The Penn's Grove record., 1882-12-30
of his romance and we left the car.

Dinner over, we went to the thea
ter, and afterward by the persuasion
of a friend, to q private gambling
house. ] was greatly surprised, OF
entering, TO zee my elderly travelling
companion seated at the table, his eye
and name keen as ever, and deep il
a game of rouge ct noir. 1t was early
yet, and very few people were present
but every sound was hushed and tn,
the game went on in dead silence
broken only by the voices col tn,
dealers, calling the result of e.
games, and the rafting of the
gold as it was rsked from one
TO another. The old man
seemed in luck, for the time peing,
and woD ev ry game, I thought q
CLEAN of satisfaction shone over his
face as The door opened and our other
travelling acquaintance from Yer
ssilies-the quiet, careless husband, EN-.
tered and sat down to play.
81 did not play that night !; and my
whole attention was given to those
two. The young man lost from the
frat deal. RJuleau after rouleau was
swept from the table by his watehful
old opponent but still he played on.
The large sums he lost, and his pale,
excited face, deeply interested me,
and stayed on and watched him I'M
til late at night, when he left the
room his last napoleon gone.
"AfteT supping at a cotfee-house l
went back to my room at the hotel,
but for some cause could not sleep.
The heat was oppressive and my room
small; besides, the game l had been
watching had excited me strangely,
and / only fell into a troubled sleep
near morning.
81 was awakened about daylight by
voices in the adj )iniug room-those of
a man and woman, evidently. The
mans voice was low and pleading,
and the woman seemed 10 be crying.
1 could hear enough to understand
that she was refusing him some
request, for his tone became loud and
threatening and at last l heard him
say
eli you refuse me, you seal my ruin
and your own. l have no more gold
and / must have the diamonds to
retrieve myself
Hysterical sobs were the only
qapgF5gwer he received, and he contin-
"Samethfng tells me I snzu WIN w.
night, and 1 must have the ring"
"'Never. Charles! Icannot give it up.
1t is all / have left. 1t was my
mothers, and / will not let it leave
me-
1.-THE mans voice was so choked
with passion that his words were in
artlauIate, but with a burst of wild
anger he left, slammiug the door after
him. The woman's sobs became
lower, her crying osassd, and | fell
into another mar, not waxing until
near 10.
81 saw neither of my gambling &C
quaintances- that day, and the night
found ne again in M. Carlos rooms
The old man was again on hand, not
satisfied, L thought, with his winnings
OF the night beforehand again saw
a CLEAN of satisfaction cross his face a.
his victim OF the previous evening
came in and got ready to play.
make your gsme-the game Is
made up !" cried the dealer, and was
about to deal the cards when the young
nan who had just entered called out
in a loud voice:
Fifty napoleons upon thu red!"
Seeing he placed no money upon the
table, the croapier paused y moment.
then said:
"Sir, you must stake the money"
The gambler started and turned
paler than ever, a long, ~shuddering
sigh troke from him as he felt first in
one pocket, then in another, and final
liz grasped mis- hat and fled from the
room. The playing went on for q
while longer, and then one by one
they went out, leaving only the at
tendants, the old keen eyed gambler
and myself present. Something-an
undefnable feeling Of interest in the
unhappy young man who had left the
house in such despair b short tima
before-held me there. l must see II
he returned.
Suddenly the door opened and he
ran in, as if fleeing for his life. /
| shall never forget that sight, Louie.
His face was CHASTITY, his dress disor-
dered, and he trembled as though
with ague. AS he rushed up to the
table, an the ssIJnS Ataro oe taAv ifshts
/ saw great drops of Precipitation
standing on his brow. He thrust his
hand in his pocket and tossed a ring
down before his opponent.
"There! it is worth 10, coo francs.
Now V my stakes" he cried.
al instantly recognized the beauti
fai diamond as the one his wife had
worn in the cars, and the conversa-
ton | had heart that morning came
back to my memory, aud 1 knew my
fellow travellers were the man and
woman l had heard disputing in the
early morning hours. But he had
succeeded in overcoming her deter
mination, for he had the ring. and
any heart aehed for The poor wife as ]
wondered how he had obtained it.
Red | bet on the redl" again
sh ,uted tne young man and in a
moment the croupier called BLACK
winsp' and the ring was no longer