The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-10-24
THE HEAVY sTAkE--A TRUE
STORY.

lie was n man rather over medium size
with black hair and whiskers, aud q
handsome face, with clear, gray eyes,
who came into a gambling room in Sacra.
mento one night, badly under the inau.
ence OF liquor. lie sauntercd idly from
one crowd TO another gathered around tho
various gaming tables. When We met he
said
John, you oecn an old friend.
been here ten years now. Going home
to settle down. love Fanny, you know
and she loves me. Look here" hc con.
;inucd taking wallet from his bosom,
: here's ten thousand dollars in gold"
looked at his treasure IT. was pure
gold dust, gathered from the then pro.
lliic placer Of California. "Put that
away" said /. 4" Take il from this place
let mo 20 with you to your boarding
house at once"
Taking his arm ] cndeAyored 10 lead
him AWAY. But he resisted ~ man
who had resolved on his own course
VIII, silly drunken air, he said :--
/" What's ten thousand dollars for ten
years work When | left the States
10 come here, poor as mouse, Fanny
Morton promised 10 be miro aud she
shan't repent it. Such complexion and
such eyes nrc worthy n better fortune
than ten thousand dollars It's like her
throwing away her time waiting for me.
if don't 20 home with any more money
than that. Shall that dear little angel
be disappointed Never. I'll makc il
twenty thousand dollars TO night !"
lie started with unsteady step to-
wards faro table. Vaiuly stroyc TO
turn him from bis purpose. lie, how.
ever. stopped again aud said
4" Tell you, John, what you DO. If |
lose I'll bc bustcd-won't have IA cent III
the world. Maybe that would keep nc
hare another ten years. Size wouldn't
wait No long. couidu't stand chat, for
she has been my only hope fog these ten
years. So for nc il is twenty thousand
or death, aud never played game ia
my life. II fail. write TO Fanny aud
tell her all about it. Here, John. Dick,
Tom, Jones, Wilson. what'il you have p
4 crowd gathered around 10 assist him
! 10 iulbibc at the bar. | refused TO IL ink
| | had never seen him tipsy before. aud
now he was both drunk aud Wild Come
on, fcIlarx," hc shouted. waving his wal.
let oyer his hesd. 4" aud sec game ats
worth sccin' Here goes for ten thoa.
sand dollars on one bet !"
4 crowd began to gather around him.
- hc pressed toward table Every
Fother table was ioTaaken. i hundred
persons surrounded this table, iip-tocin.
with eager crrios;ty, TO see the progress
Of this heavy wager. Swinging his wal
let around with n dtuken, staggering
flourish, hiccough aud wild eye. this
man og less THAI thirty years oi age, with
his lies hopes. aud life itself placed on
Que cast, selected bis number, aud placed
his money upon il. saw the movement,
aud as he Withdrew his hand from the
com pleteI action, looked again 10 hts
face. Ills eyes met mine from the table.
/ lie was perfectly sober
Never shall forget the feargully aux.
ious expression OF the now terrified man.
Every faculty of interest seemed multi.
piled 4 hundred fold aud concentrated in
his face. All present. knew him, and in
dca;h.likc stiffness awaited the result,
which they know was TO enrich or TO
beggar him.
The right card turned up. My friend
had won. 4 hand was stretched fortl. 10
grasp the twenty thousand dollars, and |
made movement 10 thrust the robbcr
back, for such deemed him, as / looked
up from the table had been Watching
and missed my friend. lis hair was
black. This intrudihg stranger was a
gray headed man. 4 second look show
cd me that the uncomfortable agony of
suspense had turned my friends hair
white Twas not alone in :his discovery
for cry 9. horror burst from the asscal-
Died mass, following close upon the hear
| ty cheer at his success.
lie never after that drank drop OF
Intoxicating liquor, or played game OF
chance lie returned home by the next
steamship, and though his bethrothcd
was surprised at his grave face and gray
hairs, she attributed them to toll in the
mine for her sake, and chcerfully fulfilled
her promise of marriage.