Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-24

mars Gestiny 70 fold her hands and wait.
ere car revsr he quite sure unless n has
spostn ont Then perhaps another who has
learned Ia love her. does speak She fe,ls
the reed Of love In her life; women as often
| marry 10 be loved as because they love.
| Then, Instead of wasting her life for that
/ which may rover come 10 her. she taxes I'd
4 The tate lying nj her feet, Does she 20 80
very much aStray'-'
! Iumley'S Partner r~o,,pns. his heat mn,
MS breast Poor girl! I never thought of
do rot know Just how it was thai re-
Z membered all the words - plain. There was
! 10 more said. and. feeling guilty-like for
/ steahng POOR mates score, for me u know
! ! crept 10 my shaniy, hunked in. and le; The
/ broken pick lie over until morning.
away felt sony FOR Lumley's Partuer
/ after that.
Well, for time things went on in the old
! way. Then Lumley's Partner came down
( with mountain fever. and Lumley nurSei
bin through IL. He was a. tender a. "A yo-
/ man. WAS LUmley. When 1 u>ai 70 drop N
I OF nights, occasionally, To lend a hand at
4 Watching. the SICK mans eyes would follow
nm ahort Vie room. in a helpless. beSeech-
ing way that was pitiful 20 see
II was only the ghost of I.umley'S Partner
/ that got up from u. but The two were always
/ higher Together after that
When Lnolley got back 10 the claim. and
iufpleyS Partner was Just able 10 crawl
atcul. they came into a won lerful streak OF
! luck. hUmley struck into a big pocket. and
mere hey were in the turn OF die, rich
! men; Mining. after all. is game OF chance
! yCu buy ) our ticket, but IL does not always
wiz; there are plenty OF blanks 10 every
| prize.
II does not matter the exact amour. this
| prize melted, II had RENE mt ereNi a.. Ium-
/ ley was jghIlant over this pile" anxious to
| sell out, and leave the mines: so nobpfy was
surprised when his partner bought him out
l"f a GcCd round sum, saying. in his quiet
W1N. mat he guessed he'd stay and Sc the
| thiTg through.
IL was very quiet in camp the morainr
| that Lumley went away. The BOYS were
sorry la lose him. for he had not any bat
| Wcll-w. hers among US.
Well six months went by. ami then came
| nltle white letter, "scri bed I'm dainty
WGEanls nand. 10 Lumley's Partner. The
man tremhltd all over like a leaf when N WIS
| put into his hand, took IL into his cabin, aui
shut fast the door. Within the next half
| hour he came out again IN desperate hurry
sadaled his mule. and rode of down the trail
Unexpected business" was his haSty eX-
| be back.
Tie news came 10 us at last by n Marty oC
traders, stopping TO noon in camp. Then 1
hne" what those marks OF weakness about
ms mouth stood for; Lumley had never LEFT
me cltyatall' lie had sat down 10 the gam
lng-table. one night, and gotten up from il
the next morning, poorer than he had come
| INTO the mines. He had first won, then lost,
ana lost and won, and lost again: and then
tlat last total blank stared him in the face
LumIey could never give up at that. lie
must win IL all back! Luck was surely In
store Tor hlm yeti He haunted the gambling
bells, play wing reckleSsiy, DIES perately SO long
| as be could win enough 70 keep the ball rolf
ing; PAVING his watch, his ring, even his
clotblng, when other resources failed.
So Lumley's Partner found him-heavy-
EYED, with a seedy fashiness in his dress,
MARKS OF dissipation on his fair, womaniSh
| lace-a pretty nearly plsyei-out Individual.
Inc b'ood rushed all over his face, for the
InahllneSS yet left in him could bat feel the
| shame of that meeting. But there was mo-
him 10 one side
"Tve heard OF you, old man. !" he SAL. in his
hatter1oi-faet way, land I've come to see you
You up. and have a trifle aheadc'.
Lumley never raised his eyes
Old pard = he answered, choking up.
you're better friend than deserve Don't
ASK me 10 take anything frorr you. / went
| ia win my eyes open, and, thanking you all
the same, II have noboty's help out"
Lnmley,s Partner laid a broad hand on
each OF The pltltully dropping shoulders.
ODD man, when the fever had me down,
"a Ia gone under IL it hadn't been for YOU
30 help me God! "a rather ha' died than
nave taken what did az Your hands. Doyou
| dare deny me this small return, now? What's
| a paltry sum of money between YOU and me-
ana the little mother waitin' at home?"
Iufnley put down his head upon that, and
| cried like baby; the which. IL Ii be not man.
~, L Ike him the better for. There are tears
am thhlnking, that are far from disgracing
even The eyes OF man.
I'M ashamed Of myself, through and
through, Tor what's gone by" were Lumley's
next words, but l can't give it up now.
Matters can't be any worse, and there's a
chance OF lettering: Perhaps, Tonight, /
| shall win il all back"
There were the old willfuIness and pride.
and the new fascination ofthe gaming table
There was no turning him back no moving
him from that resolve.
Lumley's Pardner took him by the arm.
| he said. Come"
So night after night, as Lumley played,
mere stood Lumley's Partner looking on,
win never word OF that little white letter
MS answering message. or the two passengers
ON board an ocean steamer bound for Califor-
MIA.
Despite LumIey's hopefulness, luck never
turned. IL was the same feverish unrest and
tedious waiting, the sense of degradation by
DAY, and at ght the brilliantly lighted
gambling bell, the excitement, the fascina-
ton, trembling betwixt hope and uncer-
tainty, the frequent rotations TO steady his
shaken nerves, and, as the night wore on,
uncertainty deepening into IA lure and disap-
pointment; and each morning Lumley.s
Partner led him slowly and silently away
untll time, wearing Oh, brought al last this
For Gods sake, old man, when will you
| let up?'
$50 help me heaven, rs soon as get back
TWO thousand dollars, swear never TO touch
cards or dice again" And Lumley was dead
In earnest this time. Still, he would accept
nothing from his partner.
The night the Ocean Belle was signaled into
port, Lumley's Pardner beckoned "Mente
Biii" aside Il reckon you have heard of Monte
Bin, The best brace-dealer and short-card
PRAYER so, west OF the old Mississippi and some
In the midst of "A game, Lumley's Pardner
lell Dis post, which was something unusual
passing Monte Bill or his way to the door II
was not generally noticed, but as he passed
ne dropped a small, compact package into
the gambler hand; then, slouching his SOM
brero over his eyes. he LETT the hall.
IauslnS ia the street, Lumley's Partner
looked anXfously down. 1t would have been
dark hut Tor the street lamps, for it was full
TWO hours 10 mOonriSe; but down by the
wharf shone out the CLEAN of q new signal
light, which, poised at masthead glowerei
through the dark like the fiery eve off gil
gantlc Cyclops; the Ocean Belle was i'm. Ten
minutes later, pushing his way through the
bustllng crowd that Ibronged the deck, he
hurried across the plank and made his way
straight 10 the cabin.
The past seemed all a dream, as he stood
again with wildly beating heart before a
once familiar form-familiar still, though
nearing The maturer crown of motherhood.
her race was even fairer than OF old, blush
ing with its own wild-ToSe tints Of loneliness
ner SOFT eyes shining up in glad expectation.
Ihe broad sombrero, slouched over his fore
mead, shaded his features. She saw only
bTonzed cheeks and a strong, brown heard
The treinor in his voice might have meant
diffidence.
Pardon me. madam, you are-I believe
lzE ss