Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-04-30
THE LOUIS DOR.

W AoH AuclSu Ue dem laQ seen MS
last banknote raked in by the croupier,
and risen from the roulette table where
he had just lost the shattered remains of
his fortune, collected for this last effort
to retrieve his previous losses, he felt a
strange dizziness stealing over him and
thought he was going to fall. Master
ing himself, however, he sought with
unsteady step and dazed brain, one Of
the leather benches Of the gambling hall
and threw himself upon it. For a few
moments he stared blankly about thii
clandestine gambling house, in which
he had wasted the best years of his
youth. He realized that he was ruined
lost. It occurred to him that he had a
home, in one of the drawers of his bureau
the ordnance pistols which his father
General Hem, then simple captain, had
SO distinguished himself in the attack
upon Zaatcha; then, overcome with ia
tigue, he fell into deep sleep.
When he awoke his mouth was dr.,
and parched. He glanced at the clock.
The hands marked on the dial quarter
to twelve. Hewas seized with an IRE
sistible desire to breathe the night air.
Rising, he stretched himself and looked
out into the darkness. The snow crys
tails sparkled like diamonds when the
light fell upon them. A mufied figure
passed with quick step and disappeared
in the shadows. An ironic play of hi
memory brought before him the picture
of his early life. He saw himself, quit,
little child, stealing down to hang hil
stocking in the chimney corner.
At that moment old Drovski, the clas
sical Pole, one of the fixtures of the
place, clad in threadbare cloak orna
mented with braid and wreaths of olive
approached Lucien and mumbled through
his stained, gray beard: ''Please lend m,
a fve-franc piece, sir. For two days
I have not budged from the cercle, ant
for two days the seventeen has not COM
out. Laugh at me if you will, but 1 viii
eat my head if, on the stroke of mid
night, that number does not appear
Lucien de Hem shrugged his shoul
dcrs. He had not even enough in hi
pocket to satisfy this triaing demand
that the habitues Of the place called th,
z" Poles dollar" He passed out int,
the vestibule, put on his hat and pelisse
and descended the stairs with ieverisl
haste. During the four hours that Lu
cien had been in the gambling hall tn,
snow had fallen abundantly and tn
street was white.
The ruined player shiyered under hi
furs, and euickened his pace, but befor
he had proceeded many steps he stoppe,
suddenly before piteous sight. On
rude bench, placed, as was formerly th
custom, near the monumental doorwa'
of mansion, little girl OF six or seven
scantily clad in tattered black dress
was seated in the snow. She had fallel
asleep there in spite OF the cruel cold
and all unconscious of the falling fake
that were softly kissing her white lip
and closed eyes, weaving with magi
hand pure white robe around her littI
form. Her attitude betrayed fatigu
and grief, and the poor little head an,
delicate shoulder were pressed into al
angle of the wall against the cold stones
One OF her wooden shoes had fallen frou
her hanging foot, and was lying ruefuIl
before her.
With mechanical gesture Lucien
hand sought his pocket, but he remem
bered that moment before he had no
been able to find even one franc piec
in some forgotten corner, with which t
tip the attendant at the gaming house
Moved, however, by an instructive sens
of pity, he approached the little cir
with the purpose Of carrying her to som
place of shelter for the night, when, il
the fallen shoe, his eye fell upon some
thing bright. He leaned over. 1t was
louis dor Some charitable person
woman, no doubt--in passing had seel
thc shoe lying before the sleeping child
and had put there, with discreet hand
royal aims, that the poor little aban
doned one might still preserve, in spit
Of her misfortune, some confidence an'
hope in the bounty of Providence.
A louis It represented several day
Of rest and wealth for the beggar girl
and J.ucien was on the point Of r5usinl