Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

20 articles on this Page

To-day's Short Story. I,

News
Cite
Share

To-day's Short Story. I SKIMPSEY, THE JOCKEY. I Whistling, all out cf tunc. a. snatch of borne popular melody, as he sat perched on a wooden fence, with his peaked cap turned backward and thrust on the back of his -h-E,ad. -and his miserably thin leg's in their dirty white brewhes, all doubled up, sat Jskimpsey. FTom under a. plentiful crop of I bright red hair shone his blue eyes—eyes that had a merry twinkle in thero, in spite of the fact thtf'.t this was a big race day and a stake at .Monmouth Park and as yet Skimpsey had no hope of a mount. For Skimpsey 'was a jockey and made his living on the race track. He had been a stable boy from the time he was old enough to lead a horse, and now he was eighteen and a, jookey. Tom Ferrars was his name once, and Ferra.rs was the name rnn up on the track when he rode; but among the jockeys aJid stable boys and the thousand and one loiterers about the track b" was Skimpsey. They had called him Skimpsey in their own expressive fashion, ever since his father died and Tom had tùen to saving money. This is very unusual in boys about the race track, and when Tom suddenly ceased bet- ting and treating his friends to cigarettes and other various dissipation in which he had previously indulged, they regarded him with distrust, if not with abisolute dislike. But if his unpopularity ever troubled Skimpsey, he never allowed himself to ahow it. Always ■ehee.-fad and good-natured among the boys, and willing and respectful to bis employers, he soon won for hims-elf a reputa- tion as a conscientious and capable light- weight jockey. Consequently, hia services were often in demand, and once or twice a week Skimpsey made his way to the city and laid in the lat) ot his mother, who lived in the humblest of flacs in the poor part of the city, a very respectable earn of money. It was hard enough to resist the many temptations at the track to bear the jokes and taunts of the other bovs, but when at la.t he would place The money in his mother's hand he would feel Íully ivcomp-ensed. .Skimpsey' "mother was a seamstress, and, as her wan face and bent form attested, industriously strove to do her part with Hlamprey in the brave struggle. Of Skimpsey's father, perhaps, the least said the better. He had been a trainer of race- toorses, and finally obtained an oflicxal posi- tion on the track. Dying suddenly, ii was discovered that be had roobed the club of over 5,000 dollars, and it. was to make up this deficiency, to restore honour to his dead lather's name and to his own, that Skimpsey, with his mother's assist- ance, was working so .industriously. Ths sum at first seemed to those two poor people enormous, but the earnings of a good jockey are surprisingly large, and now, the amount almost completed, the money lay in the savings bank on Broadway. And so it was that Skimpsey whistled cheerily as he sat all by himself on the board fence. He thought of his mother, and how glad she would be when the debt was paid. She need not, work any longer, he thought, for he could earn money enough to support them both easily. He would find her a pleasanter home than that miserable flat, and he would buy her a green velvet coat, like Mrs. Hinton, the trainer's wife, wore. Then, when he could save up some money, he would buy himself a new suit of clothes, a.nd. joy of joys. a silver watch chain with a big silver horse hanging from it, and per- haps some day a big" beaver hat like Dan ITCarthy's. With all th(. bright visions chasing each other through his brain, it is not surprising -that Skimpsey did not hear the saddling bell for the first race. He did not even heed the trumpet calling the horses out, and later the roar of the vast crowd as the cry went up, "They're off! They're on until suddenly he heard a voice saying, Here he and .Skimpsey jumped down from the fmlee, as two men approached him. "Ferrars," said Mr. Hinton, the trainer, here's Mr. Melville. He -wants ymi to ride Maid Marion in the Seaside Stakes." What! Me?" cried Skimpsey in delight- ful surprise, for he had never ridden in such an important race. Yes; what'd the matter? Don't yon want the mon n i? Skimpsey tried to say something, but failed dismally, and his freckled face turned red- der than ever in bis deiigh- It's 50 dollars to ride, and 250 dollars if you win," said Hinton; and Skimpsey's mind reverted to the money in the savings' bank. now only 300 dollar HhoT-t of the 5,000 dollars. ",tind, Ferrars," said Mr. Melville, Maid Marion's owner, "you're to ride to win. Get well off, and stay near the front till the last turn, and then let her out for all S'he is worth." üw' the time, Skimpsey," added Hinton, to make a. reputation for yourself. The mare's well in it at 981b and ought to win. There are no other light-weights free; that's how you got the mount." Skimpsey didn't care how it came about. He only knew that he Was to ride Maid Marion for the Seaside to make 50 dollars anyway, and perhaps 250 dollars. His blue, eyes fairly danced for joy at the prospect. Hew his rrother would btp-s him if he could only pat the largo sum into her hand! The Seaside was third on the programme, and there was still another race to he run off before it. Skimpsey strol'ed over to where three or four stable boys lay on the grass

Advertising

THE PLAINTIFF AND DEFENDANTS…

For Women Folk I

BILLIARDS. I

Advertising

Looking After Baby 1

I CARDIFF RAILWAY MEN I

A WIFE'S MEMORANDUM. I

ADVICE AND -LAW-I

- " " . ; —— 1 Passing PleasantriesI

Advertising

PUBLICAN -AND -CUSTOMER-

I - _u_. - - ' : LLANELLY…

Advertising

GWYN NICHOLLS AMONG SELECTEDI

DR. -E. T. MORGAN AND CARDIFF.…

MR. OSMOND WILLIAMS, M.P.,…

Advertising

To-day's Short Story. I,