The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-25
T'RI-WEEKLY EDITION

went back to my room at the hotel, but
Tor some cause could not sleep. The
Eoat was oppressive, and my room small;
besides, the game I had been Watching
had excited me strangely, and 1 only
fell into troubled sleep near morning.
81 was awakened about daylight by
voices in the adjoining room-those OF
man and woman, evidently. The man. Il
j voice was low and pleading, and the wo-
man seemed to DO crying. I could
hear enough to understand tSat she was
refusing him some request, for his tones
became loud ard threatening, and at
last heard him say:
If you refuse me, you seal nv ruin
and your own. I have no more gold
and must have the diamonds to re.
| trieve myself"
"Hysterlcal sobs were the only an
sWer he received, nnd lie continued
"Something tells mo I shall win to-
night, and L must have the ring
''Never, Charles cannot give it up.
1t is oil have left. It was my mothers,
and will not let it leave NO."
"The mans voice was 20 cI.oked with
passion that his words were inarticulate.
| but with burst Of wild anger he left,
! slamming the door after him, The
woman's sobs became lower, her crying
ceased, and fell into another nap, not
waking until near ten.
81 saw neither of my gambling ao
quaintances that day, and the night
found mo again in Monsieur Carlos
rooms. The old man was again on
hand not satisfied, 1 thought, with his
winnings of thenlght beforehand again
l saw CLEAN Of satisfaction cross his
face rs his victim of the previous even-
ing camo i'll and got ready to play.
Make your game tho game is
made up ! cried the dealer, and was
about to deal the cards, when the young
man who had just entered called out,
in loud voice:
&" Fifty Napo!cons upon tho red +
"Seeing ho placed no money upon the
table, the croupior paused moment,
then said:
"Sir, you must stake the money!
The gambler started and turned paler
than over, long, shuddering sigh
broke from him rs he felt first in one
pocket, then in another, and finally
grasped his hat and fed from the room.
The playing went on fer while longer
and then one by one they went out.
leaving only the attendants, the old,
keen eyed gambler and myself present.
Somethmg-an lndetinable feeling of
interest in the unhappy young man
who bad left the house in such despair
short time before-held me there. l
must see if he returned
''Suddenly the door oponed, and he
rnn in, as fleeing 10" his life, 1 shall
never forget that sight, Louie. HIS
face was ghastly, his dress disord erel,
and he trembled as though with ague.
AS he rushed up to the table. in the
strong glare Of the lights, saw great
drops Of perspiration standing on his
brow. He thrust his hand in his pocket
and tossed ring down before his op-
ponent.
There it is worth ten thousand
francs. Now cover my stakes, he cried.
II ins family recognized the beautiful
diamond as the one his wife had worn
in the cars, and the eonve rsation had
heard that morning came back to NV
memory, and I knew my fellow-travei-
lers were the man and woman T had
henrd disputlng in the early morning
hours. But he had succeeded IN over
coming her determination, for he had
the ring, and my heart ached for the
poor wife rs l wondered how he had
obtained it.
Red bet on the red = again
shouted the young man; and in mo-
ment tho croupler callod Black wins I
and the ring was no longer his.
"With Wild cry the wretched loser
fled from tho house and, completely
unnamed by what had seen, return
ed to my hotel, hoping the young man
would soon follow mo.
* found them all--trav vellers, pro-
prietor and servants wild with excite
ment over the murder of tho beautiful
Russian lady. An hour before her
maid had gone to her room, and found
her deluged in blood from wound in
her head, and dead. The husband had
boon in, snd left some few moments be-
fore. I went up to her apartment, and
to the bed where she lay. Her exqui-
site face was fairer than in life, for it
had lost the unhappy look, and seemed
ut peace. As I turned to leave the
room 1 saw this picture among heap
OF things turned out Of mans travel
ling, case, and appropriated it. Proba-
bly, the husband had tossed it there in
his search for sOme vnluablos to risk at
tho gamDling-table.
''The miserable man took his life be-
fore he was apprehended for his crime,
and the old gambler who, frat in one
Disguise, then III another, had followed
the easily. duped victim from city to
city and won many thousands from
him, left Paris before tho hus sband and
| wife were carried to their last resting
place in the beautiful burying- ground
where his forefathers slept.
''Louie, this is why refused to play.
even with Howard, last evening. I
have never touched cards since, and J.
ncvor can again"