The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-03-25
Selected story.
THE GOLD SOVEREIGN.
aRed wins ~


versilied with that of cred lases ~
which broke the stiffness in the stu
perhly appointed room at Hamburg,
with the gaming table in its center,
around which were pathered its Vo-
taries behind whom were the scarcely
less interested group of lookcrs-on.
"Come away, my dear" said n
very lively woman among the spec
tators, in whisper, TO her husband.
al am sorry that we came. This Is
no place for Pearl" indicating with
a nod o fthe head, rs she spoke, TO an
exquisitely beautiful girl, scarcely
more than cnild, of some twelve car
thirteen summers, who stood beside
them.
"Come, Pearl" the father said.
But the girl stood entranced, her
eyes fixed upon mans face, even
when wearing, as i: now did, an ex-
preston of calm, born of desperation.
No tinge of color was in either check
or lips.
His eyes shone with a strange and
hard glitter, and were fixed upon
the balls as they swung round, rs
though on the color uppermost hung
his hope OF life or death.
And so it was. He sat down pos
sessed of fortune /; he arose beg
gar! Fate had steadily pursued him
with niocking hopelessness, until he
had placed his stake, only to see il
mercilessly swept from him.
He half arose from the table. What
more was TO be done, save 10 20 out
somewhere in the still night air and
send bullet through his heart or
brain.
1t was at this moment the girl with
flushing cheeks and halCparted lips,
darted up to his side.
"Take this" she pleaded, "for
my sake" and pressed n gold piece
into his hand.
He turned. To his excited imag-
ination she seemed scarcely mortal
in her pure child like loveliness. Ills
first impulse was to return her offer
ing-he was not yet an almstaker-
but again rang ont the crOupict's cry
of command to place the stakes.
The child stood breathiess in her
expectancy, her eyes burning in fc
Vt rish interest.
\ sudden impulse mastered him.
= iihout speaking word, hc placed
Tie gold upon tl iat.lc.
The next minute Il small pile uf
ar!d was at his elho" lie staI,ed i
all again. Ard he NJ. 4 bright
spot OF scarlet rviIsrcl the pallor III
his cheek, whith sIread and deep
cntd aS Dame Fortune who had So
I,eTsistcntIy frowned upon him, nuw
reserved for him only her smiles.
Morning Was breaking when lac
rose from the tables, no longer IA Dies
perale man, but with his fortune
ihree-fuld returned To him
After his first winning he h3.i
iurned TO return To- the child her
offering, but she had vanished.
Should he ever lind hcr, ever repay
the Debt, ever STE her again " He
knew not but, standing at las cut
under the clear blue sky, iih Il great
we ght lifted from his haart ana
brain, Harold Clay ton vowed thai IL
should he his lie search, but that the
lesson taught him should never be
forgotten, and the gaming tables
should know hi never more.
Six years past, and Harold Clayton
was winning name and fame in his
own land, in his profession as IN ar
list.
Standing one night in crowded
assembly, some one in passing touched
him lightly on the arm with her fan,
and gIancing around he met the
smiling face Of his host fss.
"Come," she said, 81 want to pre-
sent you to my belle. If you can
prevail upon her 10 give You sitting
and transform her cOIoring to canvas
you will render yourself immortal"
HIs she, then, so bea utiful ~ rs
questioned.
"Judge for yourself" she lightly
rejoined, leading him to the little
group doing homage 10 the fair girl
in the center.
"Aliss Rayburn, Mr.. Clayton"
were the formal words OF introduc-
ton, as Harold bowed in acknowl-
edgment before the woman whom
MS artistic eye confessed the most
beautiful that in all his wanderings
he had ever met.
Before the evening was ended he
might have added, the first woman
he ever loved, since sic had awak-
ened in him an interest as new as it
was strange.
Through the next week her face
haunted him. Then they met again
and the charm grew and deepened
He could not define it he scarcely
acknowledged it to himself; only
away from Miss Reyburn he was
restless and uneasy, until he again
found himself within the scope Of her
| fascinations.
Yet her nature remained an enig-
ma to him. Although SO young in
years, 50 beautiful in form and feature,
she seemed cold even to haughtiness,
reticent almost to sccrn.
1t was as though some exquisite
marble statue had arisen in his path
way, which might some day warm
| into life.
She welcomed him whenever they
met with manner which, while il
gave him 10 cause for complaint, yet
chilled the hope springing in his
breast.
One day, on going to her home the
servant met him at the door with the
announcement that she was very ill.
This knowledge broughtother knowl-