Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-10-03

Will lttupci duo SSNAh' s ~
me to have thrown away all!-it is
enough to make me desperate"
He stepped to the window and
flung it open. The wild wind flung
the driving rain in his face as he stood
staring at the leaden sky of the
March morning.
"You are hssty and intemperate, "
replied the gambler, ,coolly. ''YOung
men are apt to be so. Because you
may win tomorrow. Every pursuit
has its alternatives. The gambler rs
chance for or against is only q trifie
better defined than the others. When
your luck is at ebb is no time to give
up--"
81 will never touch cards sgain,
Victor interrupted, sullenly. II have
had enough OF them
my dear boy" was the cool, in.
solent response, "you will be Obliged
70 touch cards again. shall invite
you to breakfast with me. But how
are you to pay for your dinner'
Lang staggered. Here was his
situation painted in sufficiently coarse
eolors. He was in truth penniless
During this mad night just ended he
had staked and lost even his watch
his mothers ring-a single diamond
of purest water. He had no money
and no credit. Two years Of wildes
extravaganza, OF reckless pursuit o
pleasure, had sufficed to render th'
heir of all the Langs beggar. And
he was oniy twenty-three. ...
Mr.. Lueas turned off the gas. TIN
ghas.ly, dismal daylight penetrated
the cigar smoke which filed the room
and showed the soiled cards throw,
under the table, upon the Turke,
carpet: the glasses Of brandy an
wafer unnn the sidshoard, and tn
h,grar6i lines in the faces of th
men.
The gambler approached his vic
tim. anil he laid his hand upon hi
shoulder. There was a quaver {
human emotion in his voice as b
spoke
"Lano, these are hard lines.
have travelled the road myself. Ther
! Is but one way to rectify yonr blnnde
. Ignore the crowd who will ignore yo.
Give straight-laced responsibility I'll
go-by. Be one of Us"
He spoke as IL on the moment
Impulse, but in truth he bad been b't
ing his opportunity TO speak the Wor'
0 for six months past.
Lang turned upon him with q iof
of withering contempt upon n
!. Young, handsome face. 1t was ST
in his power TO despise the man wi
;. had ruined him. sus4s
"There," hastily added Luca
: "don't consume me on the spot WI
those fiery eyes. Take time to thir
!. the matter over. Your purse
:. empty, your reputation is gone. st
!; worse, as / understand it, you ha
made way with your Cousins i,t'
fortune entrusted to your care. he
a. and where are you going to. beg
+ anew? Will you keep books or 81
!. dry goods--providing you can find
employer--for salary which W
n enable YOU to live in q third-ra
l.. boarding house, attend church in ct
Z ton gloves, and sit in the gallery
, the theatre two or three times ot
n season? Even at its very best aspe'
IS what will atone to you for such a III
n. such a threadbare, comfortless, pro
life? Will the mere sense OF respt
h, liability do it? Victor, it will not.
}, know you to well. :"
ID. The Young. mans head had drt
ned. With his height, and brea'
ch Of chest, his long blonde hair a
sv. clear grey eyes, there was still son
ns thing babyish, so to speak, in
iO. iO. look: o wistful longing for love
rs help, shrinking from what was rou
and hard. His tempter's words ]
the told upon him. He realized the sh
tn. by, laborious lite which awaited h'
with disgust. Nothing but so
idle iefned instinct, which he cal
M. sense of honor, held him to 1t.
4. "If had only let alone the mol
which was not mine, / could end
va the rest" he groaned. His pr
v. Iwaa broken. He hsd fallen
w. enough to complain to the man
..,. bad rsined him.
.ch "Tllere 10 way to retrieve. y
errors, was the soothing resper
"But this;s not the time to discuss
nth. Come, you are my guest for the hf
a. Follow me!' He passed his
bird through vicsor's, and led him n
: 80 the fatal apartment with the 9
chill creeping over its feverish di
NJ, der. ga wa,m bath is your first
ontb source. We will meet again in th
y ~ 10 quarters OF anhour--at eight; )"
opening the door into luxur
.rcn, .aS bathroom, bis host bowed and t
ed away.
A servant, silent and adept, ws
7 srst ~ hand, to quietly prepare the b
/. n. snread out the toilet appurta
from a costly dressing case, and
(. %, to inquire il he should brush l
their s;eure's coat befoe he retired.
char tor mechanically give him his cIo'
He was wondering, with q cu
= on lin amp dazed BRAIN il It wss.
that he was accepting the hosp
ties of q blackleg?
t7r. His brain grew clearer In the
isat TIe remembered his education,