The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-08-03

might as well have attempted to pur-
suade the hardened wretches who were
swindlng his father, to return to the
path of rectitudo- of honest dealing
On the third night Hardie found
himself the owner of about five hun
dred dollars His thousands had al
ready passed out of his hands.
81 will win all back or lose the re.
mainder before / rise, he muitered.
"Poor George, he added rs he glanced
at his son. Il ought not, for the boys
sake, to have given away TO my beset-
ting sin. But / could not help myself. -
The next moment his mind was alb
sorbed in the game. Fortune seemed
to be against him In few moments
he had but one hundred dollars left.
This he boldly placed on the queen
and calmly awaited the result Thus
waiting, he leaned his elbow of his left
arm on the arm chair, and while q
fresh pack of cards was being shuffied,
hid his face in the open palm of his
baud.
A number of SPECTATORS were at the
table, but none had ventured SO heav-
lily as Hardie, and they took their loss
es or their winnings with some degree
of equanimity.
A few seconds of silence followed
the placing of the deck" in the faro
box, and then amid the silence might
be heard the noise of the cards as they
were drawn therefrom and dropped on
their separate piles
Lost, said the dealer, in n low,
smooth, monotonous tone, aud ere the
sound of the voice had died away, all
the table were either paid or swept to
the other side of the banker The
queen wins he added, in the same
indifferent tone.
Bnt before the announcement ''the
queen wins, had been made, the son
observed that his fathers body slight
~ quiyered as with emotion, and then
remained passive as before Yes
Hardie had won. Fortune had at
length smiled upon him. His bet had
been added to by the bankers; but he
did not attempt to remove it. Was
he about to try his luck a second time?
Yes He made no negative movement.
Again the cards were dealt from the
box, and again Hardic's fortune was
in the ascendant. Bat to the surprise
Of the bankers and spectators. he per-
mitted his winnings to remain on the
fortunate card.
The mans either asleep, drunk or
n fool, whispered looker-on, Just as
the winning card turned up for the
eighth time, cor he wouldn't risk so
much"
Father, father whispered the boy,
as he saw with nervous excitement
the wealth which was at each minute
increasing on his parents side, at the
same time dreading with those around
its sudden loss.
Again, aud for the last time, the
queen turned up, and, TO the utter
amusement of the spectators, on the
side of the better.
For nine successive deals the queen
turned up Favorable to the better 1t
was extraordinary Arrange the pack
as the dealer might, an expert at the
game the card at each distribution, on
which Hardie bad placed his last hun
bred dollars, would turn up in his ia
yorl The hundreds had rapidly in
creased to thousands Of dollars. At
length, so exceedingly heavy had the
bets become, the entire company in
the saloon gathered around the table
and wondered at the temerty of the
man who dared so much-fo for as all
knew, one adverse card and the bank
would again have III its possession
the enormous pile of gold that now,
like huge pyramid, giittered over
and completely obscured the queen.
For a moment the bankers and
dealers consulted togeather, and then
the latter said, in a calm but not al
together steady voice:
"The bank viii receive no more
bets tonight 1t is closed. "
The announcement that the bank
had been broken seemed to release
the tongues of the spectators, who IN
stantly set up a cheer at tue unwonted
event.
Father, father, cried the lad, "the
bank is brokenl All this is yours
Come"
There was no movement.
A stranger took hold of the hand
Hardie had placed on the table, and
with an oath declared that he believed
the man was stupidity drunk and
didn't know what he was about As
he attempted to remove the hand he
suddenly started back, and before he
could open his lips to express his sur
prise, Hardie's head fell heavily for
ward and struck the table
A slight examination told the tale.
The poor gambler was dead.
Subsequent inquiry proved that he
had died of the disease of the heart,
brought about by undue excitement.
The bankers, not forgetting their
interests, set up claim for the mon
ely they had lost, but this was over
ruled 1t was given to the boy, who,
without unnecessary delay, returned to
the States" What became of him
afterwards | never learned.
The body of the Dead Gambler lies
little ways out of Sacramento. Nc
tombstone marks the spot where the
infatuated man sleeps his last sleep.