Beatrice Fairfax Episode 13: The Ringer

Summary

A perplexing equestrian enigma unfurls as the esteemed racehorse Whitestocking vanishes into thin air, despite a vigilant stable boy securing the stall from within. Detective Jimmy Barton uncovers the boy's drugged state and the impossible egress, save for a narrow manger opening. Simultaneously, Beatrice Fairfax receives a curious plea from Cutie, a fairground "fat lady," whose dwarf sweetheart inexplicably disappeared for three days. Connecting these disparate threads, Beatrice and Jimmy infiltrate the vibrant, clandestine world of the country fair. Amidst the spectacle, Jimmy observes Wilder, a bookmaker, surreptitiously passing a note to the dwarf, detailing a successful shell game and impending division of spoils post-race. A swift, cunning maneuver by Jimmy secures this incriminating evidence. Employing a daring ruse, Jimmy, disguised as a fakir, orchestrates his own arrest to infiltrate the local jail, where he extracts a full confession from Sam, a co-conspirator. Sam reveals the dwarf's crucial role: his diminutive stature allowed him passage through the manger opening to drug the stable boy and facilitate the theft. With this revelation, Jimmy makes a daring escape, racing against time to halt the impending "Free-for-All." Meanwhile, Beatrice's persistent questioning of the dwarf sends him scurrying to warn Wilder, who is found altering Whitestocking's appearance, rebranding him as "Black Joe." The dwarf, under duress, lures Beatrice into a trap, where she is bound as the disguised ringer is led to the track. Jimmy, alerted by Cutie, arrives just in time to rescue Beatrice, overpower the guard, and expose the entire elaborate scheme. Despite his furious dash to the judges' stand, the race concludes with "Black Joe" in the lead. Jimmy dramatically washes away the tell-tale stain from the horse's legs, revealing Whitestocking and exposing the vast gambling conspiracy, leading to the arrest of Wilder and his confederates. The episode concludes with justice served, the dwarf apprehended, and Beatrice offering solace amidst the chaos.

Synopsis

Whitestocking, a famous racehorse, has mysteriously disappeared. Jimmy Barton ascertains of Bitney, the owner, that a thoroughly reliable stable boy slept in the stall with the door locked and the key in his pocket. He was found doped and the horse gone. The only opening to the stall except the door was an opening over the manger too small to admit a man. About the time Jimmy is receiving this information, Beatrice Fairfax gets a letter from Cutie, the fat lady in a country fair sideshow, saying that her sweetheart, the dwarf, absented himself from the show for three days and would give her no explanation. She asks advice. Beatrice shows the letter to Jimmy, who explains about the stolen race horse. They go to the country fair and enter the freak tent. Beatrice talks with the fat lady, who points out the dwarf. Jimmy goes over to the dwarf's station and talks to him. He sees Wilder, a bookmaker, come in and slip a note to the dwarf. The note reads: "Sam arrested for shell game. We divvy after race." The dwarf laughs in delight and tucks the note in his belt. Jimmy, under pretense of whispering a joke to the dwarf, picks him up and filches the note. The scene changes to the main avenue of the fairgrounds, where Jimmy, disguised as a fakir, starts a shell game. He is arrested and locked in the jail in a cell next to Sam. As he is being thrust into the cell, Jimmy steals the keys from the jailer. Sam is induced to talk and tells Jimmy how the dwarf was put through the opening in Whitestocking's stall and doped the stable boy. Jimmy lets himself out of jail, and hurries off to stop the "Free-for-All" race. In the meantime, Beatrice urged on by Cutie, asks the dwarf where he was during his absence of three days. The dwarf is frightened and runs to warn Wilder, the bookmaker. He finds him in another box stall, superintending the blacking of Whitestocking's legs, the name of the ringer being Black Joe, as indicated by a sign on the door. Wilder sends the dwarf back with directions and he, returning to Beatrice, says: "If you'll come with me, I'll tell you." Beatrice follows the dwarf to the stable, where Wilder and his stable boy seize her and bind her in the stall, while the ringer is led out to the race. Jimmy ascertains from Cutie where Beatrice went and follows. He is recognized by the constable who arrested him and is followed by the crowd. At the stable he breaks down the door, overpowering the stable boy, who is on guard, and rescues Beatrice. He explains to the constable and hurries off to stop the race. Too late, they are off, Black Joe, the ringer, in the lead. Wilder and his confederates, who have wagered immense sums on the ringer at staggering odds, are arrested and when the race is over, Jimmy rushes to the judges' stand and protests the race. He proves his charge by washing the stain from Whitestocking's ankles and is applauded by the crowd. Beatrice attempts to console the fat lady while the detectives carry away the struggling dwarf.