Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-01-26

Providence. You see I was right, and
he sent you to me-"
Providence aids but little those who
cannot aid themselves, and without the
lucky chance which sent me into the
cigar store at the moment you were there
you risked going without bed and sup
per-"
ooh, no; that was no chance"
" An old gambler like you ought to
take no chance, however"
Eyes, l believe in chance, but only as
regards roulette. I have been so un-
happy in my life that I believe in Provi-
dence. He has saved me more than
once, and has just saved me again."
Well, now, to change the subject, you
want to go back to Italy 90
"That is my only DESIRE"
"Well, I will take you to some italian
proscripts that know, and you can ex-
plain to them your position"
'"Twould be useless. Only give me
their address; I will go and see them
alone. I must speak to them in private,
as have important political secrets,
which I can only coufide to tried core
ligionists.'
This appeared somewhat odd to me,
but / made no remarks, and gave the
man the address Of two of the principal
members of the Italian emigration at
Brussels. In about al hour the captain
returned. He was furious. He said
that his ancient services were not recog-
nized; that no one woulddo anything for
him, and that he was reduced to despair.
/ went and found my friend e., to
whom Gondino had been, and asked him
what he tn ought of this individual.
"He has, answered T., emo title to
our kindness nor to our aid. I believe
him to be an old swindler, and however
unhappy may be his present position
you must we'll know that we cannot give
anything to the first conner when our
funds are barely sufficient to atd real
patriots"
I returned home, and without telling
the captain what my friend z. had con-
fded tome, I sought to make him under
stand that he ought to apply to the Ital-
ian consul to get back. He hesitated a
moment and then begged me to allow
him to think over it till the evening.
About 3 o'clock in the afternoon he
raped discreetly at my sitting-roo door.
II have it, cried he, on entering.
"There is very rich and very charit-
able person here, the Duke d'A., who
assisted me three years ago, when I was
i'll great want. Be so kind as to write
me out the model Of letter to him, and
I'm sure that before tomorrow I shall
have the wherewithal to return to Italy. :"
l asked nothing better than to get rid of
the captain as soon as possible. I wrote
out what he asked, and he went away as
as happy as king. In the evening he
returned to dinner, and was full of fun,
wit md good hrmor.
The next day and the next passed
without any news from the duke. At
last, at the end Of week, which ap-
peared to me very long, the captain came
to me and said that he had changed his
mind, and that he intended to stop in
Brussels for the winter, and that he had
enough to live on till the spring, when
he was going back to Spa.
"You have received some money
then?' I asked.
''Not much yet, but have enough to
last me fortnight
! "Then I would recommend you to
seek another lodging tomorrow, for !
can not keep you in my house any
longer"
GOOD! good!'' cried he smiling, "we
will talk of that tonight, eh %
And rubbing his hands knowingly, he
went out with the air of conqueror.
1 could make nothing out of this man g
ways, and was about to repent ever hay
ing aided him, when revelation as un-
expected as complete taught me what a
nice gentleman had to deal with.
The son of one of my friends, young
fellow Of 25, possessor Of fine fortune,
and well known in Brussels for his
generosity, had received that very morn
ing visit from the captain. He allowed
himself to be taken in at the recital of
80 much misery, and aided him in a
princely manner as was his habit.
The captain, overcome by the young
mans charity, and counting on the Gre
duhty OF his age, ventr1red to propose to
him an infalible means of winning mil
lions at roulette. My friends son con-
tented himself by saying that he would
not deprive him Of half Of the million he
would gain alone, and added that he
would advise him to renounce his miser-
able existence as Chevalier de Rouge
ct Noir, which was disgraceful at any
age, and above all at his. "Besides,' .
continued he, even if you win, money
won in gambling profits as little as
money ill-gained. I am but a young
man, but have seen enough examples
to have the right to affirm this"
It was then that Gondino, with q
frightful cynicism and the calm of a
man absolutely destitute of morality,
told him the following:
You are young sir, and you still be-
1ieve in virtue. That is an honor to you,
but I who have travelled know what to
believe on that subject, and will prove
to you that ill-gotten gains profit some
times.
"Sixteen years ago I found myself in
London penniless. Twas goingto throw
myself in the Thames, when a detective
who boarded in the same house as I con-
tded to me a precious secret, of which
1 availed myself, as you will see. He
told ne that clandestine gambling
house existed in Leicester square, be-
hind the Globe theatre. He gave me
the number and told me that he had
pulled it it often with his chief.
learned from him that an old woman sat
every night, while gambling was going
on, at the end of the corridor, and that
hidden in the wall within reach of her
right hand was button, which, when
pushed, rang bell to warn the gam
blers- when the police arrived.
"This information was ray of light
to me. I picked up an Italian in want
like myself, and asked him if he would
like to gain 500 francs without much
trouble.
"Willingly," answered he; what is
there to do?'
81 informed him of what I knew, and
gave him his instructions.
'To-night I shall go up into the
saloon and ten minutes after you are to
run against the old woman and push the
button. Your 500 francs will be gained.
"He executed punctually what I had
charged him with. When the bell rang
all the lights were turned down; every.
body picked as we'll as he could his
stake, and I, who had staked nothing,
raked about three hundred pounds sterl-
ing in gold and notes into nv n0ckots