Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-08-14

SERVICE SIZE ISuucT u4ui'
CHAPTER II.
With the money in his pocket which An
eeIy had procured for him, Robert Wilson has
tened down Broadway. at the cortier Ct tie
| Park Place lie paused, and cast a furtive
glance around him. Evidently he was much
agtated. He thought Of his loving wife al
: home.
He had deceived her, and his conscience
smote him. She was all love and gentIeness,
sincerity and confidence, and he had basely de-
ceived her.
Should he not return, throw himself at her
feet, and beg for her forgiveness: SIch a
course was certainly the most grateful to his
+ erFing, peiiitent soul bat lie had made a
bad speculation;' dnd while there was a hope
T Of retrieving himself, the demon of matnuion
within prompted him to sin again.
+ Turning dcIh Park Place, lie ent6red one
Of those gttHUling he!lS;Ttith are the cdrse Of
/ enlightened 8rnerica. Again he paused on
I the steps OF :he t!'HEnificent establishment, to
[ silence th$ tfbradings Of conscience The
+ beautiful, loving expression of his wife, lai-
I guishiiig away The tedons hours Of his absence
in lonely misery, haunted him;
But the usual consolation, the oft-rcpeatcd
+esoivo of the erring soul, Only this time, aud
then | will forever abandon the way Of the
transuressor,' came to Urge him on.
| By tie tile g;tSlight i'll the street he obscrt.
ed dark forr;i, closely lnuffled in the ample
T folds Of Spanish cloak approaching the spot
f where he stood. The stranger paused bv his
side, glanced uteNtly at him, and then entered
|: the saloon.
| lie followed him; the hall flashed with
brilliant lights, and the gay and f"slionaLIo
Of the metropolis thronged the scene. Men
smiled as though tie place were not the gate
:ot hctl Itself The CID and tcapesttbse Of the
baf ;iiil the forum, the street and tie c&tiangc
were tl!ere, countcnnncn$ by their presence
and e&9irple tile ihiqtity Fracticea within
I those Eiided waIis.
/ PJ6ert Wllsoi shuiierred as he entered the
| saloon. Yet why shodId lie &lirinli FROM a
scene ii which llte i'c$pcctaGLe men of the com
iiiunitv hest.itcd not to min@Ie? Poor, sim
| p.c Young man his soul had not yet; cou!c
to believe that wealth; statOh, and tic hOnofs
Of the world can sanctiiy sin and haIldw lni-
| guilty. L-..
In an unsHarde,i itour lie had been
| lrtrjd into thi, den Of thieves" by a man OF
good Standing in society-thc importer from
:wlom lie had purchased many of his goods
| and who held his no'es in payment for them
He had haznrdcd few dollars. though r..
| I:CGNstirncc Smotc him all the while. He wor
lie E.iis III the hands niP those who were ".,pe
:rerGcd III .he management Of unSuS irccline
l.d3jG& He wGlit d@ay with his "" ,.kcts wei
| lined with tie trui;s Of lis unE' rrowcd gains
Inflated by the nrpbt!oH :. become sudden
/ " rich; lti %ciit again, ;i'S,d again lie won.
! tile devil iurcl him on With firm rcsolu
! ton to abandon 'hcSc Eisiis when he should
/ have added the gains Uf one more night to hi:
/ previous accumulation. hc went thirl time
! II lie Succeeded III this occasion AS he had CT
| the two previous nights, he should be able t'
! pay the only remaining note he owed. The
| prospect Of freeing himself entirely from debt
/ :suddcr,Y and without labor, ~,
! engage once again i'll the q
! But The g;,,rnbirse- bud Eji
the full length Of his rope.
he losL-lost all he had bef0ttS4zs.s-4is g =.
!: All his fine EanCie5 were thus dashed to Tho
ground Bit the hope Of freeing himself from
debt had taken strong hold 6f his imagination
and he could not so easily resign 1t.
Arain he weht, trusting that the chances o.
tie game would nga;r fNyor him-agan and
again lie went, till all his available means '%tfl
sacrificed The gamblers adroitly Permitted
( him TO win few dollars Occasionally, and
( thus his hopes We're kert b,ioyant. ,..,.....
/ An wure gone but the passion 1i ga,tiiGg had
gained in itchsity IS his worldly substance
melted away.
UneaS;Iy he strolled among the gambling
| tables, now rausmg to glance for al Instant al
/ the game, and then hurryng nervousy y OIL
/ again =. ,.....
He had two lnndle,I dolIars in his pocket
;.ud-hiimilia.ing reflection lit had been
givcn him by his wife. He mast he careful Of
il; he could hope for no more.
! As he paced the glily tIlrongcd hall lie
! discovered the dark looking stranger, who had
confronted him ut the entrance of the saloon,
alone at one Of the marble tables
The eve of the dark being suddenly rested
sharply upon him. 1t was dark, dccP y eX'
/ pres$iyc 'ue eye-;t secmed not unfamiliar
| 10 him The gance-he knew not why-nNv-
| it d him to tie spot, and he stood, trehuiousIy
! gazing at the stranger.
JnG complexion Of the mysterious person
ana WIS ,ielitalelv white. Ills beard jet black
entirely conceaIcL the sides and lower part oi
| his flee: e}cH to tile contour of the mouth
| It WAS very long and curIed gracefully down
over the chin. Over lis lead lie wore a cap
! from beneath which long, black, glossy curi$
COATED down over Lis coat collar. In stature
! he was below thu nIeditm size.
CHAPTER Iii.
play 2 said the stranger il LOT! cultural
voire, hot Hniin@led with softtess.
Robert Wilson invohntariy seated himself
opposite the dark being:
With Ills gI"vSd rat5jI, the Stranger placed
4 Grtv dollar bill on the table,
Highest Wits said he, IaeonicalIy, as he
riishcd the dice box over to Robert;
Ihis was certainly an irregular game, and
an irregular method of proceeding; but it was
simple and in .hss respect was preferable to
Him, so lie pistcsL & corresponding amount by
the side of it;
Robert shook the dice, and cast them upon
''s Twelve ' sail Tie stranger, as lie shock lip
tile box and made his throw.
Eighteen continued he, sweeping tile stakes
'Fois ,Fits sDp n.xt Illt5A RoBeft won. The stake
was doHLiedi lie tton again. Maddeneu 10y
excitement; he placed all the tiioney he had on
the table. file dark TistScd stFdt'getJ without
...,,...l,, ,F HE br,IeH E0tprpA it