The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1852-06-25

swer 10 his i,erated queries, and he ad
ded something in whisper which
brought a sardonic smile TO the fellow.
| lips, and induced total change in his
demeanor towards myself This was re.
assuring, foi though provided with pistols,
I should have felt little chance with such
utterly reckless rulfiaus as those by whom
| I was surrounded. Play was proposed;
and though at first sight sioutly refusing
feigned TO be gradually overcome by
irresistible temptation, and sat down 10
blind hazard with my foreign friend for
moderate stakes. was graciously al.
lowed to win, and in the end found my
self richer in devils money by about ten
pounds. Mr.. Merton was soon absorbed
in the chances Of the dice, and lost large
sums, for which when the money he had
brought with him was exhausted, he gave
written Acknowledgements, The cheating
practiced upon him was really audacious;
and any one but a ,yro must have re-
pea,edly detected ii. lie, however, ap-
peared no, TO entertain the slightest sus-
pition of The "fal play" of his opponents,
guiding himself entirely BY the advice Of
his friend and counsellor, Sandford, who
did not himself play. The amiable as
sembIage broke up abou, six in the NOM
ing, each person retiring slngly BY the
back way, receiving as he departedJ a
password for the next evening.
A few hours afterwards, l waited on
the commissioner to report the state Of
aff,irs. He was delighted with the for
tunaie debut | had made but still strictly
enjoined patience and caution. would
have been easy, as | was in possession
q. the password TO have surprised the
coniederacy in the the act Of gaming that
very evening. but this would only have
accomplished part Of the object aimed
at. Several Of the fraterni,y--Sandford
amongst the number-were suspected Of
issuing forged foreign bank notes, and il
was essential to watch narrowly for legal
evidence to insure their conviction. 1t
was also desirable TO restore, it possible.
the property and securities Of which Mr..
Merton had been pillaged. 3 II
Nothing Of especial importance occur
red for seven or eight days. Gaming
went on as usual every evening, and Mr..
Merton became OF course more and more
involved even bis sisters jewels-which
he had surrep,itiously obtained, to such
depth Of degradation, will this frightfnl
vice plunge men otherwise honorable
ha6 been siaked and lost; and he was,
by the advice Of Sandford, about to con.
cluds mortgage OH his estate, in order
not only TO clear him Of his enormous
"debts Of honor," but 10 acquire fresh
means Of "winine back"-ihat ignus-
fatuus Of all gamblers-his tremendous
losses! A new preliminary "dodge"
was, observed, now brought into action.
Mr.. Merton esteemed himself knowing
hand at ecarte: it was introduced: and he
was permitted 10 win every game he
played, much TO the apparent annoyance
and discontinue ofthe losers. As this
was precisely the snare into which had
myself fallen, ofcourse the more readily
detected it, and felt quite satisfied that a
grand coup was medi.u,ed, In the mean
time had not been idle. Sanford was
confdentally informed that | was only
waiting in London 10 receive between
four and five thousand pounds-par of
uncle Pros,grove's legacy-and then in.
tended to Immediately hasten back to
canny Yorkshire. To have seen the
Villains eyes as incidentally, as il were
announced my errand and intention!
They fairly flashed with Internal glee
All, Sandford! you were, with all your
cunning, bu, a sand blind idio. to believe
The man you had wr"nged and ruined,
could so easily forget Ae debt he owed
you! CONCLUDED neat week.