Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-10

the trump Of trumps, you shall have chance
to make pile this time"
Ambrose hesitated a moment, and then
he placed his hand in his bosom and drew
forth package Of bank notes. There we're
four thousand dollars in the whole. Il was
a sum he had drawn from the bank that
very day. 1t was the accumulation of over
four years labor and economy, for the pur.
pose Of paying for his house and store. He
drew out a hundred dollar bill, and covered
his antagonists last stake. He hesitated a
moment more, aud then he drew another
hundred and event that over. The stran.
ger " covered" the hundred, and went FIVE
hundred better" Ambrose covered the five
hundred, but he dared bet no more, and he
called for his companions hand. The slran-
ger smiled as he showed it-four queens
Ambrose uttered deep groan as he folded
his cards and placed them on the pack.
BY my soul, that's hard, my friend. But
better luck next time. Come-Il deal for
you this time"
A new hand was dealt, and this time Am-
brose won hundred dollars. He began to re-
vive. Next he won two hundred more. He
went and got another glass of wine, and then
returned in better spirits. But at the next
hand he lost five hundred. His spirits sank
again. But he was now resolved to play
carefully aud win back what he had lost,
and then stop
There is no need of following the game
step by step. The man who held the cards
was not a professed gambler, nor did he now
gamble at all for his own amusement. But
he had been among gamblers much, and be
could handle cards as he pleased. And more
still, he could handle nervous excitable
man as he pleased. He kept Ambrose in
Lat L. n
of luck-and finally just as the clock struck
eleven, Ambrose Dearborn staggered up
from the table-penniless All, all, was
gone His four thousand dollars-the sum
which was to have cleared him from debt
the sum which he had seen steadily growing
beneath his efforts for the last four years
was now swept away.
The young merchant staggered from the
| hall-he tried to borrow 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 not
ing his way he staggered on. By.and-by he
came to narrow alley which led down to
the water, and he turned down upon the
wharf and sat down upon an old spar. He
had been there but few moments, when
he felt hand upon his shoulder. He
looked up, and by moonlight he could see
the dark face of the man who had ruined
him.
"Why do you sit here in the snow 2"
asked the stranger.
leave me" cried Ambrose, bitterly.
80, | never would see you more from this
time !"
"But, perhaps, l may help you," replied
the other. "You are young enough to learn"
Learn o, great heavens and have l
not learned this night what never-never-"
The young man burst into tears, and his
sobs were deep aud painful.
"Come, come" spoke the stranger, stand
up aud trust me, and may yet help you. /"
There was something 80 kind in the voice
that Ambrose could not resist, and he arose
to his feet.
"Ambrose Dearborn" spoke the strange
man, 81 have this evening taken from you
over forty-two hundred dollars, and do not
think you can afford to lose it. Here we are
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"
The young man stood for moment like 9
: man in dream. Then he caught his com
panion by the arm.
! "You do not trife ?" he said in hoarst
. whisper.
r "Gve me the promise and see."
| Ambrose clasped his hands, and, turning
his eyes towards heaven, he made an oatt
, embracing just the proposition which hat
I, been made to him and when he had don't
, this his eyes sank to the snow-covered earth
and he burst into tears. The stranger tool
a roll from his pocket and handed it over.
= Here" said he, " is the full sum-every
, penny-just as l took it from you. Ant
now let us walk up into the city again. NJ,
e way is toward Adam street."
+ so is mine," whispered Ambrose as h
g clutched the money.
y "Ah-then we'll walk together"
But tell me what this MEANS" the youn
}. man uttered, energetically. "Who are you
r sir ?"
i "Never mind, now. shall see you again
e and then I'll explain. But let us keep Of
our way, for it is cold here
e On the way the stranger kept up such
rattle of conversation that Ambrose no
| only had no chance to mention the subjec
y Of the evenings transaction, but by the tim
& he had reached his own door his feeling
n had got back into their wonted channel.
,, :" would invite you in" he said, but
e "Never mind. Just let me step into tn
| entry for want light moment"
OF course Ambrose could not object I
T. this, and as he opened his door the strange
; followed him in. He walked through tn
hall, and, as he opened the door Of the sit
J. ting-room, his companion was at his back.
y Lydia sat at her table, aud her face wa
h pale, but she had not been crying, for tn
if words her brother had spoken to her befor
he went out had inspired her with strang
3 hope. She arose to her feet, and while he
h husband was wishing that his compauio
had remained in the hall, he was not littl
startled to hear the said individual speal
somewhat jocularly as follows;
swell, sissy-you see I've brought hin
J. And we are both of US all right, can al
sure you"
t For moment the young man was wor
l. der struck, but the truth quickly fashe
upon him. "Jim-Jim Barrows ?"
r gasped.
# "Captain Barrows, at your service, sill
n Ha, ha, ha-you didn't know me. He
$ Just found me out, Lydia"
o Ambrose tried to laugh, but he could moi
3. He struggled a moment with the feeling
l. that welled up in his bosom, and then, sinh
IT ing down into chair, he burst into tear,
His wife uttered quick cry, and starte
n forward.
d "Dont be afraid" gasped Ambrose "I'r
e safe-safe. But can't help this. Tell he
l. Jim-tell her all. Tell her all now, for she
a right to know"
d The stout captain drew his sister upo
> his knee, aud then related to her all that ha
e happened since he left her.
l. "Ah, Am" he concluded, the moment
saw you take the second hundred dollar
a from your portmonaie knew gaming uoul
n soon ruin you; and when | saw you dra'
t. the package, only knew that should tax
them every one from you, and that any e,
, perienced card-player could have done th
d same. Now taught you your first lesso
in poker-this is lesson number two.
y hope it may work WELL"
And it did it work well. Captain Ba
}, rows remained with his sister q month"; an
- then he went away. At the end of the yea
he came again, and this time he foun
d Lydia happy as a princess.-SeIected