Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-03-13

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heavy a run m Of luck as this. said Thoran,s nj II
opponent, g and have; no, doubt your
friends will JOIN us i'm q! social sitsdown (;
| for il, you are as good at cracking a bot.
tle, singing assong, or telling al story, as
holding hand of cards, those who are
your friends are fortunate,n s..g;s ,ays.
81 81 must confess. (" said Thorn, ...thatI lam
not,of asconyiyial or musical turn though
/ can occasionally tell a good story 4
have little. history now, sir. upon my
tsoRPgue,s end. that will be Of ,npcommoh
!, 70 q, Tome Pray tell it. sir !" said the
gamester, Yitha laugh. H will be wind
UP for The evenings entertainment F'
II was now long past midnight. Alb
sorbed in the. excitement of the game, we
had scarcely noticed the flight Of time. .,or
that the adjoining rooms were now nearly
deserted by their occupants. and that the
other two players, at the other end Of the
apartment in Which we were, had finish
their own game long since, and been
spectators Of that between Thorn and his
opponent, and were now apparently inter-
ested listeners. .,-t t,--fs a.,'.,.=..,,.
- About three years since,'' began
Thorn, e a young man in Kentucky, the
confidential agent of large business 6rm,
was entrusted with sum of, money, and
commissioned to transact some business
in New Orleans !; it was his first visit, to
y the Ely he gdaar started happily. leaving be-
hind him young wife and lovely infant.
Unfortunately, upon one of the Mississippi
boats or Immediately upon his arrival, in
New Orleans, he fell in with professional
n man-7a N man n!.r Of play. / mean--you un-
The gambler nodded. and Thorn con,
tinued !: -.
= !" By the, en- management Mt Of this profess, fs
sional, the young man was enticed to, a
he'll, introduced to play. piled with
wine, stripped Of his money-in, short, TO
use professional word, 'plucked. !"
F ella ha the old story said the
gambler, I" the fate Of pigeons" t~5. .
You are very complimentary, but
that which interests you is yet TO come..'
"Indeed! Go on !'' I,-iis +..
F." The young man was perfectly sober
ed by his loss; he returned to the hotel /;
stung with remorse and half>crazy with
excitement, he placed pistol to his head
and blew out his brains, leaving a; tarn-
ished name for the inheritance, of his wife
and innocent child" a.,.f .,g, l.s.,,.
But what is all this to me q. said The
gambler, now pale as ashes beneath the
flashing eye of the speaker. Is it o.
moral lesson you're about to read here, or
sermon you have to preach % ~,
=, 20 WHAT is it to you?" continued Thorn,
his voice quiyering with excitement
!" All I'll tell you what il is to you. This.
meeting Of you and l tonight. which, for
three long years have sought, is. not.
mere chance. The hand of Heaven is in
it. Twas three years ago this very night
-ays, this, Very hour said he, glancing
at this awSastc watch. that the young man ]
spoke iof rushed madly into eternity
by his own hand--but his oppo-
nent at the card table is. he that
should be accountable for that deed Of
blood. The amount OF money he lost
was Just the, amount, 1 have this night
won from you-ttat very ring upon y0ur
finger is Ais 1 AN MS BROTHER, AND yoU
ARE his ASSASSIN !''.--'.t !'' ' ..,+.-
Thorn pronounced these words in
firm, clear. ringing voice. and, as he con-
cluded, brought his hand down with o
blow upon the table at which they were
sitting, which was instantly over turned
as he and his opponent started simulta-
neously to their feet. They were scarcely
six PAGES apart after springing from their
chairs and both drew their weapons as
they rose. .--5x ets. l..r-.-a-.Y
"Die. liar ]" shouted the gambler,
discharging his weapon the moment he
gained his feet The bullet ripped open
Tborn's waistcoat. and bis watch few in
fragments from the pocket, dangling by
its chain at the same moment his arm,
which was slowly rising. became as rigid
as that Of statute-the pistol he held
exploded, and the gambler fell back a
corpse upon the carpet. This all passed
so suddenly, ere we could interfere. that
we stood as il paralyzed for an Instant
the servants, alarmed nby the noise, and
the police came rushing into the apart.
meht. H-a+ sil.t 1 @ az "a
Thorn quietly surrendered himself,
merely turning to US and the others who
were in the room. saying, as he did so,
/" Gentlemen, bear witness. fred in self
defence, and that i received that Villain s
6rst IRE here" and he pointed TO his
shattered watch with smile, and turns
ing. left The room withgthe officersg r..
He was tried and acquitted, as IL was
clearly proven that his adversary fred
upon him first; The fact of the gambler
being notorious rascal, whom the com-
manity could we'll afford to spare. might
have had some influence with the jury.