The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-06-27


lost He trembled. Foscarini laughed at the
smallnes of his stakes. With hand which
appeared instinctively to draw back, Stephen
placed his last ten louis before him; he held
three duces in his hand, and gained hundred
louis from the Partisan banker.
At five in the morning he had won two
hundred thousand piastres, the banker eighty
four thousand, the naval officer twenty thou
sand, and the other two more than thirty thou
] sand.
I 1t was Foscarini who had lost all that.
The gamblers drank glass of punch, and
amicably gave each other rendezvous for the
evening
Evening came, and the play Of the one pre-
ceding had been that of child in comparison
with it. Angelo Marquis of Foscarini lost all
that he possessed-all his palaces at Naples
and Florence-all his villas at the foot of
Mount Vesuvius, and his property in the Cam
pagna at Rome; his gold, diamonds, horses
ALL
The day broke through the crevices of the
shutters; through the double curtains the day.
light cast its pale light, which made that of
the expiring wax lights of the red glare which
we fancy an examination of the internal re-
! gions.
Of the six intrepid players, four of them
looked like statues. The immense losses of
their host, the piles of money and o Us
placed before them, had petrifed them. Only
two men there found words or movement.
These were Foscarini and Stephen. The for
mer was searching in all his pockets for some
thing more wherewith to gamble, and he found
nothing. Never before had man in this
world such a physioghotny as that one.
At last he advanced two flaming eyes close
to the others face, and in a low voice, which
seemed to roll in his bosom like distant and
threatening thunder, he said:
| (eMopciour oil tbot T poScaec iS uoI1rc. hat
those other gentlemen have trife, but
you-at this present moment-you might say
to me 'old man, leave my housep
"Marquis" exclaimed Stephen.
"Let me continue" cried the other, inter-
rupting him. owe met at the waters Of Pyr-
mont; at the Casino of Naples also. Young
man do you recollect that twice I told you that
your attentions to my daughter were displeas-
ing to meF'
"You loved my daughter then, and had a
right of showing you the door. But you loved
her, did you not?'
| eyes"
"Do you love her still? Say do your"
81 do, with my whole heart and soul!'
"Well, then. III stake her.
At these horrible words, all the gamblers
started up, electrified and speechless; but with
clasped hands upraiscd- towards Stephen, and
| DY LQG 0ApTeSSiOu O1 IuelT idCeS
to refuse But he? A flash of heavenly Joy
lit up his countenance. He endeavored to
clasp the hand of the Marquis, but he was
coldly pushed back; and seeing that play had
made a mortal enemy of that man, he drew
himself up with nobility of feeling to which
his antagonist was stranger, and said, In
solemn tone:
esMarquis, if yon will accept me for your SON.
in-law, here before these gentlemen, on my
7 a1oh hoe all haxyo
lost But 1 fear it will be useless hoping -"
"Perfcctly| replied the Marquis in tone of
rage.
"Well, then," answered Stephen, coldly, "I
accept your proposal.
| The spectators uttered cry of horror.
Foscarini looked at them, from one to the
other, with smile of contempt, and replied to
Stephens last words with
"Whatever you please"
There was a terrible pause.
'I play your daughter" said the young Off
Ger Of Trabans, "against all that possess, both
here and at home, against my paternal inheri-
>tance, my name, my position, honor-all!
""Tis well, replied the Marquis, and he
flung three cards upon the table.
They were three aces.
Stephen, without looking at his own, turned
them up.
They were three tens, and the fourth of that
number also.
"Four tensp exclaimed the naval officer in
terror.
s'Four tens!" responded the two planters and
the Partisan banker. And as all foresaw some
fearful catastrophe, they picked up their hats,
collected their winnings, and prepared to de-
part; but as they were saying good by to the
Marquis the ruthless gamblers even were af-
fected by the countenanee of the father who
had lost his child, whose face was bathed in
tears; that millionaire, who was reduced to beg
gary, seemed to ask mercy of the young man
who won all.
."Marquis Foscarini," exclaimed Stephen,
advancing towards him, and speaking in a
trembling voice, "this is a horrible dream; you
have lost nothing, have gained nothing"
tI have lost nothing?" cried the old man.
with bitterness; task those who have gone
away laden with my gold if have lost nothing
If my countenance, and my tears say that, my
face and tears Gei'
Thus saying, he disappeared before any one
could stop him. Shortly after Stephen found
himself alone in the apartment.
1t was eleven in the morning:
The young officer picked up the papers, the
engagements, and the o US scattered about,
and flung them into the fire. He wrote to tell
Olympia what had passed, and then he quit the
hotel.
Fifty steps from it he saw crowd of people
advancing On litter they were carrying
man who had just been taken out of the water.
It was Foscarina. He had just been saved
in time to preserve life.
Eight days afterwards Stephen, at midnight,
entered his own apartment, and was informed
that two persons were awaiting his return up
stairs. They were Foscarini and his daughter.
tsMy visit at this hour surprises you, doubtless,
Monsieur" said the Marquis slowly; 'never-
theless, soon or late, it was necessary I should
come. am here to redeem my engagement.
You have won my daughter; here she is. 1
bring her to you. I have used no force to ac-
complish it; she has followed me willingly. Is
it not so, Olympia?'
He asked this with bitter smile, and then
continued.
"I have now no daughter, but you have not
a wife yet, Monsieur Stephen. I will never
acknowledge you as nay son-in-law Your are
not noble enough for that Olvmnia cannot