Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-02-26
JOHN OGDEN,S LAST BET.

John Ogden nau conlracleu "'oiy
bad habit-a dangerous and a sinful
habit. Had any one suggested to him
game of cards to be played for money,
he would not have listened and yet he
was growing to be gambler, notwith-
standing. His sin was that of betting,
and it had SO grown upon him that he
would bet upon the result of things
most trivial or most grave. He was a
young man, not more than eight-and-
twenty, with wife and two children-a
wife true and loving, and children
bright and good. And John was good,
kind husband, and an even-tempered,
induleent father. He was book
keeper in mercantile house, upon a
sa.ary more tnan sufficient for all his
proper wants.
John Ogden's betting had come to be
a matter of emphasis and determine
ton. The habit had so fastened itself
upon him that he coald bet off-hand,
and pay a loss, or take a winning, as q
matter of course.
"Susan," he said, one evening, with
radiant face, "I have won fifty dollars
to-day" =
."How?" asked the wife, with a
shadow upon her face.
'tI bet fifty dollars that Popkins
would be elected over Shumway, and
Popkins was elected, handsomely"
"Whom did you bet with, John ?"
"With Charles Ashcroft"
Sand you took his fifty dollars ?"
rGertainly,-why shouldn't L? He
fairly lost"
"And you, I suppose, fairly won"
"Of course did.
"And do you think Charles Ashcroft
was sbleto bear the loss ?" =
"That isn't my lookout"
"I am sorry, John. I wish you
would put away that habit. Only evil
can come of it," ~ .~r e..
"Pshawl"
"Evil has already come, John. Your
heart is growing callous and hard.
Time was when you could not have
taken. fifty dollars from O poor and
nesdysfamily without a feeling of shame
and compunction."
sHold on, Susan! I don't want an
other lecture. 1 know what l am up
to. You don't know so mnch of the
world as I do"
And with this, John Ogden took his
hat and went out-wert out like COW
ard, knowing that if he entered into ar
gument with his wife. she would twist
him into labyrinth from which he
could only escape by an angry bolt.
Half an hour later Peter Cartwright
came in. He was q year or two older
than John, and was Susan's cousin
only a.cousin by blood, but as they had
been brought up from early childhood
together they were like brother and
sister in life and love. Peter sat down,
and chatted awhile, and found his
cousin aot so cheerful as usual.
You are not well, Susan?
81 am well in body, Peter, but sore
at heart"
"What is it? ?"
"I fear not to speak to you freely. I
am worrying about John. His habit Of
betting is taking deeper and deeper
root. To-day he has won fifty dollars
from Charles Ashcroft on the result of
an election. Last week he won forty
dollars on the race-course. I know his
temperament. He is headstrong and
impulsive. Can you not see the dan
ger?"
eyes, Susan, I have seen it this long
time, but have not dared to speak of it.
If John were cold-blooded and calcu-
lating, he might occasionally bet with
danger only of doing wrong to those
from whom he won money, but as it Is,
with his impulsive, mercurial tempera-
ment, there is other danger"
81 wish you could influence him,
Peter"
81 wish I could; but fear he would
not listen"
Cartwright took out his watch, and
said he must be going. He had left a
: friend at the Ashton House, and must
go back to him.
ct came down." he added, "to get
John to call up with him. You remem-
Der Frank Powers ?"
Certainly" said Susan, with a
Frightening eye. 81 was reading OF
him in the paper last night. He has
been made a colonel"
EYES," returned Peter, "and has
come home minus an arm, lost at An
tietam.".
"I should like to see him."
He shall call, He will be glad, !