The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1882-11-16
TIE GAMBLERS WIFE.

"What new beauty have we here,
Carl?" l asked, taking small colored
picture from among the mass of papers,
pamphlets, wrapping paper, etc., that
covered the table and floor of the
library and which would have told
plain enough to all acquaintances that
Carl was at home once more, after
this, his longest ramble in foreign
lands, without the corroborating testi-
mony of cigar smoke or the lounging
figure in the old rocking-chair.
For this brother of mine never spent
over six months of the year in the
beautiful country home of his child
hood, giving the other six to whatever
place or people promised most enter
tainment on short notice. The last
three months had been spent in Paris,
so I corjectured the little gem of art L
held in my hand was French beauty;
the pure outlines and exquisite COM
plexion looking most life-like as they
smiled up at me from the tinted card.
But Notwithstanding the great beauty
of contour and feature, there was a
frightened, almost haunted look in the
dark eyes that told of tragedy, or at
least anticipated it.
"Who is she, Carl? The eyes affect
me strangely, with their wild, fright
ened look. There is a reign of terror
j1rthem -equalto the one her ancestors
passed through. almost see the
shadow of the guillotinei in their velvety
depths"
LET me see; ah, my, little sister,
may you never know so hard a fate as
this poor girl encountered and sue
cumbed to. No, she is not French-a
Russian-but married to a French
man" And Carl took the picture
from my hand and placed it on small
easel above his desk. Il will tell you
about her, Louie, if you have an Lour,
and 1 will tell why I told you.
ut was while Tom Barnes was will:
me last June, and when we left Yer
sailleS for Paris, that 1 first saw
Madame Literre- though I think the
name an assumed one. We had to run
to prevent being left, remember, and
Barnes, out of humor because of it,
plunged his face into his book and left
me to my own resources.
"As soon as I was comfortably set
tied I, as usual, began scrutinizing my
travelling companions, and to try to
imagine who and what they were.
There were four besides ourselves in
the carriage. One, a quiet, middle
aged Englishman, who was soon asleep
in his corner. The two who sat next
myself were evidently husband and
wife, though he paid her none of the
attention and politeness usually ac-
corded in public, even if dispensed
with privately. He was a pale, quiet
man of twenty-five, perhaps, richly
but quietly dressed, and seemingly TAX
ing no notice of any one around him.
The wife, too, was pale, and much as
she looks there in that little picture.
Her dress though simple was perfect,
and evidently the production of some
frst-rate artistic. Her whole style
proclaimed her at once to belong to
the higher order of society.
"She seemed to be suffering, and
frequently put her hand to her fore
head; and 1 observed upon the deli
cately-formed, ungloved hand costly
diamond. 1t was beauty; and I en-
joyed looking at the flashing gems as
she caressed small English dog that
often looked up at her with affection
ate recognition.
"The other passenger I could not
make out at all. He was elderly, COM
monty dressed and with scant gray
hair and heavy whiskers. His pierc-
ing eyes were frequently placed on the
silent young married couple, and then
he seemed as utterly oblivious of them
as they of him. What was his nation
atty? Was he with them or stranger
like myself? I could not tell. And