Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-01-09
4 Gamblers Wife.

-a- A Gamblers Wife. -o-.- ---
"What new beauty have we here,
Carl? ?" / 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
plainly enough to all lacquaintances that
Carl was at home once more, after this,
his longest ramble in foreign lands,
without the corroborating testimony of
cigar smoke, Or the lounging figure in
the old rocking chair. ~ i-.i -7i-.-. d -
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 [ conjectured the little gem of art [
| held in my hand was a French beauty !;
| the pure outlines and equisite complex
ion looking most life like as they smiled
up at me from the tinted card. But
Notwithstanding the great beauty of
contour and feature there wss a fright
ened, almost hunted look in the dark
eyes that told of tragedy, or at least an
ticipated it. --' -' -' .'-
"Who is she, Carl? The, eyes affect
me strangely. with their wild, fright
ened look. There is a reign of terror in
them equal to the one her ancestors
passed through ] almost see the shad-
ow of the guillotine In their yelvety
depths " la4 10 ~ .1s
"Let me see; ah, my little sister, may
you never know so hard fate as this
| poor girl encountered and succumbed to.
| No, she is not Erench--a Russian-but
married to a Frenchman1 And Carl
took the picture from my hand and
placed it on a small easel above his desk.
II will tell you about her, Louie, if you
have an hour, and l will tell yon why 1
told you. 9--.-l.sT 4.
1T was while Tom Barnes was with
me last June, and when we left YER
sailles for Paris, that first saw Madame
Literre- though 1 think the name an
assumed one. We had to run to pre-
vent being left, remember and Barnes,
out of humor because of it, plunged his
face into his book and left me to my
own resources, .. -,5.
'tAs soon as l was comfortably settled
I, as usual, began scrutinizing my trav.
cling companions, and to try to imagine
who and what they were. There were
four besides ourselves in the carriage.
One 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 accorded in public, even if dis
pensed with privately. He was pale,
quiet man of 25 perhaps, richly but
quietly dressed, and seemingly taking
no notice of any one around him. The
wife, too, was pale, and much as she
looks in that little picture. Her dress,
though simple, was perfect, and evil
IDENTIFY the production of some first rate
artistic. Her whole style proclaimed
her at once to belong to the highest or
der of society. .---sz- ~ -,t - .-
''She seemed to be suffering and FREE
quently put her hand to her forehead;
and [ observed upon the delicately-
formed ungloved hand a costly dia-
mond. 1t was beauty and Isenjoyed
looking at the flashing gems as she ca
ressed small English dog that often
looked up at her with affectionate recog
milton. g.. ...
1.-The other passenger l could not
make out at all He was elderly, com
monty dressed, and with seant gray
hair and heavy whiskers. His piercing
eyes were frequently placed on the si-.
lent young married couple, and then he
seemed obllV1ous OF them as they OF
him. What was his nationality Was
he with them or stranger like myself?
could not tell And the more looked
the more uncertain L became thought,
too, there seemed all effort at disguise
he Kept his tace 3Verted all he could,
consistent with his watchfulness of the
quiet husband that he at times eyed SO
very perslstently. ......
1--WE sped along over the beautiful
road, each absorbed in his own rehec-
tions, broken only by an occasional low
sigh from the lady, and soon arrived at
our destination. The train stopped,
and, as none OF my companions showed
any disposition to move first, aroused
Barnes from the depths of his romance
and we left the carriage. -
Dinner over, we went to the theater,
and afterward, by the persuasion of
friend, to private gambling house.
was greatly surprised, on entering, to
see my elderly travelling companion
seated at the table, his eyes and mans
ner keen as ever, and deep in a game of
rouge ct noar. 1t was early yet, and
very few people were present; but ev-
cry sound was hushed and the game
went on in dead silence, broken only
by the voices OF the dealers. calling the