Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-11-05
(eoaoludsd from fret pags'l


"Que Is ESQ T. said Vallejo turning
half round, and smelling ~ he spoke
al a superb flower which be Just plask
ed from one Of tho plapts IN the ball
eony.
"What's the matter T.
"rhe ace"-sad the person nearest
the window who thea paused ana hes
itated.
swell r. said Vaileja with u sheer
"lhe ace-what then II has won ] Sup
pose"
at has won"
"May biea 1t was to he expected
II would since | went on the King
And he turning around again. re-
sumed His tune, and his goz' Oh the
street.
"Ha de ser rico" .Nld the Spanla'd
TO another OF the players "lie must
be rich. Il wculd bo difficult 10 take
the loss OF thirty thousand dollars
more eoolly than that
Five minutes elapsed, during wb'eh
time tho bankers were busy counting
out their bank, IN order to see The
exact sum due them by the uniortp'
nate loser. When the jingle OF money
and rustic OF paper ceased, Nai't)a'
look ed round for the second time.
"How much Is there, senores 7 he
yried.
"Thirty thousand four hundred and
thirty dollars, Senior Conde,' replied
the sid Marquis, with q bow OF respect
for one who could bear such loss
with such admirable Indifference.
"Vcry good was the Counts
answer; "and here comes the man
that will pay YOU"
Accordingly, the next minute II
hasly step was heard upon the stairs
All eyes were turning to the door,
which opened, aud Rafael Solano en-
tered.
"Where is the Count 7" exclaimed
he in hurried voice and with dis
composed countenanc'.
Again every head was turned
toward the window but the count
had disappeared. At the same mo-
mepent fiom the street below, which
was quiet and untrequented one, there
rose an unusual uprorar and noise OF
voices. The mote players rushed to
to the windows, and saw several per
sons collecting around n man whom
they were raising from the ground.
His skull WAS frightfully fractured,
and the pavement around spriukled
with his blood. Rlfael aud some
others buried down, but before they
reached the street CounI Luis Vallejo
had expired. The gamblers last stake
had been his life.
When young Solano reached his
fathers house, and, repaired to the
Counts apartment, opened the desk
of which Vallejo had given him the
key, lie found that it contained neither
a,t-s or anything else OF value, but
merely few worthless papers. AS
tonished at this, and, in spite OF MS
prepossession in favor of the count,
feeling his suspicious u little reused
by what could hardly be an oversight,
he hurried back to the monte-room,
where his arrival served as the signal
for the catastrophe that has been re-
lated.
The same evening the amount lost
was paid by Rafael Solano Into the
hands of the winners. The following
day the body of the count was private
ly inferred.
After the lapse of few weeks,
there came letter from Mexico, in
reply to the one which Don Jose Sol
ano had written to announce the ar
rival of Vallejo His Mexican cor
respondent wrote In all haste, anxious
if still possible to preserve Don Jose
from becoming the dupe ola swindler
The Coun. Vallejo he said was the
last and unworthy son of a noble and
respectable family. From his early
youth he had made himself remark
able. as we'll for the vices OF his char
acter, as for the skill with which hi
concealed them under mask of agree
able accomplishments and fascinating
manners. His father dying shortly
after he became of age, had left hin
uncontrolled master Of his fortune
which he speedy squandered /; ant
when it was gone, he lived tor some
time by exercise of his wits, and by
preying on all who were sufficient.
credulous to con6de in him. At length
having exhausted every resource
......lI n