The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-07
Then running swiftly, he returned to the

gambling house; he reached the top of
the stairs in four bounds, with blow of
his fist he opened the cushioned door of
the cursed hall and entered at the pre-
else moment when the clock sounded the
first stroke of midnight, threw the stolen
louis on the green cloth, and exclaimed:
"Full on the III"
The II won. With a turn of his hand
Lucien pushed thirty-six louis on the
red. The red won. He let the seventy
two louis remain on the same color. The
red appeared again.
lie still continued to double the stakes,
twice, thrice-always with the same
good luck. He had regained, in few
turns of fortunes wheel, the few misera-
BILE 1000 franc notes, his last resource,
that he had lost at the beginning of the
evening. Now, piling up 900 or 800
louis at time, and relying on his fantas-
| tic run Of luck, he was in fair way to
| regain the fortune that in such few
years he had squandered. He still
played. He still won. The blood boils
! in his veins; be becomes intoxicated
with good fortune; he throws, hapzard
whole handfuls of golden louis upon the
| table with gesture of certainty and dis
dain.
But in spite of the wild feverish ex-
citement of play, a red hot iron was
piercing his heart. lie could not divert
his thoughts from the little beggar girl
asleep under the snow-the child whom
| he had robbed.
''She must be in the same place! Ger
tainly she must be there. In moment; ;
yes; when the clock strikes one;
swear it. l will leave this place.
1 will carry her to my own house; l will
her bring up, give her dowry, love her
as my own daughter, cherish her always,
always!"
But the clock struck one-the quar-
ter-the half--three- quarter. Lucien
was still seated at the cursed table. At
last one minute before two, the dealer
rose quickly and announced in loud
voice: 1.-The bank is broken, gentle
men; enough for to night"
With a bound Lucien was on his feet.
Thrusting rudely aside the players who
gathered about him, and who were re-
garding him with look of envious ad
miration, he went out quickly, rushed
down the stair and ran to the stone
bench. At a distance, by the light of
the gas. he perceived the little girl.
still there!"
lie approached and seized her hand.
Oh, how cold it was! Poor child!
He took her in his arms to bear her
away The child:s head fell back. but
she did not waken.
How one does sleep at this age!
He pressed her to his heart to bring
back the warmth to her little body, but
! lo1 with cir ho O
on the point of kissing her eyes in order
to draw her from that heavy slumber,
when he perceived with horror that her
eyeiids were half open, exposing the
eyebalIs, dimmed and fixed in a CLASSY
stare. A terrible suspicion flashed
through his mind; he put his mouth
close to the mouth of the child; not a
breath escaped While, with the gold
pieces that he had stolen from this home
less child Lucien had won small for
tune, she had frozen to death. The
most frightful anguish chOked his ut
terance, and with the effort he made to
cry out he awoke from his dream on the
leather bench of the cercle, where he
had fallen asleep little before midnight
and where the servant, being the last to
go, toward five in the morning, had. out
of kindness of heart for the ruined
} spendthrift, allowed him to rest un.
disturbed. A frosty Dece-ber morn
ing had whitened the window panes; and
, fairy hand had traced many chateau
d'Eepagne to crumble with the rising
sun. Lucien went out and pawned his
watch, took bath, breakfasted. went
to the bureau for recruits and signed an
) engagement us a volunteer in the First
regiment of chasseurs d'Afrique.
; To day Lucien de Hem is lieutenant.
} He has only his soldiers pay but he gets
along, being regular in his habits and
never touching a card. 1t would seem.
too, as if he found some means o1
) economizing; for the other day, at Algier
one of his comrades who happened to be
some steps behind him in one of the
steep streets of Kosba saw him give aim.
to little Spanish child asleep under E
doorway, and had the bad taste to ex
amino his gift. He was astonished al
the generosity, for the poor Lieutenant
Lucien dc Hem had put louis d'or il
the hand of the little girl.-Ffom M.
French Of Francois Coppee.