Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-28
OLAF. XII.

Zdchdftah Crit acquires hnoUleage.
81 have been looking for you with imra-
tiencen observed Martin to Zachariah Crit as
he admitted the latter to the den in tho Rue
Sc. Anne.
aAnd Pye been bunting for you for the last
hour retorted Grit. cup one street and
down another in courts, and up steps, and
through passages, no end Of EN- What with
the crooked streets and the crookeder lingo,
couldn't get along no ways pleasant. Darn the
parley, wooin'. But here am, at last"
They sat down Martin in the large chair
Grit by bis side. A lamp was burning, and
the fire, though only smouldering still gave out
sufficient heat to make the temperature of the
place tolerable They had purpose evident
"; for no words were wasted before they en-
tered upon the business for which they had
met, except IN observation from Grit to the
effect that he considered il fortunate circum-
stance that Martin spoke civilized language,
meaning English.
81 have found it Of use,n remarked Martin,
as he sorted seme slips Of paper covered with
figures, which he placed before Grit. g am
indebted for my knowedge Of it to tho Eng
lishrnan who gave mo the first idea which led
to my grand discovery All, sir if had only
had money enough to go on, could have ruined
every bank in Paris, or elsewhere"
"Spec'iatin' ON chances amt noways In
couragin', y observed Zach, with shrewd, keen
glance at his companion. 81 never kpow'd
much good como Of il in the money-makin'
line. You see, if you gets streak O luck one
day, you're cen Almost sure to try chances for
better tho next but it DONE come aFays
NJ a IoI al L. u, AZ
me. When | sees there's run on partic'lar
number, or on a particular color, backs il at
long odds Sometimes wins but sometimes
gets bit tarnation hard, too. Yes, Fir ~
q tell you it 10 to be DONE" said Martin
q I've proved it over ard over again. Look at
all those books. They are treatises on the
scier co Of numbers, On the theory Of probabili-
ties, on the doctrineof the certainty Of chances
There is not another collection like it in the
world When | was comparatively rich
man, they were my constant study night and
day. On them, and on the experience of thou
sands Of visits to the tables, when gambling
houses were permitted by law, established
my theory, and tested its accuracy, only new
or could 90 far enough. But it is to be done,
it is to be done. All want is some one rich
enough to back me. j will answer for its sue
cess. He spoke with all the carnestness Of in
fatuatiop, but with wildness of manner that
betrayed a secret, reniorse, lying Deep deep
down in his heart ard then preyiDg on the
best and noblest impulses of his nature. He
drew his chair close up to the side of Grit, and,
passing from paper to paper, explained the
principle according to which he had demon
strated, to his own satisfaction, that if carried
out to the end, q man, being possessed Of GER
tain sum- might 60 to the gambling table and
realize in one night an enormous fortune. For
the time, his whole soul seemed given up to the
elucidation Of his grand discovery, 80 as to
bring it down to the level Of Grit's understand
ing. At last he came to an end. 9 At least q
hundred times | have been on the point of re-
alizing my hopes he added abut just as the
prize was in my grasp it has been snatched
from me-all for the want of little more to
staker
He looked at Zachariah, as if for an express
sion of assent. "My 'pinion is" exclaimed
this worthy "that money got this yer way
never did nobody much good. If it want for
the excitement people wouldn't 60 to the
gambling-tables They begins it for the SEN
sation Of the thing s'moet and then they gets
dragged into it furder and furder, till there amt
no stopping on 'em, and they cans hold back
themselves. Have you got any chipen!n
Martins haggard features turned Of ghast-
Z
stammcred out "Why?n
because pities 'cm if you have, that's o
fact answered Grit. 1t you haven't it amt
Of 80 much account. Have youlu
Martin gasped out the words, "a daughter
There was pause, during which Zachariah
turned the papers which Martin had placed in
his hands over and over, apparently consider
ing what he should say. At length he broke
silence:
@Look heren be said Mister, | don't
know what other name you've got besides Mar
tin
aCall me Martin" replied the other; I'll
have long since ceased to be known by any
otherD
aWeIl, then, Mister Martin resumed Grit,
q won't have hand in this yer speculation.
IL don't promise no good for the conscience.
When met you at the gambling table, seen
you to be one Of them desp'rate venturers as
Fortune likes to kick. ! don't mean to say Pm
any better than you, come TO draw the line
very fine, for gamblin' amt virtue, tx IL how
you will and it Amt considered no ways re-
spectacle either that's fact Bat when For
tune kicks some men, they takes it easy.
Others falls to frettin', an pinin,, an drink.
in, and at last they takes some uncomfortable.
way Of gettin' out O the world that Amt pleas
ant for them 10 think on who bad hand in
maxim 'em 70 lunattic. Now, thats jes my
case. I'm afcard there's q long score ag'in' my
name, in thst book my dear old mother used
to tell US cbiPen Of ADD which she said was
kcP close posted up, by every mans recordin'
angel A good many Of the things that's got
down ag'in' mo done without considerin'-
most on 'em, may say. But that's cos human
natur's radical bad, and mine Amt no bettcr
than anybody else's. In a general way, p'raps,