"'Now, start at the beginning and tell me everything,' she says.
"So I tells her every move the colt makes since I has him.
"'How did he happen to catch cold?' she asks.
"'Constitution undermined,' I says.
"'Oh! How dreadful!' she says. 'What caused it?'
"'Sugar,' I says, never crackin' a smile.
"She flushes up, 'n' I see she knows what I mean, but she don't ask no
more questions. Before she leaves, Miss Goodloe tells me she'll come
to Cincinnati if the colt's well enough to start in the Latonia Derby.
"I ships to Cincinnati. About noon derby day I'm watchin' the swipes
workin' on the colt. He's favorite fur the Latonia 'n' there's mebby a
hundred boobs in front of the stall rubberin' at him.
"'Please let dis lady pass,' I hears some one say, 'n' here comes Liza
helpin' Miss Goodloe through the crowd. When Liza sees me I ducks 'n'
holds up my arm like I'm dodgin' somethin'. She grins till her mouth
looks like a tombstone factory.
"'I clean fohgot to bring dat pokah wid me,' she says. 'Hyar you is,
Miss Sally.'
"I don't hardly know Miss Goodloe. There's nothin' like race day to
get a dame goin'. Her eyes are shinin' 'n' her cheeks are pink, 'n'
she don't look more'n sixteen.
"'Why, Boy-baby,' she says to the colt, 'you've grown to be such a
wonderful person I can't believe it's you!' The colt knows it's race
day 'n' he don't pay much attention to her. 'Oh, Boy-baby!' says Miss
Goodloe, 'I'm afraid you've had your head turned .
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