Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-05-03

"there is but one hope. You may
save me, viii you do it?'o
eyes, you know ! will" was the
gentle response, @what can | do?"
&aYour jewelry! that diamond,
and your watch. These will pro
cure the means for play, and ]
may win back all I have lost. If
l should, I swear by the Heaven
above me never to gamble again"
Without one word she gave
them up. | knew them to be
| gifts of her parents, now no more,
and that she priced them highly,
but with a word of hope | left the
! house.
/ was met by the same dark
stranger who had won the en-
tire sum which l had lost. / had
played of late only with him. We
seated ourselves, and the game be
gan. The glittering jewel was
placed upon the table, and | lost!
Brandy! brandy" I shrieked,
"give me brandy or the most deadly
poison, l care not which. -
Glass after glass l drank, and
as the fires of the infaming bever-
age mounted to my brain, | still
| played on.
At last had lost every article
I nossessed. Ny partner sugges-
ted that we continue, as my luck
might change; but 1 replied l had
nothing more to pledge. .
ooh, yes" was the calm response,
E'there is your household furni-
ture.'
aFiend!" I cried. But the
morrow stared me in the face, and
| quickly drew an order for every
article. | played and lost.
'Let me die now!" | exclaimed
starting to my feet. Iwould have
left the room, but my partner had
caught me by the hand, and draw
ing me close to him, exclaimed !:
.'You have. one thing more that
you can pledge
"What is it, in the fend's name
what is it?"
"You have one more thing |
| would possess. I have won from
you eight thousand dollars. tits
all here. You stole it and to-mor-
row you will be called upon to
give an account. Can you re-
place the sum? q =
"Silence, you fend of darkness"
| cried, cor by the Heaven above
| shall add murder to my dark
catalogue of crime" pore 2
''Be calm, and / will propose a
plan by which you may win all
back" p " -
"Speak, in mercy, speak, l
| groaned.
"Here is the money you have
lost, here is the order for your
| household furniture. Should l
play with you no more, you are a
beggar, and soon will be a convict
| ed felon. Twill place these things,
all of them, against one jewel you
possess. It is your only chance.
Will you consent?" -
eyes, to anythingp | cried
"What is it lean stake against
these? Ny life?"
"No, yoatr sevfet' was the calm
response. go
/ sprang forward, and would
have torn my tempter limb from
limb, but placing a pistol to my
breast, he bid me beware. Istag-
gered, choking, to the sideboard,
| and drank deeply. Atlast | cried:
ayes, it shall be so! / will play
this stake, for I know [ shall win. Z
"Stay moment" exclaimed
my tempter. "We must have
things regular. Sign this paper. :
/ seized the pen and affixed my
name to the document, which
pledged myself to renounee all
claim upon my wife if the game
turned against me-
With fixed purpose-I I seated
myself and the game began: My
partner was calm, while / was
burning beneath the flames that
consumed me. The game proceed
ed, and Ilost one point. paused,
! seized a decanter of brandy, and
drank deeply Of its contents, but
this only added fuel to the fires
raging within me. :.
ION with the game Of DEATH
/ I cried, and with glaring eyes,
| and heaving breast we played