" neck, and I knew what she was thinking about. She was tall for her se Excepting her, the city Intiendez, senorita®?"” iry truth, notwithstanding. Tell me, who is the fair Isa- But she changed her mind, and ‘No; why should I 1, how does she stand toward him? Is she his our convent's holidays.” rom what I know of them, fathers. So you mean e he family have renounced all connection with Isabel was forced to write a letter saying that she had broken with him But she wrote me another letter which—w! ” precisely the opposite, and which you took care should afrald, sweetheart, that n to dream of such a thing. I am notht dear, I did—that is, I thought I ought !l)—ng ‘Any reasonable giri wouid b And if you hadn’t done it, there is, nt of the quixotic donke; come here to explain an ¥ In fact, I am sug; that Don Beltran would merely do what any other man would have done under the circumstances, &1 oas poted that by Surreptitiously sending that letter you had kept him out of a k e Carlists are quite trong enough to 1 themselves so loniuarst :gey re&n‘;fln vi‘lthl;‘l their gwn mxnrc‘haesooflk-ns-n:or nere t em. The only thing Is, we shall celebrate our carnivals in different places, and though hi shopldn't mind wagering that ours is the prettier of the pwo e Orisinal, I y “Querida,” T answered, for obvious compliments. And I was pointing out e prettier of the two.” 80" you mu!t'fiu without having this one.”” can guess what you mean. here. *“Buenos,” said 2 \ Z The bolero was over when I got back to the dancing floor, and the band was playing the opening bars of a waltz. Already a dozen grotesque figures were spinning rourd over the slippery holland. The place was a blaze of light and a bewildering kaleidoscope of color. 5 been turned into one vast level, and the maskers were mov- ing about the edges of this, or sitting in the boxes and circles or chatter- theater ha ou want ing in the passages. sight alone. and find out Ln pee'l;mg t: & b hy im throu; er. or Bhelicn bad chime fingers toward a andsomest man in alive. were eit! {s an understanding downstairs. It has xour brother up?”’ im, poor boy, and hich—' her what it was. ave done about your square mat- heasant cover. cruel,” she said; I bare shoulder came or sting ling a retort. small discernment. domino.” Of course! Idiot that you'd a dislike way round the place, and a gua: We can’t afford to miss a capture like this. What, going? Well, buenos noches, amigo.” - I, and walked away. wanted man might take it into his head with this unmasking order in force, the w in & matter of seconds. fellow who under the circumstances would And besides, the reward oxgmssly stipulated for -that. equally valuable dead or e carabineros were not likely to give him a chance of shooting I put my back to a stage box and scanne beginning to fill up. Dominos and with a jet-black mask fringed deep with tinctive costume, and easily seen, and as I times that evening already, I may say I knew every fiber of it by heart. Yet nowhere in all {hat whirl of color did the Carmen catch my eye. I left the pillar of the stage box, and began to walk round the skirts of the dancing floor, I syppose my manner must have been odd, for I re- member well that here and there the maskers turned and mocked at me. But for that I cared nothing, pressing my way through the crowd and the open spaces, everywhere peering through the eyeholes of my mask for my Carmen, and nowhere seeing her. Then of a sudden I remembered something. At dinner, before we came, I had asserted to Blanca that I should know her under an: she had pouted and said that was all very well now that frock. And then, a minute later, with a sudden ripple of laughter, she eald she had got a surprise for me later on in the evening. She would not say; told me I must find out for myself; and then, with a lovely mutine look, added that she hoped I should like it. At the time I was quite content to be mystifled, and made no attempt to guess her secret. She was going to make me prove my words; she Intended to change her disguise; she wished to test if my love was strong enough to see through it. 1 could have wept with vexation; as it was I'm_afraid I cursed, and through and among the dancers like a dog in a One Plerretts, whose in sharp contact with me, cried in annoyance; and 've me some sharp pressed on without set to pushing my wa; I tro artner, a white-chinnex words, and offered to assaul I saw a vivandiere just ahead of me, whose back view was like ca’'s, and I went and accosted her; and she (secure in her disguise) 5;:3 ed ‘her fingers in my face