cing!"

He laughed. Miss Alathea's strong prejudice against the race-tracks was
proverbial. "So that's what you're after!" he exclaimed. "You dear old
schemer!"

"With your impulsive, generous nature, racing is sure to ruin you."

The Colonel looked first at Frank with ardent sympathy aglow in his
eyes; then, after a hasty glance at Miss Alathea, he quickly changed the
meaning of his look and spoke admonishingly. "The voice of wisdom!" he
exclaimed. "Ah, Frank, from what I hear I judge you're too much of a
plunger--like a young fellow I once knew who thought he could win a
fortune on the race-track." He began, now, to speak very seriously. "He
was in love with the prettiest and sweetest girl in old Kentucky, but
he wished to wait till he could get that fortune, and he chased it here
and there, looking for it mostly on the race-tracks, until he had more
grey hairs than he had ever hoped to have dollars; he chased it till his
dream of happiness had slipped by, perhaps forever. My boy, the
race-track is a delusion and a snare."

Miss Alathea looked at him with pleased surprise. "Colonel, your
sentiments astonish and delight me."

"How can you refuse," the Colonel said, "when such a woman asks? For one
who loves you, you should give those pleasures up without a pang."

In the pause that followed he reflected on the history of the youth to
whom he had referred, for that young man was himself. He had loved Miss
Alathea twenty years, but the Goddess Chance had kept him, all that
time, too poor to ask her hand in marriage. His heart beat with elation
as he realized that, possibly, the scheme which he had come there to the
mountains to propose to Frank, might remedy the evils of the situation.

Frank had been thinking deeply. "But what certainty is there," he
inquired, "that I can sell Queen Bess at such a price?"

Now the Colonel spoke with animation. "Absolute. I've a written offer
from the Dyer brothers to take her for twenty-five thousand dollars, if
she is delivered, safe and sound, on the morning she's to run in the
Ashland Oaks. It's a dead sure thing, my boy. You can't refuse."

The young man hesitated, still. "I'll investigate, and--well, I'll see."
He walked away, deep in thought.

The Colonel turned from him to Miss Alathea. "Miss 'Lethe, congratulate
yourself. The victory is won."

Frank turned upon his heel and spoke to Holton. "What do you think of
this investment?" he inquired.

"Wal," said Holton, "