The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-08-01

q afraid his antagonist would mistru
/ now good his hand was and stop bettin.
!. but the betting went on, until Ambros
n mad placed his last coin on the table.
q "Shall go higherH asked the strans
er.
!, "As you please" said Ambrose.
[ "Then L must say another fifty" rt
piled the stranger. "By the trump 9
trumps! YOU shall have chance 10 wi
this time"
Ambrose hesitated a moment, an
. then he placed his hand In his bosom
and drew forth a package of bank-notes
There were four hundred pounds. |
was sum he had drawn from the banl
that very day. II was the accumulation
OF four years labor and economy, fo
the purpose of paying for his hou @ an,
shop. He drew out fifty pound not,
and covered his antagonists last stake
lie hesitated for moment, and then h,
drew another fifty and iswent that
over. The stranger "coveredn the Aft,
and event hundred MORE" Ambrose
covered the hundred but he dared bel
no higher, and he called forhis compan
ION hand. The stranger smiled as he
showed it -four queensl
Ambrose uttered a deep groan as he
folded his cards and placed them OH the
pack.
Upon my word, that's hard, nv
FRIEND" sand 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 twenty pounds. He be-
gan TO revive. Next he won fifty more.
lie went and got another glass of wine,
and then returned in better spirits.
But at the next hand hc lost one hun
dred. His spirits sank again, but he
was now resolved to play carefully 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 professed gambler,
nor did he now gamble at all for his
own amusement. But he had been
among gamblers much, and he could
handle cards as he pleased. And more
still, he could handle a nervous, excit-
able man as he pleased. He kept Am
brose in good humor him have oc-
casional flashes of luck-and, finally.
Just as the clock struck eleven, Ambrose
Dearborn staggered up from the table
-penniless! All-all was gone! His
four hundred pounds-the sum which
was to have cleared him from debt-the
sum which he had seen steadily grow
ing for the last four years was now
swept away.
The young tradesman staggered from
the house-he tried to borrow at first
to borrow something to commence again
to win back something, but no one
would lend. He made his way to the
street and without noting his way stag
gered on. BY and by he came to mar
row alley which led dawn to the water
side, and he turned down upon the
wharf and sat down on an old spar. He
had been there but few moments when
he felt a 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?"
asked the stranger.
"Leave me !" cried Ambrose. bitterly
"Oh, l would never see you more from
this time"
"But perhaps l may help YOU" re-
piled the other. "You are Young
enough to learn"
Learn !" exclaimed Ambrose. "Oh,
great heavens! and have not learned
this night what never-neyer-"
The young man burst into tears, and
his sobs were deep and painful.
Come, come," said the stranger,
'stand up and trust me, and l may vet
help YOU"
There was something so kind i'm the
voice that Ambrose could not resist,
and he arose to his feet.
Ambrose Dearborn" said the
strange man, 81 have this evening taken
from you more than four hundred
pounds, aud l do not think that you can
afford to lose it. Here we are, alone
and before God. Now promise me up.
on your honor as a man, that YOU will
never stake any amount at hazard again,
ahat never again will You play at my
game OF chance for the value of any
thing-and l will restore to you every
penny have won from you tonight"
"Here," said he, "here is the full sum
every penny-just as took it from
you. And now let us walk up into the
town again. My way is toward -
street."
$50 is mine,' whispered Ambrose, az
he clutched the money.
"Ah-then We'll walk together" said
the stranger.
"But tell me what this means?' said
Ambrose energetically. "Who are YOU
sir?"
"Never mind now," replied the stran.
ger. 81 will see you again, and then
will explain. But let us be on our W ay
for it is cold here"
| Ambrose for moment Stood like a
man in dream. Then he caught his
companion by the arm.
sYou do not trifie~ he said In hoarse
| whisper.
| "Give me the promise and see," re-
piled the stranger.
| Ambrose clasped his hands, and turn.
ing his eyes toward heaven, he 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
IL over.
On the way the stranger kept up sucl
a rattle of conversation that Ambrose
not only had no chance to mention the
subject of the evenings transaction, bui
| ~ haee tAAAAc ~ hoA AChNlCu lib wv IL QODl
his feelings had gone back into theil
wonted channel
81 would invite you ill.," said Am
brose, "but"-
s'Neyer mind" said the stranger
"Just let me step into the passage, for
want TO light my cigar"
OF course Ambrose could not objec
to this, and as he opened his door tn,
stranger followed him in. lie walked
thro' the passage, and as he opened tn,
door of the sitting room his companion
was at his back.
Lydia sat at her table, and her fac,
was pale but she had not been crying
for the words her brother had spoken I,
her before he went out had inspired he
with strange hope. She arose to he
: feet, and while her husband was wishing
that his companion had remained in th
! passage, he was not little startled b
hear the said individual speak somewhs
jocularly as follows: