Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-06-10
A Story of the Gaming Table.

only diversified With that OF 'shed
loses!" which broke the. stiffness
in the superbly-appointed room
at the Homburg, with the
gaming-table in it's center, round
which were gathered its. eager
votaries, behind whom were the
scarcely less interested groups
of lockers on.
"Come away, my DEAR" said
a very lovely woman among the
spectators, in whisper to, sher
husband. 81 am very sorry that
we came. This is no place for
Pearl indicating with nod of
the head, as she spoke, an Iex-
Iquisitely beautiful girl, scarcely
more than child, ,,-of some twelve
or thirteen summers, who. stood
beside them. 4, a..
.Come, Pearl" the father said.
But the girl stood entanced,
her ewes fixed upon a mans face
seated at the furthest end of
the table. 1t was stIikingly
handsome face, even when wear
ling, as it now did, an expression
of calm, born of desperation.
No tinre 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 possess
ed of a fortune; he arose a beg
CARL Fate had steadily pursued
him with mocking 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 go out some
where into the still night air and
send a bullet through his heart
or brain. 1t was at thismoment
the girl, with flushed checks and
half parted lips, darted up to his
side. ~ At
"Take this,'' she pleaded, "for
my sake," and pressed a gold
piece into bis cold hand. qailsif
He turned. To his excited
imagination she seemed scarcely
mortal in her pure, childlike love
illness. His first impulse was to
return her ofering-he was not
yet an alms-taker-but, again
rang out the croupier's cry of
command to place the stakes.
The child stood breathless in
her eager expectancy, her eyes
burning with feverish interest.
a sudden impulse otermastel%
ed him. Without speaking a
word he placed the gold upon the
table. The next minute a small
lpile of gold was at his elbow, He
st.sked It all again. Again he
won. A bright spot of scarlet
replaced the pallor in his cheek,
| which spread and deepened aas
1 Dame Fortune, who had, SO per-
sistently frowned upon him, now
reserved for him only her smiles,
Morning was breaking when lie
arose from the tables, no longer
a desperate man, but with his
fortune threefold returned to him,
After his first winning he ! had
turned to return to the child hel
offering, but shea had vanished,
Should he ever find her ever re-
pay the debt? He knew not;
but, standing at last out under
!. the clear blue sky, withla great
weight lifted from his heart and
! brain, Harold Clayton vowed
that it should be his life-search
but that the lesson Taught hin
should never be forgotten, ap(
the gaming tables should know
him never more. Six years pass.
: ed, and Harold Clayton was win
ming name and fame in bis Owl
$ land in his profession as an ar
tist. Standing one night in {
E crowded assembly, some one il
: passing touched him lightly OF
! the arm with her fan, and, glanc
j ing around, he met. the smiling
e face Of his hostess. +a@A'A i ''Ai%
, "Come," she said, 81 want t
present you to my belle. If fyol
: can prevail upon her to give yol
t a sitting, and transfer her color
; ing to canvas, you VIII rende
j Yourself immortal.
ais she, then, so beautifulY
he questioned.
"Jndge for yourself" she light
: ly reioined, leading him to a lit
+. tie group doing homage to TIN
S fair girl in it's center aioa iii
"Miss Reybmn-Mr.C Clayton,
: were the formal words of the in
$ production, as Harold bowed il
acknowledgment before the wo
5 man whom his artistic eye con
fessed the most beautiful that il
all his wanderings he had eve
met. Before the evening wa
ended he might have added, tn
first woman whom he ever loved
since she had awakened in hin
AN interest as new as it wa
tlstranoe.