The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-02-14
ATough Story.

ATough Story.
WooINa KENTUCKY GIRL-THRowINa
DroE-S100,000 AGAINST A LADy's
HAND.
A Louisville correspondent of the San
Francisco Chronicle says:
There lived on---street in an un-
pretending establishment, surrounded by
trees and flowers, young lady who was
celebrated for her beauty and accomplish
monts. She was agblonde, with blue eyes,
white teeth, and heavenly smile had
the prettiest hand and foot that was ever
seen and was tall, 1.-THE and elegant
Her wit was delicate, pointed and spark
ling, and her mind as superior as her
person was lovely. The town was at her
feet, and her suitors were as importunatc,
if not as many, as Peneope's; like whom
she was continually woocd and never won.
In the midst of her successes came the
war, the end OF which found her family
impoverished, and herself reduced to want
for the neccssaries of life.
But she was still the same proud, i'm.
perious mistress of hearts as before, and
she refused in quick succession the many
offers of marriage that were now made to
her. She had not thought of matrimony
as resource, but had other and different
prospects in view She proposed, in fact,
to teach school.
A fellow townsman, gentleman of
wealth and position and bachelor, had
been silent worshiper at her shrine.
He had houses and lands-estates in the
country and lots in the city-stocks, in
tercsts and investments wherever they
would pay and his private establishment
on-street was simply palatial. See
ing how the case stood with her whom
he loved with his whole soul, he resolved,
after many self.communings and much
reflection to ask her to be his wife.
Sir she said, in answer 10 his pro.
posal, Il do not love you and cannot
marry you
Think the matter over. my dear, said
he, 'and in one week from to-day give
me your answer
Upon his return on the day set She said
to him.
Sir, you have wealth. and | am poor
you live in palace, and |, as you see, in
a cottage; you are desirous of having
my hand, and would like very much to
be rich. will make proposition,
will throw the dice with you-my hand
against hundred thousand dollars j.
it a bargain ?"
at is" said he. And therenpon they
pledged TO each other their words to abide
the hazard.
1t was arranged that but three person
should be let into the secret; that each
should select friend and that the two
selected friends were to choose the third
Miss--named the Hon. Mr., a
prominent member of the bar, as her
friend Mr.-chose the Rev. Mr.
pastor of the fashionable church on
street, as his; and these two made choice
of Dr., an eminent professor in the
medical college, as the friend ofboth par
ties. BY these gentlemen the prelimina
ri were arranged, and the programme
was this
The doctor was to give a party at his
house on certain specified Friday even
ing, at which were to be present all the
best people in Louisville; the Hon. Mr.
was to have a license in blank, ready
to be filled at moments warning, and
was to hold Mr.--'s check for 500,
900; and the Rev. Mr.--was to be in
waiting to perform the marriage ceremo.
ny, if called on to do so. The dice wei C
to be thrown in the Hon. Mis- study
whence the quiniettc were to proceed to
the party, where, if Miss-lost, they
were to celebrate the wedding, and if she
won, they were to mingle with the guests
without remark.
At precisely niue o'clock on the event
iul evening, the players and their friends
met in the Hon. Mrs study. By
agreement of the parties themselves,
they were to throw poker dice, and to
cut cards for the first throw. The gen.
tleman cut queen and the lady jack
and now came the tug of war. He was
cool, calm and pale; she was statuesque,
imperious and collected. His lips were
compressed; hers were formed into an
extended are, spanning the whole mouth
and completing the bow. The twain sat
on opposite sides of small table, and
the umpires stood overlooking them.
The dice box being set before him, Mr..
placed his fingers over the top, and
with the thumb clasping the side, he gave
it shake. He threw two fours and two
duces. Putting aside the tours he threw
again, and threw another four. Then,
throwing the two remaining dice, he
threw two tiyes. lie had thrown, there
fore, full hand three tours and two
iiycs.
And now came Mis- turn. #
was thrilling moment, and the rustic Of
hersilk dress in the stiffness of that room
sounded like the tree tops in the wind
She began by throwing off her right glove,
exposing Il hand Of exquisite beauty and
delicacy, on the foreingcr of which
sparkled diamond. Then, taking W
the dice box quickly, she gave it long
shake in the air, and turning it down
she threw--nothing a cloud thereupon
passed her face, and the arc of her lips
assumed a more bow-like curvature.
But, nothing daunted, she at once re.
took the box and threw again-this time
throwing up four deuces, and the fifth
dice cooked Terrible mischance. Mis-
cradle luck Again she threw, and
threw deuces and two trays. Putting
all the dice back in to the box, she had
but one other and last throw upon which
now rested her only chance. For the
first time since she sat down she spoke,
asking for glass of water. Having
drank tumbleriul, she sat for moment
pressing together her eyebrows, between
her thumb and ioretinger, and then all OF
sudden, she snatched up the dice box
threw-three fours and two skies, and