The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-06-14


sire concealment, Of course ! say no more
but il strikes me you do not
You are right, said: y have no mo-
tive for concealment,' and | told him my
name, address, and daily employment.
He affected the utmost astonishment.-
80 YOU mean TO tell me, he asked, as If
utterly incredulous, that you are such an
infatuated ass as TO work at trade for
about thirty shillngs week, and yet play
snch game at billiards as have seen you
play? -.--
spshaw = said I; billiards are an amuse-
ment only; could no, make living by
billiards.
The deuce you could t2 Hark, ye, young
man, you have the means Of independence
in your hand, and you dom know it. Now,
listen to me. With such skill at billiards as
you have and such knowledge of the world
as could teach you, you might gain any
amount of wealth you chose
Cor, which is just as probable, might
lose what little I have
'Not at all. n You are afraid of that, |
will make you an offer. You shall quit
your trade, and place yourself under my
charge. | will take you all over Europe;
you shall make the grand tour at my ex-
pense; | will defray all charges of travel
ling, living, and clothing; you shall visit
| all the capitals, shall have your own valet,
and live like lord; and will give you
| clear three hundred q year for yourself
In return for which, said |, 4 am to
play where you choose, to win when you
choose, and to loose when you choose =
Just so, said ne.
Thank you; | will have nothing to do
with it,
You will be sorry for it, my lad; and if
you are such an idiot as to go grinding at
| beggarly trade for few shillings week,
| when you might realize an Independence in
| few years, you deserve to suffer-
Good night replied, and strobe away
home as fast as | could.
| had shaken off the tempter for time,
and felt in quite virtsous glow as walk
ed homewards through the dull streets and
| the driZzling rain which began to fall
Next day, however, as | stood at my work
in the dreary, cob-webbery shop, the vision
| which Mr.. CrannelS words had conJured up
to my imagination, returned with double
force, and in brilliant contrast to the sur
rounding circumstances. Ny avocaton,
for the first time, grew distasteful, and l
longed for the hour of release. When 1T
came, sailed out TO the sea-shore, at the
old spot, and dreamed away an hour there,
to the murmur of the subsiding gale. |
caught myself once or twice looking round
to see if Mr.. Crannel would make his ap-
pearance again. He did not come, and |
suspect that walked home that night with
feeling of disappointment.
On the following day, Crannel came into
the shop, while was left in charge during
the temporary absence of my uncle, and
bought few trifing articles, the selection
of which occupied him half an hour. He
now renewed his offer, and begged me to
think Of it calmly at my leisure, informing
me at the same time that he should remain
at the Ship for another week, and should
be happy to see me at any moment.
told him that there was no probability
that should change my determination; but
he must have seen that my resolution was
not so firm as it had been at our first en-
counter; and it is likely that he already felt
certain that | should swallow the bait. At
ter this, he waylaid me every night in my
walks, and thus, in repeated interviews,
from which had not the resolution to re-
frain, at length won me over to bis purpose.
| accepted his proposition, in terms with
which the reader is already acquainted, and
we drew up duplicate agreement at his
hotel, which was mutually signed, and of
| which each of us retained copy. Tbs
agreement bound me to him for three years,
| though it only covenanted that | should
render him my services whenever called up
on, for the salary named-nO reference be-
| ing made to the nature of the services.
| | had to make up tale to satisfy my old
uncle, who was most unwilling to let me
go; but he was appeased at last, and gave
me his blessing at parting. 1t was the Sc
cond week in December when stepped on
| board the steamboat with Crannel, and
| sailed for Calais. had never been to sea
before the passage proved most tempestu-
Gus, and the boat nearly foundered mid
way. was miserably sick, and longcd to
90 at once to the bottom. Crannel watched
and waited on me with almost woman's
tenderness-got me 10 bed as soon as we
touched the shore, and could not have man
| Tested more care and kindness had | been,
as people thought ] was, his only son.
| A nights repose restored me, and the
next morning an 'artist" made his appear
ance, who took my measure, and in few
| days sent in such magnificent wardrobe,
made in the recent Paris fashion, as quail
| fed me- in appearance at least, for any So
ciety in Europe. Meanwhile, Crannel made
me aware of the particulars Of his plan. l
was to assume the character of an English
country gentleman of fortune ON his trav-
els. was to be passiOnately fond of bill
lizards, and about as clever with the cue as
country gentlemen usually are-playing a
wild game, in a reckless, cautionlesS way,
and for obvious reasons, playing only for
moderate stakes. 1t would be his part to
comein occasionally during my play, when
he could make his own bets, either in my
favor or against me, as he chose and was
to win or lose according to signals agreed
upon between us. In order to avoid sus-
| picion, was to conceal my real strength,
even when it was most required, and to
win, when to win was imperative, as if by
accident rather than design. With regard
to the connection between US, it was agreed
that we should not appear too intimate, or,
| on the other hand, too distant and reserv-
ed; we were to be casual acquaintance, on
| good terms with each other, and sometimes
winning each others money at a quiet
morning game.
All these preliminaries being settled, l
spent couple of days in private practice
at a French table-the continental tables
being very different from those to which
had been accustomed-in order to familiar
ize rayself with their peculiarities and then
| we started by separate conveyances, | and
nv valet leading the way, for Brussels.
[ooNTIsUsD ro-solRow.l
| VIRGINIA e e1s sost44r AaRlcuIrU-
W1RN7NG TO TRENplSVEPy INn