Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-10-23

Good evening" said the stranger in I
pleasant tone, as he poured ont a tum
bier full of water from the pitcher anC
drank it. Ambrose returned the saluta
ton. ''I came in to take few minutes
recreation at cards." said the stranger
"but find no friends here"
$50 did l." answered Ambrose, -anC
my friends are missing.
Then suppose we take hand ol
two, just to pass away the time until
others come" said the stranger,
with pleasure" said Dearborn.
Accordingly the two sat down, and
were soon on the most friendly terms
The cards were dealt and for awhile
| the playing was on a small scale and the
luck about even. By-and-by Ambrose
began to win, and he went on until he
had won more than twenty pounds. He
would have felt somewhat ashamed had
not his antagonist maintained such good
humor and smiled so kindly when he
lost.
But anon the luck changed. Ambrose
lost all he had won, and soon lost TWEEN
ty pounds beside. He had just ten SOW.
ercigns more in his pocket, and this he
took out. A new hand was dealt-he
was the non-dealer, aud therefore con.
sidered to have an advantage over his
opponent-he held four jacks. Twas
the best hand by far that had been out
during the game, it being the first squa-
torze" he had seen during the evening
He bet sovereign. His antagonist cover
ed it and went another sovereign higher
81 have an excellent hand" said the
stranger with slight laugh. Il have
held better ones, but this is good.
shall bet high on it"
Ambrose did not speak. He was excl
ted. He was afraid his antagonist
would mistrust how good his hand was
and stop betting. But the betting went
on until Ambrose had placed his last
coin on the table.
"Shall 1 go higher?" asked the stranger
"As you please" said Ambrose.
"Then l must say another fifty" re-
piled the-stranger. "By the trump OF
trumps! you shall have chance to win
this time"
Ambrose hesitated a moment, and
then he placed his hand in his bosom
and drew forth package of baSsk-notes.
There were four hundred pounds. II
was the accumulation of four years
labor and economy, for the purpose OF
paving for his house and shop. He
drew out a fifty-pound note and covered
his antagonists last stake. He hesitated
for a moment, and then drew another
fifty and "went that" over. The stranger
covered" the fifty, and event hun
dred more" Ambrose covered the hun
dred, but he dared bet no higher, and he
oonaJ Gov biO ,oou1panior1'c hand The
stranger smiled as he showed it-four
queens.
Ambrose uttered a deep groan as he
folded his cards and placed them Oh the
pack.
upon my wordi that's hard, my
FRIEND" said the stranger, ''but better
luck next time. Come, I'll deal for YOU
this time.
A new hand was dealt, and this time
Ambrose won thirty pounds. He began
to revive. He went and got another
glass of wine, and then returned i'll bet
ter spirits. But at the next hand he
lost hundred. His spirits sank again.
Rut he was now resolved to play care
fully and win back what he had lost, and
then stop.
There is no need of following the game
step by step. The man who held those
cards was not a professional gambler,
nor did he now gamble at all for hrs
own amusement, But he had been
among gamblers much, and he could
handle cards as he pleased. And more
still, he could handle nervous, eXcita-
BILE man as he pleased. He kept Am
brose in good humOr-let him have oc-
40 nf In inSt
as the clock struck eleven, Ambrose
Dearborn staggered up from the table
penniless! All was gone! His four
hundred pounds-the sum which was to
have cleared him frcm debt-the sum
which he had been steadily growing for
the last four years, was now swept
away.
The young tradesman staggered from
the house; he tried to borrow first-to
borrow something to win back some
thing, but no one would lend; he made
his way to the street,and without noting
his way he staggered on. By-and-by he
came to narrow alley which led down
to the water side, and he turned down
upon the wharf and sat down on an old
spar. He had been there but a few mo-
ments when he felt hand upon his
shoulder. He looked up, and by = the
moonlight he could see the dark face of
the man who had ruined him.
why do you sit here in the cold y
asked the stranger.
Leave mew cried Ambrose, bitterly.
"Oh, would never see you more from
this timer
"But perhaps may help you" replied
the other. "YOu are young enough to
learn"
Learn exclaimed Ambrose. "Oh,
great heavens! and have l not learned
this night what never-never"
The young man burst into tears, and
his sobs were deep and painful.
"COme, come" said the stranger,
"stand up and trust Inc, and l may yet
help you"
There was something so kind in the
voice that Ambrose could not resist, and
he arose to his feet.
Ambrose Dearborn" said the strange
man, Il have this evening taken from
you more than four hundred pOunds,a
l do not think you can afford to lose it.
Here we are alone and before God. Now
promise me, upon your honor as man,
that you will never stake any amount
at hazard again-that never again will
you play at any game of chance for the
value of anything-and will restore to
you every penny have won from you
to-night~
Ambrose for moment stood like a
man in dream. Then he caught his
companion by the arm.
You do not trife?" he said in a hoarse
whisper.
'Give me the promise and see" repli-
ed the stranger.
Ambrose clasped his hands, and turn
ing his eyes toward heaven, made an
oath embracing just the proposition
which had been made to him; and when
he had done his eyes sank to the earth,
and he burst into tears. The stranger
took roll from his pocket and handed
it over.