The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-07-29
cards and pin, and took my seat with
as much comDOsure as allv of the paint-

cards and a pin, and took my seat with
as much composure as any Of the paint
ed old hags who were then fiocking in
to settle down for the evening, but
among whom I resolved never to
appear again. At first I watched
the Spaniard's play he Wen almost
constantly. When | thought the mo-
ment had arrived for my venture, l
threw down the ten fiorins.; 1 staked
on cOuleur-cO,aenr gdnge-twenty
forms. Now l have thirty. 1take up
the piece first threw down, place it
in my pocket, as talisman to be pre-
served at all hazards. Twenty forms
remain on the tdpis now sixty; SO on
to the seventh time, when nine hun
dred fiorins are before me. Town that
1 then became little excited, and had
nearly gazed upon my winnings too
long. The rSpaniard, who seemed to
regard me in the light of an eleue,
grew slightly agitated, too. Is that
your stake? some one askek. NO. /
answered, and raked it toward me.
Another moment and the whole would
have been shot !" ii'"
"You left off then, having won so
much, suppose
80 no, madame. A voice was ring
ing in my ears. Go on and win
there is not yet enough However, /
missed the next round; put the 900 to
my left for winning, the old six to to
the right for the losing stakes. Twice
I threw down ten, and lost them; but
now, to test the system, 500 forms are
my stake. 1 have Won! Try again.
One thousand florins; there are 1000 I
see. draw them away; another ten
lost. The Spaniard throws away thir-
ties; but his winning stakes are higher
than mine. Let me keep my head
clear; 1 am going to greatly dare
You remember 1 have 2,4OO. There
they are, notes and gold. 1 stake them
all on cOueur-cO,leur .gaage-and
have 1900 forins ~
=" And you were then satisfied?'
Not quite, madame, continued to
play until ten o'clock, when to my
own great satisfaction, and the envy of
Mr.. and Mrs. F., retired from the ta-
BILE with 11,2l0 florins! What the
Spaniard won 1 know not, but it was
a very large sum; and between us we
broke the bank.n
IT fear you will be tempted there
again.,
"Never! AS IIeft the table vowed
solemnly, though mentally, never
again to look upon the t0pis cert, nor
to enter a salon dc .ieu- / have passed
two days of feverish anxiety, two
nights of utter Sleeplessness; and the
painful alienation of hope and fear,
caused by the excitement of my two
axra,,i.,ns of tho inn IA t,1a hoc,
seemed to add years to my age. But
do not think that retain for myself
any portion of the money I gained be-
yOnd the 600 florins 1 lost. L should
ever hear that sad voice calling, Have
pity on my children!'"
"This morning went to the ply
sician who was called to attend the
poor widow, Madame Loberg. He told
me that, with perfect quiet, She might
he restored to a more composed state of
mind. Her husband, he said, had
been SO much respected in Frankfort,
that for his sake and his family's the
creditors were disposed to arrange for
the business being still carried on, and
for allowing time for the payment of
her debts. This had been communica-
ted to her, and last evening he fouHd
her more tranquil. At once / went
over to Frankfort, and sought an in
terview with the head of the firm, to
whom the physician had given me a
letter. He, suppOsing me connected
with Madame Lorberg, gave me full
particulars of her engagements and
embarrassments. Eight thousand flo
rims, he said, would free her entirely
which sum, to his amazement, paid
on her account into his hands. By ap-
pOintment I afterwards met the physi-
clan, and he took me to see his pa
tient. She recognized me immediate
ly; for my face was associated in her
mind with the memory of THAT fatal
evening at the roulette-table, and she
became greatly agitated. BY degrees
it was explained to her that came on
her cry of agony had been heard by |
Him to whom it was addressed; that |
God had had pity on her children.
Poor woman, she knelt, she wept, she |
prayed. The physician did not inter-
rupt or check her emotion. 1t would |
do her good, he said. 1 left her, and |
hastened back, well satisfied.with my
mornings work. l shall carry not a |
fiorin of the money 1 have won out of |
Homburg. / can very beneficially dis
pose of what have left, for the poor
and the destitute are to be found every-l
where. And now, madame, 1 return |
you the ten f1Orin piece, with, every |
feeling of gratitude for the kindly III
terest that led you to offer it."
" am indeed grateful that good has
resulted from it; for / confess that / |
only anticipated evil"
"All has ended well; my dispatch
is answered; the Countess will not hear
of my leaving her family, for her
daughter is greatly attached to me.
She tells me, too, that she and her son
will arrive here to-day to meet her
Lady Melvin"
Indeed! then you are the compan-
ion and governess, MademOise.le, of
Lady Emma B. How strange that we
met in the heschloss-garden! Yon know,
perhaps, the object of my husbands
journey to England, and that he has
= f,fgf+
81 know that he las prevailed on his
father to-"
'To recognize and receive, after four
years of marriage, the portionless wife
and her child. But was not the Span
lard waiting for you at the Brunnen ?"
He was, for he has observed that i
usually come down for glass of water
at this hour; but as l shall no longer
be in Homburg alone, 1 shall be re-
leased from his unwelcome attentions,
which, 1 fear, from what he had to say |
to me to-day, would probably soon be-
come troublesome. However, the |
blame is chiefly due to my own folly"
A child's voice was heard outside the |
arbor, Mammal! Where's mamma? |
Arthur's papa is come back"
A gentleman is leading the little boy |
toward the ladies; of whom, as our
story is ended, we will take our leave.
Easy Life In Russia.
-. -. 1.- N