River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-11-30
MY LITTLE ROMANCE.

CHAPTER 1.
GOOD morning, Mr.. Lancaster. You
don't remember me-"
/ was standing in the brilliantly
lighted Karsaal of one of the minor
German watering-places, where |, Har-
ry Lancaster, then a newly fiedged
master OF arts, and reading for the bar,
was spending a part of my Easter
holiday. The room was thronged with
the mixed assemblage usually to be
found in such places, and | had been
amusing mysel; by specializing (proba-
ably very wide of the mark on their
character and fortunes. Two individ-
uals had especially attracted my atten-
ton. One was a young Englishman OF
about my own age, OF remarkably
pleasant and preposseSsing counte-
nance, though disfigured for the time
by the fierce excitement of his present
occupation. With intense eagerness
he followed the chances of the game,
his expression varying from joyous ex-
ultation to the opposite extreme, as
his ventures met good and evil for
tunes. Close by his side was tall,
evil. Hooking American, who, as 1t seem
ed to me, was leading on the young
Englishman and encouraging him TO
further hazards. | had been half I'M
consciously, studying the lines o nthese
two faces, and mentally comparing the
pair to Faust and Mephistopheles,
when was reused from my reverie by
hearing myself greeted by the name
above. The speaker was a man, of
gentlemanly appearance, with neat
mustache and closely shaven cheeks.
The voice seemed familiar, but some
how | could not succeed in recalling
the features.
Il ought to remember you, re-
piled, "but when or where we have
met haven't the smallest idea"
'sDO you remember being at the
Level and Cornerstone one evening
last December -
.To be sure do. But | confess my
memory is still hay. l seem to rec
ogniZe your voice, but | can't recall
your face"
POSSIBLY foreign travel may have
altered me little. And ] don't wear
quite so much whiskers as did then.
The mist suddenly cleared away from
my memory, and | was able to rec
oncile the familiar tones and the unfa-
miliar face. | had few months pre-
viously been spending the evening at
one of the lodges of the great Masonic
fraternity, and sat next to a gentleman
who charmed me by gentlemanly bear
ing and his varied information. And
| had been much astOnished on finding
afterward that the genial individual
with whom had fraterniZed was no
other than Ferret, the celebrated de-
tective. And it was Ferret who now
stood beside me, but so altered In ap-
pearance by the sacrifice of his whis-
kers and slightly different arrange
ment of his hair, that never should
have suspected his identity had he not
voluntarily chosen to reveal it. He
saw the CLEAN of recognition in my
face and anticipated my exclamation,
saying quietly:
s'Ah, | see you remember me now.
Let me give you my card as remind
err at the same time handing me a
card on which was printed, ''Mr. Ed
win Brown, dealer in French and Ger
man wines
Scarcely comprehending his mean
ing, began:
''But Surely you are
Accept my assurance that you are
mistaken, Mr.. Manchester, and that my
name for the present Is Edwin Brown.
am sure / can rely on your discretion,
or should not have ventured to claim
your acquaintance"
81 will endeavor to justify your. con-
fidence, Mr.. Brown. Will you allow
me to offer YOU a cigar 20
''Thark you," he replied, selecting
aweed with great deliOeratiOn. "Have
you been trying your fortune at the
tables Z"
s'Not at present; but / think will
risk a few thalers presently. / know
nothing about the game, however.
of your advice"
II will advise you with pleasure
not to play at all. You may depend
upon one thing--no outsider ever wins
in the long run, at places of this de-
scription and though you may begin
by stalking only a few shillings, you
will find that shillings mount up to
pounds and pounds to ten pound notes,
with alarming rapidly"
but why should not an outsider
winl Surely chance is the same for
all
"Chance, doubtless but chance is
a very small element in matters of this
description. Come, will make you
an offer-you talked just now of risk
ing few thalers. Are you disposed
to spend couple of sovereigns to be
quite convinced you had better not ven
ture on games of SO called chanceF'
with pleasure. am quite sure
they will be well invested under your
guidance.
s'Come TO me, then, in half an hour
II am staying at the Three Kings, and
you shall make the acquaintance of one
of the most distinguished professors
of the art of correcting fortune. Till
then. good-byi for | have, in the first
place, to find the gentleman in ques-
ton: and in the second, to satisfy
him that you are TO be trusted with
his secrets. Don't forget the Three
Kings. Mr.. Brown, Numero 49,"
was punctual at the rendezvous,
and found Ferret in the company of
an individual whom he introduced to
me as NJ. lie ChaYalier Koltoff, and
who greeted me with a ceremonious
bow, assuring me that any friend of
Monsieur Brown would always be the
object of his most distinguished con-
sideration. / returned his compll-
,,,aD{s -athaY. ON txx-ardlv am afraid