Layson, after Holton left, looked around upon the party with a worried
eye. "I can't take this matter up, yet," he declared. "Until the race is
over I can think of nothing else. Colonel, I'll look after Ike, and then
we'll be off to the track."

"So we will, my boy," the Colonel answered, "so we will. Ah, what a race
it will be!" As Frank went out, the horseman rubbed his hands with keen
anticipations of delight.

"Oh, Colonel," exclaimed Madge, brought back by this turn in the
conversation to contemplation of the most exciting prospect which had
ever been before her, "won't we have fun?"

"Won't we?" said the Colonel, very happily.

But then Miss Alathea spoke. She had listened to all the talk about the
fire, the incendiary, the pursuit, and its dreadful possibilities of
lynching, with the keenest of distress. Now the Colonel's calm
declaration that, presently, they would be off to the race-track which
he had sworn forever to taboo, shifted her mind suddenly from those
unpleasant topics.

"Colonel!" she exclaimed, in pained astonishment. "Do you forget your
promise?"

"Er--er--" the old horseman began and became speechless.

Madge was all excitement. "Mr. Frank has told me all about it," she said
gaily. "I kin see it, now--th' grand-stand filled with folks, th'
jockeys ridin' in their bright colors, th' horses a-champin' an'
a-pullin' at their bits--an' then--th' start!" The girl had dreamed
about such scenes before she had so much as guessed that she might ever
witness one, and now, when she was actually about to go out to the
track, herself, and with her own eyes gaze upon the greatest race which
old Kentucky had known for many a year, it seemed too good to be true.
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, her feet danced as if they might be in
the stirrups, her hands clutched on imaginary reins. "All off together,
a-goin' like th' lightnin'!" she exclaimed. "Queen Bess a-lyin' back an'
lettin' th' others do th' runnin', Ike never touchin' her with whip nor
spur until th' last, an' then jest liftin' her in as if she had wings!"

"Stop! Stop!" cried the Colonel. "Not another word, or I'll drop dead in
my tracks!" Then, cautiously, to Madge: "I say, little one, couldn't you
let me have a word alone with Miss 'Lethe?"

The girl nodded wisely. "I understand," said she; and then, with a quick
glance at Miss Alathea, who was not attending, and an earnest and
imploring look at the poor Colonel: "Whatever you do don't you