The mountain Democrat., 1864-11-26
OUTDONE By AN ACTOR.
TALE OF TIE MISSISSIPPI

We were going to New Orleans andSat
<,slEO We took aboard party IYSs not
happy to see, not Git Of &C. dom GGe
snags walking on two legs. The party
consisted Of man about thirty or thirty.
five years old, with bis wife and a young
badly and his mother. The young man
was what call hard character. He
wore a gray coat and pants, and purple
velvet vest, and a massive gold, or it
might be gold plated, chain across the
breast. His long black hair was curled
and shiny, and smet like barber's shop.
He bad a red fluffy face, and his eyes were
black and wicked, He had been what
many people call good looking good,
do not think he could have been with
such a mother. She was tall and state.
~ woman-qnite as tall as her son, and
about half century old. She wore a
false front, and forehead was shaved to
make it look more expansive and intellec
tual. cannot answer for her age very
accurately, for she was made up altogeth
er in the highest style, and was dressed,
even on the steamboat, in the richest
MORE antique and the costliest lace. -
There is not sin Of the civilized world
that was not written on the wOman's face.
| have seen great many women, with
little enough that was womanly about
them, but never saw one who seemed
to the so bad as this gamblers mother.
The fact is, it was party Of gamblers
| The poor little wife was trained stool
pigeon, and even the pretty little baby
was dressed to attract and lead to ac-
quaintance. The wife was very pretty,
but struck me as q strange compound
She seemed loving and gentle, as | dare
say she might have been in other circum-
stances. She was dressed too well, and
wore too much jewelry. This after
wards found was not her fault She was
made to play her part in attracting her
husbands victims. The coquetry Of her
appearance did not correspond with the
expression of her face There was a sad
look in it that made me pity her. They
had come from Canada, they said, and
were going to New Orleans. kept my
eyes on them; and so | found, did the ex-
perienced chamber maid, who had been
on the river too long not to know such
customers at first sight.
Among our fellow passengers was gen.
tleman who called himself Mr.. Browne,
~hO seemed to me to be either an actor
travelling incog, or a gentleman who in
tended to adopt the dramatic profession.
! We got acquainted over a sherry cObbler,
became intimate with our noses in our
two first mint julrps, and we had little
private party in our corner, he amused US
by initiating those on board, or others We
happened to know. very cleverly. Among
the rest he took Oft the rOue-ooking gam.
bier, ROdden, as he called himself, and
the stately mother. He had made up his
mind about them pretty much as | had
made up mine.
Among the other occupants Of the great
cabin, where society gets about as well
m'nglcd as you ever find it in this world,
was young man. a Mr.. John Greene, a
master carpenter from Chicago, going to
Memphis. lie was simple, honest and as
Verdant as his name; he got acquainted
with everybody aud told OF his means, in
tentionS and prospects, as il he thought
every body as innocent as himself. Rod.
den made a set at Greene as soon as he
heard that he bad money. but not by ma
king the first advances The old lady
talked with him in the most motherly way
about his home, his prospects and sweet
hearts. The young wife, who seemed at
times To scorn everything near her. smiled
on him sweetly, and gave him her baby to
hold. Whoever she may have feared or
hated, she loved the baby. 1t was, | be-
iievc. the bond that held her to the gam
bier and his mother and made her do their
internal bidding. But for the baby, she
mi2 ht have jumped into the river to es-
cape tyranny that hour by hour became
more apparent to me, as | watched the
drama ,laying before me.
Rodden, of course, had made up his
mind to plundei the young carpenter, and
it had to be done before We got to Mem
phis. They had played in little family
party at whist and euchre for candies and
champagne. Greene most generally won.
and was confident in his luck, and little
proud of bis skill He was fascinated also
with the pretty woman, who could wind
him round her fingers. Then he tried his
hand with Rodden alone, and won thirty
dollars, as he boasted TO Browne, at half a
dollar a game. Ii was of no use to advise
him. He was as conceited as he was hon
est. Like very many green persons, he
believed himself an excellent judge Of
character, and as sharp as a needle.
The night before we were to reach Mem
phis Rodden and Greene were playing,
and Greene was flushed with luck and
drinking more than usual. Browne watch
cd them till he was tired, and turned in
at about II o'clock. Then Rodden and
Greene drank more, or stronger drinks
than usual, and they played for higher
stakes. 1t was the old story -infatuation,
madness, and, of course, the loss Of the
last dollar Greene had in the world. Then
came another insanity, worse than that OF
the drunkard and the gambler the inSan'
ity Of despair. Instead Of going to his
berth, he assembled TO the hurricane deck.
Then he took off his coat and vest, and
wrote on scrap Of paper with pencil
this just legible note:
ITO TIE CAPTAIN OF THIS BoAT.-Rod'
den has robbed me when was drunk, OF
three thousand dollars, all have in the
world. | am going to drown myself
Please thank Mr.. Browne for me and tell
him l am sorry did not hear to him.
JoHN GREENE"
This paper he pinned to his vest, and
then quietly jumped into the river; but he
was not born to be drowned--not that
time, anyway. There was a cry from the
watch on deck, of a man overheard.
sprang out of my state room with Muster.
Save him, Musterl' said I. The dog
didn't need another invitation; he caught
him and held him up, just as he showed
you, until the steamers boat picked them
both up, and brought them on board
again. -------.-------..-.