Middletown transcript., 1880-02-07
Srlert gtorp.
PEARLS GOLD PIECE.
aRed wins !"

4 again and again reiterated, only al
versifed by that of "Red loses !" which
broke the stiffness in the superbly ap-
pointed room.
Hamburg, with the gaming table in
the center, round which was gathered
its eager Eotaries, behind whom were
the scarcely less, interested group Of
| lookers-on
| "Come away, my dear" said a very
lovely woman among the spectators,
in a low whisper to her husband 81
am sorry we came. This is no place
flr PEARL indicating, with a nod Of
the head as she spoke, an exquisitely
beautiful girl, scarcely more than a
child Of some twelve or thirteen sum
mers, who stood beside them.
"Come, Pearl r. the rather said.
But the girl stood entranced, her
ewes fixed upon a mans face seated at
the farthest end Of the table. 1t was
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 strange and
hard glitter, and were fixed upon he
balls as they swung round, as though
on the color uppermost hung his hope
Of life or death.
And 50 it was He had sat down
possessed Of fortune; he rose a beg
gar! Fate had pursued him with his
mocking hopelessness, until he had
played his last stake, only to see it
swept mercilessly from him.
He half rose from the table. What
more was to be done, save to 60 out
somewhere in the still night air, and
send bullet through his heart Or
brain?
It 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. 10 his excited lmagl-
nation she seemed scarcely mortal. III
her pure child-like loveliness. His
first impulse was to return her offering
he was not yet an alms-taker; but
again rang out the croupier's cry Of
command to take the stakes.
The child stood breathless in her
expectancy, her eyes burning with fe-
verish interest.
A sudden impulse overmastered him.
Without speaking word he placed
the gold upon the table
The next minute a small pile of
gold was at his elbow He staked it
all again. Again he won. a bright
spot of scarlet replaced the pallor on
his cheek, which spread and deepened
as Dame Fortune, who had 50 persist
emily frowned upon him, now reserved
for him only her smiles.
Morning was breaking when he
arose from the table, no longer des-
perate man, but with his fortune three
fold returned to him.
After the first winning he had turn
ed to return the child her offering, but
she had vanished. Should he ever
find her, ever repay the debt? He
knew not; but standing out under the
clear blue sky, with a great weight
lifted from heart and brain, Harry
Clayton vowed that it should be his
life search, but that the lesson taught
him should never be forgotten, and
the gaming tables should know him
never more.
Six years passed, and Harry Clay
ton was winning name and fame in his
own land il his profession as an ar
tist.
Standing one night in crowded as
sembly some one in passing touched
him lightly on the shoulder with her
fan, and glancing around, he met the
smiling face Of his hostess.
Come" she said, Il want to pre-
sent you to my belle. IF you can pre-
vail upon her to give you sitting,
and transfer her coloring to canvas,
you will render yourself immortal.
rs she then so beautiful ?" he ques-
toned.
'Judge for yourself" she lightly re-
joined, leading him to a little group
doing homage to the fair girl in its
"Miss Rayburn--Mr. Clayton"
we're the formal words Of the introduc-
tion, as Harold bowed in acknowledge
ment before the woman whom his ar
tistic eye confessed the most beautiful
he had ever met.
Befor5 the evening was ended he
might have added, the woman he had
ever loved, since she had awakened in
him an interest as new as it was
strange.
Through the next week the face
haunted him. They met again and
the charm grew and deepened. He
could not define it, he scarcely ac-
knowledged it to himself; only away
from Miss Rayburn he was restless
and uneasy, until he again found him
self within the scope of her fascina-
ton.
Yet her nature remained an enigma
to him. Although so young in years,
50 beautiful in form and feature, she
seemed cold even to haughtiness, reti-
cent almost to scorn.
It was as though some exquisite
marble statue had risen in his path
way, which might some day warm into
life.
She welcomed him whenever they
met in a manner which, while it gave
him 40 cause for complaint, yet chill
ed the hope springing within his
breast.
One day, on going to her home, the
servant met him at the door with the
announcement that she was very i'll.
This knowledge brought other knowl-
edge-the fact he could no longer con-
ceal from himself that he loved her,
and that on his hope Of winning her
hnnU his Iifa's hanniness