Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-11-13
LITTLE PEARL.

RED wins"
Itwas the croupier's hoarse cry, again
and again reiterated, only diversified
with that of "Red losesp which broke
the stiffness in the superbly-appointed
room at Homburg, with the gaming
table IN It's centre, round which were
gathered its eager vOtaries, behind
whom were the scarcely less interested
group of loOkers-On.
Come away, my DEAR" said a very
lovely woman among the spectators, in
3 low whisper to her husband. 81 am
sorry that we came. This Is no place
for Pearl, indicating, with nod of the
head as she spoke, an exqisitely beauti-
full girl. scarcely more than child of
some twelve or thirteen summers, who
stood beside them.
"Come, Pearl!' the father said.
But the girl stood entranced, her
eyes fixed upon st mans face seated at
the farthest end of the table, 1T was q
strikingly handsome face, even when
wearing, as it now did, an expression of
calm, born of desperation. No tinge of
color was in either cheek or lips
His eyes shone with a strange and
hard glitter, and were fixed upon the
balls as they swung round, as though on
the color uppermost hung his hope of
life or death.
And so it was He had sat down pos
sessed of fortune; he rose q beggar!
Fate had pursued him with its knocking
hopelessness, until he had placed his
last stake, only to see it mercilessly
swept from him.
He half arose from the table. What
more was to be done, save to out
somewhere into the still night air, and
send bullet through his heart or brain.
. 1t was at this moment the girl, with
flushed cheeks and half parted lips
darted to his side.
"Take this" she pleaded, for my
sake, and pressed a gold piece into his
cold hand.
He turned. To his excited magma.
ton S he seemed scarcely mortal, in hel
pure, C hiidlike lovliness. His first i'm.
pulse was to return her offering-he
was not yet an alms-taker; but again
rang out the croupier's cry of COM
mand to place the stakes.
The child stood breathless in he1
eager expectancy, her eyes burning
with feverish interest.
A sudden impulse overmastered him
Without speaking word he placed the
gold upon the table.
The next minute small pile of gold
was at his elbow. He staked it al
again. Again he won. A bright spot OF
carlet replaced the pallor on his cheek
which spread and deepened as Dame
Fortune, who had so persistently frown.
ed upon him, now reserved for him
only her smiles.
Morning was breaking when he 70 c
from the table, no longer desperate
man, but with his fortune three-fold re-
turned to him.
After the first winning he had turned
to return to the child her offering, but
she had vanished. Should he ever find
her, ever repay the debt? He knew
not; but, standing at last out under the
clear blue sky, with a great weight lifted
from heart and brain, Harold Clayton
vowed that it should be his life search,
but that the lesson taught him should
never be forgotten, and the gaming
atbles should know him never more.
Six years passed, and Harold Clayton
was winning name and fame in his own
land in his profession as an artist.
Standing one night in crowded as.
sembly, some one in passing touched
him lightly on the arm with her fan.
and glancing round, he met the smil
ing face of his hostess.
Come" she said, 81 want to present
you to my belle. If you can prevail
upon her to give you d sitting, and
transfer her coloring to canvass, you
will render yourself immortal"
Is she then SO beautiful" he ques
Toned.
Judge for yourself" she lightly re
joined, leading MIN to little group do
ing homage to the fair girl in its centre
Miss Rayburn-Mr. Clayton" were
the formal words of the introduction, a:
Harold bowed in acknowledgment be
fore the woman whom his artistic eye
confessed the most beautiful he haG
ever met.
Before the evening was ended hs
might have added the woman whom ht