n at two o'clock in the afternoon. There were small
races to be run first, but the real event was due at three.

From early in the morning a procession of cars from out of town poured
in past Eliza Bailey's front porch, and by noon her cretonne cushions
were thick with dust. And not only automobiles came, but hay-wagons,
side-bar buggies, delivery carts--anything and everything that could
transport the crowd.

At noon Mr. Ellis telephoned Tish that the grand-stand was sold out and
that almost all the parking-places that had been reserved were taken.
Charlie Sands came home to luncheon with a curious smile on his face.

"How are you betting, Aunt Tish?" he asked.

"Betting!"

"Yes. Has Ellis let you in on the betting?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Tish said sourly. "Mr. Ellis
controls the betting so that it may be done in an orderly manner. I am
sure I have nothing to do with it."

"I'd like to bet a little, Charlie," Aggie put in with an eye on Tish.
"I'd put all I win on the collection plate on Sunday."

"Very well." Charlie Sands took out his notebook. "On what car and how
much?"

"Ten dollars on the Fein. It made the best time at the trial heats."

"I wouldn't if I were you," said Charlie Sands. "Suppose we put it on
our young friend next door."

Bettina rather sniffed. "On Jasper!" she exclaimed.

"On Jasper," said Charlie Sands gravely.

Tish, who had hardly heard us, looked up from her plate.

"Bettina is betting," she snapped. "Putting it on the collection plate
doesn't help any." But with that she caught Charlie Sands' eye and he
winked at her. Tish colored. "Gambling is one thing, clean sport is
another," she said hotly.

I believe, however, that whatever Charlie Sands may have suspected, he
really knew nothing until the race had started. By that time it was too
late to prevent it, and the only way he could think of to avoid getting
Tish involved in a scandal was to let it go on.

We went to the track in Tish's car and parked in the oval. Not near the
grandstand, however. Tish had picked out for herself a curve at one end
of the track which Mr. Ellis had said was the worst bit on the course.
"He says," said Tish, as we put the top down and got out the vacuum
bottle--oh, yes, Mr. Ellis had sent Tish one as a present--"that if
there are any smashups they'll occur here."

Aggie is not a bloodthirsty woman ordinarily, but her face quite lit up.

"Not really!" she said.

"They'