The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-02-12

hosti Whatl would you rush down
stairs helter-skelter, ct the immissut
risk a disturbing The virtsous dam
bses Of Madame Bauleau and her
charming isfantsi For shamsl Oh
serve me. and profit BY ny example. "
Even - be spoke. he rushed to one
Of the windows, tore down the curtains.
threw up The Ssh. and leaped out
fearle-sly into the gloom. We all
followed hin, and in the twinkling Of
an eye foupd ourselves in the garden.
Il vas q clear fall Of fourteen feet.
but the soil being moist and soft.
luckily No one was hurt. We struggled
on. still following the leadership Of
Maurice, over q wilderness or vines
and flower.beds, until We reached the
low wall upon our right; and upon
scrambling over It We f'und ourselves
in q narrow alley which led out into
the tboroughfare upon which Bauleauis
restaurant fronted.
''Select your psrtners!" exclaimed
Maurice. in his clear ringing tones
aud each one locked arms with who.
ever CHANGED to be nearest to him.
Delavigne himself being my most
immediate neighbor, l took his, and
90 reached the open street.
Once more I bethought me Of bis
great skill q . billiard player. which
I had once or twice been . witness of.
and regretted that had not selected
some one else; but it Was too late ia
repent, and 90 I said nothing. On
consulting our watches We found that
it Was half.past IL. being . full hour
later than any Of us had supposed.
A walk Of ten minutes brought Us
to the Toison dor. at that time one Of
the most elegant saloons in Paris. II
vas in the second story Of the building,
the -four above being occupied as q
fencing gallery.
Once inside. no time was lost in idle
preparation; but selecting six CONT
guous tables. We began to play ii
once. Delavigne. who knew that
was no match for him. insisted upon
giving me odds: but as ] resolutely
refused to accept of any, he was per
forced obliged to play me even.
I was in that state Of nervous ex'
element which. 20 far from diminish.
ing nv skill, actually assisted it. and
exceeded myself, while Maurice, al
though tn oil appearance playing with
care, counted very slowly. The con
sequence was that, much to my sur
prise, l won the game.
For his second trial he paired Of
With Laroque, who was even q worse
player than myself, and yet. strange
to s.y. Delavigne was again beaten.
He experienced Q similar fate at the
hands of each of his antagonists, and
finally vas left alone to play the last
game Of the series with the ''od,l
man." which unenviable position had
been selected from choice by the
younger stranger whom Lemoyne had
introduced Is the Count de Vautrin.
The chances had narrowed down "a
two men. I: was to be either the
or my friend. and . strong
foreboding as to the result took posses
sion of me, when the Count having
taken OF his coat and selected . cue,
advanced to the head Of the table and
spike thus:
Monsieur Delavigne. I have
narrowly observed your play. and feel
that to equalize the contests
between us you should have the odds
If at least one-half the game, which !
beg you will allow me tn give you"
He ceased. and there Vas . murmur
If appreciation among the students ut
his eenerosity-the more commendable
when the awful stake which depended
upon the issue Of the game was taken
into consideration.
Maurice bowed. and replied: "Sir.
I thank you for your courtesy. but /
cannot accept Of any odds; and. not
outstanding your estimate Of my
play, I think you will fiod that I need
nOne."
Not word more was spoken, bot
the balls were placed in position and
The game began. It did not require
half q dozen shots for me to perceive
that the Count Wa one Of the finest
amateurs I had ever seen. His con.
cepiion and execution were both excel.
lent. and would have reflected no dis
credit upon the first professional in
France.
But what positively astonished me
was. that in every respect DelAvigne
.eemed to be his equal. His play vas
magnificent, and in . few moments
The table was completely surrounded
by spectators. attracted BY TIE extra
ordinary skill displayed on both sides.
As the cUntest progressed, it Was
impossible to decide which had the
6rst one Was ahead and
hen the other; and finally. - the
termination drew near. % evenly were
hey matched. that when the Count
needed but one to complete his score,
Maurice only wanted three.
It Was the crisis of ths game. and
he excitement Was terrible. That Of
he other spectators seemed hardly les
intense, although Ne alone knew Of
he terrible duty devolving upon the
inai loeer. II was plain to me that
Delavigne-the generous fellow-had
allowed % to beat him. in
rider to take the whole burden upon
bis own shoulders.
I blamed myself deeply for not
,aving discovered Il In time for re-