The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-20
WON BY CARDS.
"EorC Christine.

went on.
1t was wild, weird scene, which. perhaps
could not have been witnessed in any othe
part of the globe.
A group of men, in every description @
, dress, numbering no less than a hundred
: stood looking on-some in silence. som
uttering oaths and bandying coarse jokes, a
woman in the Colonies, fleece her last victim
Two weeks bsfore she had announced tina
she should set her daughter up to he played
for. If the man lost he was to pay madame
one hundred pounds; if he won. Christine
was to pass into his hands, the madam's con
troll over her to end.
This was madames latest desperate game
and in anticipation Of this she had kept hel
daughter in seclusion. Only few had evel
looked upon her face, and those few raved SC
about her beauty that it infiamed the hearts
of their comrades
Tonight she had stood before them. Never
had their eyes fallen upon such loneliness
Madame arrayed her in costly robes; but even
though she had been clad in rags her rich,
radiant, dusky beauty would have bewildered
| the eye.
Her beauty infatuated the beholder, and
one ky one the men advanced and flung down
their one hundred pound stake, and one by
| one they arose defeated, while madam's ser
want swept the gold away.
| Some risked, but the game went or; others
played game after game, until their pockets
were cleaned out, before they would give up.
rich harvest tonight. What lucky thought
it had been!
Her skill in cards was something almost in
their sorrow. Hardly miner, with his bag
of gold, came down from the mountains
whom the madame did not lure into her den;
and once in, the fascination would be SO
strong that, when they went out, they did SO
ruined Some had retrieved their fortunes;
others chad gone to the dogs" aud many a
poor fellow had filled a suicides grave.
Tonight but few had intended to play
when they entered, but now the last victim
was 81 ting down. He kept his hat slouched
over his eyes; no one knew him. He had
dropped in to look on; he had no intention to
have anything TO do with this ''hellish game"
as he called it.
Madame played like one possessed, but her
good luck was leaving her. She laid down
no card her opponent could not defeat, and,
as the game progressed, stiffness reigned,
every sound died out-all were absorbed in
seeing if, indeed, Christine Dupray was to be
won tonight.
One card more! Madame threw the pack on
the floor in rage, and the stranger arose,
saying:
'Christine is mine y
A wild, deafening cry arose though de-
feated themselves, the men were glad some
one had won her-madam could not play
that game over.
The stranger advanced to Christine: he saw
the wild look Of alright in her beautiful,
dusky eyes, aad his voice intuitively became
softer as he said:
sect your hat. This is no place for you.
You will be safer with me than here" glanc-
ing around upon the rough, wild group.
AS one in a dream she obeyed him, aud the
men parted to let them pass out. Madam
said no word of adieu to her daughter; she
only muttered curses upon the fellow whose
skill was greater than her own.
The stranger took the girl to a hotel, and
early next morning he took her Ito parts I'M
known to those who had tried to win her;
but, in realty, only to place her in good
boarding school in one Of the cities.
He paid for years tuition in advance. He
gave them his address, wished them to write
twice year and inform him of her progress;
and then, bidding the girl to keep to herself
all Of her history, he took his departure.
Four years passed away. Christine's BEAU
ty had Increased, not diminished. She had
AOt lCOhcu uUOu Ice SudIuidu IuCc, lOI dS
such she spoke Of her owner, but he was ever
Even now, all the swarm of wild faces swan
before ner vision aud made her sick at heart.
From the little ignorant fourteen year-old
child she had developed into q glowing, edu-
Gated, refined young lady Of eighteen; and
now q letter came addressed to herself. It
read: ..
ut is four years since saw you. Your
school days are drawing to close. l am
coming to ask you to be my wife, and 60
with me to a home of your own"
There was ne word that she belonged to
him, nothing that indicated his ownership Of
her, but she shrank back from the letter with
alright. She could not meet the man! She
dare not meet him What must she do?
She went out in the open air. At a little
distance she could see a steamer at the wharf,
almost ready to leave for the Australian shore.
A wild thought of escape came into her mind.
She had been kept we'll supplied with money,
which she had made but little use OF. Per
haps she had enough now to take her far
away. She returned to the school, secured
her money and jewelry, and then fastened to
The boat.
zEShe had just time. to write a note before
The plank was pulled in, and amid cheers
and good-bycs the boat started on her jour-
QoV. Onc purchased b tlcKoI, making an eX- |
;use for coming so late that she had just re- !
,eived letter which summoned her to
England.
Two days later Mr.. Hardcliife made his ap- |
pearance at the school and asked for his !
ward, Christine. The matron handed him a |
sealed envelope. 1t contained a note she had
scrubbed on the moment of her departure. |
She wrote:
II cannot stay to meet you. am now on
board the Eagle, and before you get this viii
be far away. / am not going out of ingrati-
Jude. remember what you have done for
me you rescued me from degradation worse
han death, and have given me an education
which but few in this country receive. And
now out of the goodness of your heart, not
knowing how else to dispose of me, you are
willing to marry ms rather than allow me to
be cast upon the world friendless. Such an
lct cannot permit. You shall not be bound
70 Christine Dupray, daughter of the wicked
sst woman in the Colonies The blight
would be fatal to us both. leave my thanks,
md Christine will pray for you as long as the
breath Of life is in her body. Farewell, for