The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-01

A Girl Urged by a Vision Three Times Re-
peated Makes a Bet and Wins,

peated Makes a Bet and Wins,
''Lounger in Washington Sunday Herald.
There is a trite but true saying that truth
is stranger than fiction. In all the range OF
romance [ have never read more wonderful
story than that 1 shall try to tell as it was
told to me by one of the greatest singers the
world has ever known. -Four years ago"
said the lady relating the story, there was
a young American girl in an italian city
who was studying music. She came from
queer New England village, and, with ner
mother, located in place celebrated for its
masters to undergo a complete musical
training. Her master was a thoroughly
conscientious Italian, whose voice had
| broken down Just as he began to be famous
as a tenor, and so he had to give up
his lifelong aspirations and train others to
gather in the golden fortune that by his art
| he himself had hoped to win. The girl, who
had been given the sweet old Puritan name
OF Faith, studied diligently and was in her
| second years course when an illness attacked
| her mother. The small sum set aside for
Faiths musical studies was well-nigh spent
! in her mothers sickness. What to do the
| daughter did know. They were without
| friends and the future was without hope
One night before retiring, the girl knelt by
! her bedside and fervently prayed to God to
| help her. She arose from her PRAYER COM
| forted, for in her simple way she believed in
| God, and that He heard the prayers of His
children who prayed believing in Hin.
! That night she dreamed a curious dream.
She saw her dead father as he had appeared
in life. He said to her: Believe IN God;
He will help you.' The next night
the dream was repeated. The third
time she dreamed she was at Monaco; that
she had gone into the Kursaal where they
were playing. She sat down at table and
put sum of money on the red square and
left it stay until the red had won thirteen
times Her father stood behind her chair as
ehn i xxtha oh Gy,ie had ha his
hand on her head and gave her mis- blessing,
and then she awoke. The dream puzzled
| her. She had never seen the gambling hall,
and yet the whole place had appeared so
wildly in her dream. When her teacher
came that day she told him of her dream and
those that, had preceded it. He listened at
| tentively. Like all Italians he was super
stitious. He thought of it all day. When
he saw her again he said: Why not try it?
God helps us all in his own mysterious
way That night her father came again,
and said: Coz That decided her.
| She told her mother that she
| thought little rest and recreation would
| help her, and said her teacher and his daugh-
ter who were taking a little excursion, had
asked her to join him. Might she go2 The
mother thought few moments and could
see no harm in it to her child, She would
only be away one night, and she had her
| favorite servant to keep her company during
her daughters absence. The next morning
they (the teacher, his daughter and Faith).
took their departure. They looked about the
| beautiful gardens of Monaco, as lovely as
was the garden of Eden before the fall. AT 9
| o'clock that evening the three entered the
Kursaal, 1t was just as the girl had seen it
all in her dream. The place was full of we'll
| dressed people, ladies and gentlemen, and a
band was playing beautiful music. In a cor
ner the girl recognized the table she had seen
in her dreams. With a swelling heart and
| Il ~
down, and the Italian stood up behind her.
During the day she had determined what to
do. She drew from her portemonnai two
notes, each one for one English pound, and
the Italian showed her how to put them on
| a red spot What if it were all a supersti-
tious folly? What if she was simply waist
ing in a wicked gamblIng-house The little
money they had between them ana starva-
ton? She dared not think. She must do
what her father had hidden her in her dream.
| 'Ma'amselle has won,' she heard the crou
pier say. Let it stay, she replied. What
is the limt?' asked the italian. We have no
limit the well-dressed, cool-blooded man
with the suave voice said. She won again
and again. The red had come up three
times in succession. She had won ZIG, or
800 of our money. will not the lady take
up her money! said the croupier.
going to play the red to win thirteen
times He shrugged his shoulders imper
ceptibly. The game went on. AT the next
play her winnings were 500. She sat like
| woman in a trance. When the red had won
for the eighth time she had $3.50. Oh,
what should she do? Before her there was
small fortune. Ought she not to take it and
go? By this time a crowd had gathered.
Something new was going on. A woman
with face like the dead had won eight
times in succession on the red. few old
gamblers began to back the red to lose; it
J was impossible that it should come up again.
The game continued. Nothing was heard
but the click of ivory and the voice OF the
| croupier saving: The red wins again. At
the tenth play she had $40, $40 Her ex-
element was uncomfortable. Here before
her was more money than she ever had
seen in all her life before. 1t was hersl
Should she take it and go? No. she
managed to whisper: I will play it all, lose
or win, till have played the red thirteen
times The red came up again at the
| eleven tn play. She had 500, 480. For mo-
ment she hesitated. She would take Gods
gift-for it was His she said-and go. Some
| thing said to her, Play the thirteen times
She did it. At the twelfth turn she had
$40, $50. She gasped like one faintng Give
her air. said one just behind her Once
| more, once morer she whispered. Thirteen
came, and the red won. She had $s1, 800
There was soft sigh. Give her air; she has
| tainted said the croupier The excitement
had communicated itself to the crowd who
had gathered and watched. No more she
managed to utter. 1t was over. The crou-
| pier gave her her money in English bills
G1g0 each, and calling carriage, she and her
| friend left with the enormous fortune made
| in half an hour. AT the next turn the red
| lost"