and sald el Senor Ingles had but very aughed also, and hoped my laugh was natural; and then I turned to go back again into the theater. add, ** the other doors are guarded? There’s no chance of his siipping away from us guietly through some other outlet?"” “‘Oh, that's all right,” said the carabinero. “By the way,” 1 rd on the roof as well. III. I knew it was hopeless to try and pick out Beltran Descayno by eye- Donna Isabel la Paz was undoubtedly the person to go for, only the worat of it was I bhad not so far recognized her. previously, and without success. out to me, n.ng she had onlg' laughed, and bidden me play the or myself. So Beltran’s ladylove. And T must on _the city clocks twg hounwafio and at an I had it was clearly useless to waste I must lose no minutes over it erther. eave the bal From what I had heard of uick, 80 t rst if he showed signs of resistance. the house. et-black lace. Now {t.came to me in a flash. on toes and damaged lace. white-masked Piérrot, the if we met outside. “No, I am not Blanca,” sald she, “but because you flatter me much by mistaking me for her, I'll give you a hint. Look that I had been! suppose all “There's a _cordon all the We've 200 men The floor of the hunted for her I have even asked Bianca to point her ame falrly, rther ti nd my own, and work back to Midnight time the much- room, and then, holo business would be finished him, he was not the ermit himself to be taken He was me The floor was (uaint dredsers, and beautiful dresses whirled past me in the waltz, and the occupants of the circle and boxes Ber ‘settling themselves into chairs OF were besi ‘What 1 was looking for was a black and yellow Carmen, It was & dis- ad danced with its owner six ng to move ise, and ieen her Y hafs I had asked for a cardinal She would not have had time to change her Carmen's dress completely; shevhad just slipped a light dom- ino over It; and her outward appearance would be altered entirely. The room thinned, the music ende dancers linked arms and the fans began to flutter. d with a clash of sound, and the I roved my eyes about Don_ Beltran rather short for hig; and, as it was, they were both of a height. He also guessed her thoughts; I could see that, and did not In- tend her to make the sacrifice, because he plucked himself away from her brusquely, and made for the door of the box. But she cried out to him and insisted, and then before us all she loss- ened her white Pierrette's skirt, and let it slip to the floor. It was no time for niceties. There was a man’s life at stake. Bianca and I stood in the middle of the box back to back, and the two others stood in the two ogposl[e angles and exchanged their clothes; and when they had finished, turned and saw Donna Isabel in the absurd loos(: c‘%al and pantaloons of the Plerrot. But it was no time for merri- ment_then. ‘Your shoes,” she said, “we must exchange those, t00; cnd stooped to take off the pretty little white slippers with their dangling black pom- pons. But there he stopped her at once. *“As if I could get into those ab- surdly tiny things!” s he. “Heaven send, though, that no one looks at my, ee ‘Or your head, covered all his hair. “Peste,” he sald, “I'd forgotten that.” But Miss la Paz was equal to the occasion. “It is lucky,” sald she, “that I hate to have powder on my own head”—and took off a wig. *So,* she said, fitting it on to his smooth sconce. “Now you should pass. How lucky it is you are smooth faced.” “Well, you ought to be a judge of that,” he said, with an impudent retty, trembling lips forty sald I, pointing to the white Plerrot’s skull cap which smile, and took her in his arms and kissed her times before us both. “And now, Benor Calvert, your arm If you please. We both masked and went out into the Dusasewa{r But Blanca came with us and walked on her brother’s unprotected side. I would not have permitted this had I known, but It was too late to turn her back then. There were crowds of kers round us, and we were accosted on every side. Indeed, one fellow (a Wellington, I think ‘he intended himself 10 be), boldly suggested that he should carry off one of my charges under his own escort, and (funnily enough) it was the Plerretté to whom he mndde llha“c!fer. As a certificate of appearance the proposal cheered us wonderfully. There was no separating to go to the cloak rooms; the weather was too warm to need wraps, and, with a_thumping heart, I led the Plerrette and the Carmen to, the entrance hall. The place swarmed with carabineros, and at the doorwendy we were stopped. A lieutenant in spectacles stood befors us and saluted. “The senor must kindly unmask,” he said. 1 protested loudly. : He shrugged his shoulders. “It is an order,” he sald. “Myself, T can- not _help it.” T dragged my mask away with a gesture. Perhaps” I sald, “you are now satisfied that I am not a thief. Do you wish those ladies to bare their faces to you also, or are we to be spared that rudeness?” The fellow's cheek fushed “Sepor,” he sald, “it Is hardly right for you to insult me. I am merely doing my duty. Hi! you outside there! Tall the carriage of Don Guido Descayno.’ re A heavy old coach lumbered up out of the darkness. I ushered my charges onto the back seat and was going to follow myself. But Bianca stopped me. *Oh, Archie,” she said, “how stupld of me. I have brought away Donna Ysabel's domino instead of my own. Do go and find her and give it back. You can easily walk to the palacio after us.” “Certainly,” said I, and saying “home” to the cochero, went back into the theater. And so it was in a cardinal domino with the hood drawn over her brown unpowdered curls that Isabel la Paz went home that night. The absurd Pierrot's dress never came to light, for though the domino was short, the pantaloons had somehow vanished from sight when she walked on my arm down the grand staire: and all that was to be seen beneath the cardinal folds were trim white-clocked stockings of silk and the tiny high-heeled slippers with their dancing black pom- pons. And whether Don Beltran claimed his property afterward I cannot tell, because the pair of them are married now and he is under bonds not to (}ngulze secrets. ks ut really very little of the matter has ever come to light. Tt was only the other day In the cafe of the Lion d'Or that I met the spectacied fen tenant who had made me unmask—still a lieutenant by the way—and he told me that to this day, the police of Barcelona do not know how Don Beltran escaned them. “The fellow seemed to have vanished into thin alr, senor,” he said, in & tone of disgust, “and yet we knew that he was inslde at one period’ of the evening. -1 am sure 1 Qid my duty thoroughly. and you yourself can bear witness how unpleasant It was. And yef they visit the flasco upon me even to this day. It is hard that a married man with children should be denied promotion so long for such a cause.” But I have told both Isabel and Bianca what the poor man sald, and IY‘n).‘\,n 'seu:ev:lela': one“or m;xer of thefin will pull a string or two in his favor. b re all still on excellent terms, although that fool from the embassy. o eoaiid marcy 6@@@@0000000000000600000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000@00000000000000000000000 v SR MATRIMONY VS. THE CLUB. “Don’t you think, James, that these lonely dinners at the club drive a number of men to matrimony?” “Maybe, sir; but not so many as mairimony drives to the club!”—Punch, | District racetrack was still The Fall of MeManus, the Sport.| = Being the Story of a Car Conductor of the McAllister-Street Car Line Who Took to Playing the of $100 Up to $100,000 and dttained Fame All Over the Circuit. Races and Ran His Capital URING the recent State Fair race meeting at Sacramento the bettors who crowded a poolroom ‘Where overnight betting was in brogress one evening bumped el- bows with a man plainly almost poorly clad, who frequented this haunt of the small fry of the betting frater- nity. He was tall and of the conforma- tion described as ‘raw-boned,” with prominent cheekbones and a sandy mustache. While the betting for the races of the morrow was in progress this fellow, after gazing long and wist- fully at the “odds” posted upon the bookmakers’ blackboard, reached into his trousers pocket and drew forth a single small gold piece. This he fondled and looked at, as though hesitating ‘to risk it on the uncertainties of the rac- ing game, but finally the wager. was made and he stored away with great care the ticket returned to him by the knight of the chalk and chamois skin. ‘““What are you playing, Mac?” asked a seedy-looking tout, as the pasteboard was being tucked into a place of safety. “St. Phillp,” was the reply. “Is he ‘good’ now?” persisted the dis- penser of racetrack information. “As ‘good’ as he ever was, but I sup- pose he’ll fall down If he can’t lose any other way,” was the gloomy response. The man who had risked the $5 plece 80 reluctantly was “Conductor” Me- Manus, two years ago one of the sensa- tions of the turf world. Starting with a “shoestring” he had in one brief sea- son on the Eastern tracks won, upward of $100,000 and become one of the heavi- est plungers who risk