The weekly Butte record., 1863-11-07

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He had placed tie heel Of one Of his
Hessian boots on the glasses, and
crunched them into hundred frag-
ments.
Major Sprott Che had won the stake
by the way looked extremely discon-
certed, and turned towards the Irish
man, as if for an apology ; but the
latter coolly whispered
Il did it on purpose. You may pick
up the pieces, and put them in your
pocket, if you like. l think I've spoilt
your little game, my darlint.''
Major Sprott angrily shrugged his
shoulders, muttered something about
"an awkward boor,,' and, pocketing his
winnings, turned to leave the room,
when the Baron de kolli laid his hand
on his wrist.
"You1l just 60 on playing, my jew
el,' he whispered, " for one little half
hour. | want to see how you'll get on
without those cat's-back barnacles Of
yours. lfyou don't, | declare that I'll
pick quarrel with You, and blow ont
Your brains before sunrise tomorrow"
The Baron de kolli looked as though
he could be as good as his word, and
Major Sprott went on playing without
his tortoise-shell spectacles. He staked
low, till the Baron whispered to him
that, unless he put on the Napoleons
little faster, he should be compelled to
carry cat his promise. At the end of
half an hour, Major Sprott had lost 500
Napoleons.
And now" he said Familiarity, tax
ing the Majors arm, ''we'n just stroll
to the roulette room, and see what
they're doing there
"Tush. | don't want to lie ruined,"
quoth Major sprott. & play to win,
and not to lose, Baron. Here, come
this way; and We'll settle this little
matter outside"
They walked into the garden of the
Kursaal; and when they had reached
a secluded nook, the American said
Il suppose that you're not oyerbur-
dened with worldly wealth, Baron ?" .
- am as poor" he replied "as Job,
or gentleman could well be-"
q thought SO. Wei, you have
broken my spcktacles, and spoilt, as
You say, my little game; and, besides,
you have KILLED the goose that laid the
golden eggs. l could easily leave you
baffled and uncertain; but ike peace
and quiotness, and would rather not
have a spy watching my movements.
Here are five rouleaux, each containing
a hundred Napoleons, for You to hold
your tongue for forty-eight hours, by
which time | shall be across the French
frontier. VIII that do y
The Baron bowed, and protested his
eternal gratitude. The Major gave
him the money. which he lost within q
fortnight at roulette.
AS for Major Sprott, he discharged
his bill at the hotel, and, leaving
handsome gratuity for the servants, left
AK the next morning in post-chaise
for Belgium. He forgot, however, to
bid farewell to the Princess Schmutsi-
koff and MademoiselIe Catin; and after
his departure It was discovered that the
rubies and diamonds he had been so
liberal a dlsposcr Of were all paste.
As for his tortoise-shell spectacles,
and the connection between those ap-
parently harmless aids to weak sight
and his enormous gains at cards, that
little mystery was not cleared up until
ten years afterwards. In 1925, man
named Gougenheim was tried before
the Criminal Court Of Assize at CO.
logne, charged with half a dozen acts
of forgery and swindling. He made,
after conviction, clean breast of it;
and, as IS usually the case with repent
rogueS, volunteered the confession Of
great many crimes Of which he had
never been suspected. 1t appeared
that, at the time Of the Congress af
Aix-la-Chapelle, he had been in a large
way Of business as manufacturer Of
rla virf- 90 III tt |on-on3- of m cl-, &C