Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-11-11
Major SproOt (whO had won the stake,

by the way,) looked extremely discon
certed, and turned toward the Irishman
as if for an apology, but the latter cool
" @hispered-
4 did it on purpose. You may picE
up the pieces and put them in your pock
ct if you like. I think I've spOilt yOul
little game, my darlint'
Major Sproot angrily shrugged his
shoulders, nuttored something about an
awkward boor, and, picking up. his win.
niugs, turned to leave the room, when the
Baron de Kolli laid his hand on his
wrist.
You'll just go on playing, my jewel,
he whispered-'just for one little half
hour. I want to see how you'll get on
without them cats-back barnacles of
yours. Ifyou don't I declare I'll pick a
QUARREL with you and blow your brains
out before sunrise tomorrow.
The Baron de Kohl looked as though
he could be as good as his word, and Ma
jor SprOot went on playing without his
tortoise shell spectaeles, He stuked low,
till the Baron whispered to him that un-
less he punt on the Napoleon's a little
faster, lie should be compelled to carry
cut his promise. At the end of half an
hour, Major SprOOt had lost eight hun.
dred Napoleons.
And now, he said Familiarity, taking
the Majors arm, we'll just stroll to the
roulette room, and see what they're do
ing there
'Tush! I don't want to be ruined,
quoth Major SProot. Iplay 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
kursaaI; and when they had reached
secluded nook, the American said:
i suppose you're not oyerburdened
'ith worldly wealth, Barou?'
i am as poor, he replied. as Job, or
q gentleman could wish to be
4 thought so. We'll, you have bro
ken my spectac!cs, and sPoilt, az you say, /
my little game; and besides, you have
killed the goose that laid the golden
eggs. I could easily leave you bafled
and uncertain; but like peace and qpi-
etness, and would rather not have a spy
watching my movements. Here are five
roa!eaux, each containing hundred Ma
PoIeoris, for You to hold your tongue for
torty-eight hours, by which time shall |
be across the French frontier. VIII that
do2' a7-z
The Baron bowed, and protested his !
@;erual gratitude. The Major gave him I
the money, which he lost within fort
night at roulette.
As for Major Sproot, he discharged
his bill at the hotel, and leaving hand
some gratuity for the servants, left AK
the next morning in a post-chaise for
Belgium. lie forgot, however, to bid
farewell to the Princess Schmutsikoff and
MadcmOlsolie Catlin; and, after his de-
parturc, it was discovered that the rubies
and diamouds he had been SO liberal
disposer Of we're all paste.
As for his tortoise shell spectacles, and
the connection between those apparently
harmless aids 70 weak sight and his en-
ormous gains at cards, that little mystery
WIS not cleared up until ten years after
wards. In 1926, a man named Gougen-
helm was tried before the Criminal Court
Of Aszzes at Cologne, charged with half
a dozen acts of forgery and swindling.
He made, after conviction, a clean breast
Of it; and, as is usually the case with re-
pentant rogues, volunteered the confess
ion of great many crimes of which he
had never been suspected It appeared
that. at the time of the Congress at AK
a-Chapelle, he had been in a large way
Of business as a manufacturer of playing
cards. Thousands of packs of the 'Dev-
is books were wanted to assist the Con-
gress at their deliberations, and Gougen.
leim made them ALL He had been for
i long time, and in multifarious and ne
.arious transactions, in league with the ;
pseudo Major Sproot, a Polish adventur-
sr who had spent many years at the
French galleys. These worthies hit up
IN a very notable device On the engra-
red backs of the cards Gougenheim pla- .
led certain cabalistic marks, denoting I
heir color and value, quite invisible to s
The naked eye, but discernible by pow
,rful magnifer. And the tortoise-shell
3pectacles were simply very strong mag
lifying glasses. How Kolli ever got an
mixing of the fraud was never discover
ed; but large fortune had been realiz-
ed by the tortoise-shell spectaeles before
The disappearance of Major Sproot. Ere
he finally levanted, however, he contriv- ;
ed to swindle his confederate out of his
share n the plunder; and, weighing all
The pros and cons in the matter, and,
ndrinr him hv q nnrelu human stnnI In