their coin on the speed and endurance of equine gladia- tors. The story of McManus’ rise and fall (for he appears to have reached the end of his financial rope) is an interesting cne. Several years ago he was a con- ductor on the McAllister street railway in this city. At that time the ol‘: Bay the Reight of its glory. McManus’ car ran by the course and each afternoon he carried from the city an eager and ex- pectant crowd, and as the sun sank in the west collected fares for the return trip of this same contingent, some of whose members were coming back ju- bilant over their day's wlnnlnsu, ‘while the others were dejected and despond- ent. For years McManus had collected tolls from these men and women, but had taken little Interest in them or their gambling ventures. The daily tales of winnings and losses at the track re- lated by his passengers fell upon un- heeding ears. In him the gambling fever seemed never to have taken root, and he did not even appear to possess the curiosity to learn of the fortunes or misfortunes of the regulars whom he was constantly carrying to and fro. Whence came the notion no one seems to know, but one afternoon when the conductor had a half-holiday he determined to see for himself what was behind the high fence which shut out the racetrack’s yelling crowds which each afternoon his car had helped to augment. Conductor McManus visited the race- track. Knowing many of the patrons of the old Bay District he was not lack- ing in “tips” and ‘“‘stable information,” and with the proverbial luck of the be- ginner he won seyeral small bets, which he was induced by the “professors” of the course to place. He left the track elated over his suc- cess, and peveral weeks later, when his hours, probably at his own solicita- tion, were changed so as to give him the afternoons off duty, he himself be- came one of the “regulars” who each day journeyed to the racetrack to wager their coin upon the “ponies.” It did not take the spies of the street railway company long to discover that this employe of the road was gambling at the race track, nor did the superin- tendent of the line lose any time in ad- dressing a curt note to the conductor, informing him that he must quit gambling on thé race track or look for a position elsewhere. In his betting ventures thus far McManus had been uniformly fortunate, and he at once de- cided to accept the alternative which meant little toil and big money, in preference to that which meant a daily grind for a stipend barely enough to supply the necessities of life and leave enough to clothe him decently. He had about $600 in the bank, and, withdraw- ing this, he entered upon the life of a race track speculator. That was in the sgfln: of 1896. 8ix months later the former conductor could write his check for $60,000 and have it honored. In a few months he had become known as one of the big- gest operators on the turf, and it was said that no man who followed the races for a living carried as much ready cash about with him as dild McManus. When he came back from the East after his remarkably successful season, it was not unusual for him to bring forth from the depths of his pockets a roll of bills containing $10,000, which he would proceed to wager upon some ho r wager as much of it as the bookmakers would accept. The system by which he had won this sum was a peculiar one. When he first became interested In the races he had decided that the reason so many per- sons “went broke” at the game was that they sought to win too much—to double and treble their money each day. He reasoned that there could be found(daily at the race track betting propositions that were almost absolute certainties, if the bettors were only willing to take the worst of it in the matter of odds. Therefore, with his $600 bank roll he embarked upon the system which in a few short months made him independently rich. It is the gossip of sporting circles that the “conductor” has lost the for- tune he won so easily; that hereafter he must be classed among the poor horse-owners who depend for the win- ning of an ional purse for sus- tenance _for mselves and their thoroughbreds. Ny MJ’A///ZGA " xe Aa‘/ \\N\\,/\'r‘;}l/m% STTE R, oy HIS SATANIC MAJESTY'S HOME QUARTERS. " Pat (who has been acting as gulde and has ’ and the devil's that for the last two hours)—AnP“n B T o cave e yer Anner. i Tourist—The devil seems to own a good deal of 3 Pat—Ye're roight, yer Anner, Prpoatiaiunt hers. Pt most av his toime in London!—Punch. that's the devil's punch bowl, But, loike most av the other landlords, he spinds