The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-08-08


gambling. The emigrants came in by
thousands, and a few nights after his ar
rival, a young man entered the saloon
and seated himself at the bank and stalk
ed various sums upon the cards, until he
had lost nearly all the money he possess.
ed. Excited with the play and madden
ed by his losses, he accused the dealer of
cheating; the dealer replied sharply to
the accusation-the lie passed, when the
young man struck the dealer a severe
blow upon his face as quick as thought,
the sharp'report of a pistol followed, and
the gamblers clothing was covered with
the young mans blood-he had shot him
through the right breast. The room was
cleared of the spectators present, the door
closed and medical attendance called in
to aid the wounded man. The gambler
sat moodily over his bank, running the
small monte cards through his fingers, and
perhaps thinking of the deed just rerpe-
trated, when the wounded man gave a
moan of agony as tho Doctors probe
reached the bottom of the wound. The
Doctor inquired what State he was from,
and the wounded man replied:
From Vermont"
The gambler raised his head, for it had
been long time since he had seen
person from the homo of his childhood,
and Vermont being his native State, the
mere mention Of the name interested him.
The Doctor next inquired the name Of
the place where his parents resided-if
he had any. The wounded man replied {:
Montpelier"
The gambler sprang to his feet, his
limbs trembled, and his face was rs pale
rs death, for Montpelier was the home of
his youth, and perhaps the wounded man
might have been his playmate in child
hood-perhaps schoolmate-knew his
parents. His brothers and sisters. He
clung convulsively to the table, and with
the contending emotions of rapid thought
and the weight of injury inflicted, he
=sevid senrvciy keep upon his feet. A
stimulant was given to the wounded man,
and he was momentarily relieved from
that weakness the body is so subject to
after severe wound-when the Doctor
inquired if there was any friend in the
city he wished to send for.
YES" he replied, "my wife, she is at
the City Hotel, on the corner of Clay and
Kcarney streets-tell Mary to hasten, for
I am badly hurt"
a man was sent TO bring his wife.
"Doctor," said the gambler, "save that
mans life, and there is my bank, and
$4,000 in Burgoynes-and you shall
have it ALL"
The Docto. felt the pulse Of the man
and probed the wound anew. The gam
bier watched him with the greatest ankle.
ty until his inspection was finished, when
the Doctor shook his head in token of
impossibility the gambler sat by the
side of the wounded man, bathed his
head with water, and staunched the flow
of blood from the wound, until the arri
val of the wife she came, accompanied
by few friends, and as heroic women
bear their misfortunes, she bore hers.
Not word Of reproach escaped her
words OF cheerfulncss only came from her
| lips rs the tears coursed down her cheeks.
To her inquiry as to the chances Of her
husbands recovery, the Doctor assured
her that there was no hope; that the
wound was mortal, and that in n few
hours, he would die. She sank down
upon her knees and invoked the mercy
OF forgiving God for her dying has
band and his murderer. The gambler
asked the forgiveness Of the wounded
man for the wrong he had committed,
and also that of the wife, which was
readily granted.
"This," said he, lis for not obeying
the sacred injunctions Of my aged father
and mother-not TO gamble. | have
faced death a thousand times, and still |
have escaped; the balls Of an enemy
have whistlcd past my ears as thick as
hail stones, and the bursting bomb has
exploded at my feet; still have lived
oh, God! and for this! High above the
red tide Of battle, | have carried my coun-
try's ensign-and that won for me q
name among men--when not one COM
rade was left to tell Of the battle. es
capped unscathed. Why was | not killed
with the rest! All that was proud and
pleasing TO man, I have had and If
cnuld recall this last &C. 10y living upon
cdrTIon, sleeping IN pauper's grave, and
renouncing every proud act OF my life,
would do it. | was born in the same
village with this man: We have been
class mates together in the same school ::
received instruction IL the samc aged
man; we were born beneath The saIne
roof, and oh, God the same mother gave
us birth lie must not die--he Is nv
brotherw
\ And the gambler sank down in a
swoon upon uIe floor. The wounded IN n
raised himself upon his elbows; his glass
ed eyes wandered about the room as if
searching for some particular person.
"Mary," said he, g IS my brother vii.
liam here! Il" and the words clicked
in his throat, the gurgliug blood stopped
his utteraHce, and he sank back corpse
upon his pillow. The wife knels again,
but it was beside dead body, and ;nsok-