The Red Cloud chief., 1884-11-21

led the two3nto the cabir. III you'li
relieve me { what mos.ey ! have "a
quickly as ppssible," lie said. a. they
seated themselves at n table directly
under one Of the brilliant chandeliers.
..you win oblige ne"
The game WAS soon over. IL led tn
others. Larger and larger sums were
s;aked. ! noticed that nav friends face
was changing color. '-Gentlemen."
and he looked around at those who
stood near. and catching nv eye. he
nodded 10 me; Il want you TO notice
tina; this IS nv deal. / hope it will be
an honest deal. because il will be NV
last. I'm going out of the business now.
and this j. my las, DEAL and. meeting
my look again: '.Dont you Jor9etn
So saving. he deal, the cards. and
they began to play. The two profes-
sionals seemed a Little disturbed.
thought, by what nv friend had said.
and they played less confidently than
before. At length there was a pause,
and they laid down their ne1t cards
with evident reluctance.
1t seemed as II their opponent was
waiting ike u poised bird To swoOp
down on that pill, and a. the second
card touched the table his fell too. and
quickly covering the money with both
hands, he said, looking round on It's
who stood near:
THAT, gentlemen. was my deal-my
last deal, and ] dealt fairly. Can any
one here say / id not deal fairly?'
NO" said one, a broad-shouldercd.
heayy-faced man, and no one else re-
piled.
1t uas a far deal. and no one can
deny it. Now I'm going out Of the
business
You remember what We were talk
/ ing about thi. aftcrnoon?' said he to
me-. IF ANYTHING should happen
don't fail t o Ec-p your promise. Re-
member it all-Afterward,'
A~fterward! How like a shadow of 2
| darkened life seems that word. Before
I could command myself so a. to SPEAK
or move he had left me and gone hastily
out forward.
The disease was upon him. 1t did it
work quickE. will not describe the
scene. He had indeed gone o Of the
business" but like toe many who make
good resolutions only for the future.
! his habits rIled wen in the final hour.
But afterward went to his old home.
Afterwdrd!
old woman The father was quite in
firm. But at once saw, from prints
and mottoes on the wall and a we'll
worn Bible on a little table, that they
were belieying Christians: and again /
was surpri-cd-that the keeper Of Il
gamblingplace should have had such
parents =, this. 1t could not be. |
thought. mat they knew in what bust
ness their son had been engaged, and it
was more than could do to tell them.
If they did not know il, / surely could
not tell them.
You had Il son in New Orleans?" |
| first said. a little doubtfully.
Had, Hai!r' cried the mother.
"Oh, YES. YES, sir, lIenry-iSn't he
there now and she awaited my
answer with "a look that ! a no. for
get; ard the father, although he did
not speak, seemed To pierce me with his
eyes.
..Iie is not there now,' / said. II
mel him when he was coming home to
you-he and his little boy-but ~unfortu-
nately'-and here ! broke down. Their
looks We're SO full of agony l could not
90 on.
go sir. o sir" they both moancd and
clutched my arms. "Oh. you don't
don't-mean he is !ead?"
The cholera-I suppose you have
heard Of the cholera-how it is raging
in New Orleans
"Yes-yes-but YOU said he was COM
ing home! You said he was coming
home. q sir, tell us all. tell us all. He
was our dear boy-all we had-our
dear. dear boy. q Henry. Henry. al
it be that you are dead? DO You really
mean. sir. that Henry is dcad!'
| had To tell them that he was dead.
but | could not tell them more. | hope
God Will forgive me if l did wrong in
keeping it from them. but | could not
tell them-how he had died and how his
last hour had been spent. How he had
gone o. of the business" but only in
the shadow of LIES last hour.
The passion of life is strong in death.
And-Afterward?
Here, do YOU mean? Yes, the end OF
evil passions is followed by sad scenes
here. And Afterward?-Y0Uth'S Com
pGRiOn.