New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-10-07
energy sc Che notary alone sayed her

energy 81 the notary alone sayed her
from her SON extravagances.
All atkonce it became KNOWN that
1.-The vicomte B Roland no longer belonged
to the kings household and that he
Had handed in his resignat ton as
lieutenant in acavalry regiment That
is what was given out, butrumors Of a
different character were afioat. The
countess no longer appeared in public,
but confined herself to her hotel. In
"a few weeks she seemed ten years cider.
THE vicomte, after a voyage of
some weeks in Italy, returned to Paris,
took apartments in the Rue de la
Chaussee d'Antin, and lived the life of
an idler on the pension of a thousand
francs month allowed him by his
mother. 1t would be little to- day; but
at that time it enabled imam to make
quite figure in the fashionable world.
He passed his time between love adj
ventures, the theatres, and the green
table. Then little by little his ele-
gance and eccentricities began to be
talked about. Clubs were not as plen-
tiful as. they are now, but the gilded
youth and the gamesters had a few of
them where lovers of the green cloth
could amuse themselves.
"One evening when the ViCOmte RO-
land, after having won a considerable
sum from one Of his friends, offered
him his revenge, his opponent rose,
and, pushing away the cards, looked
at him in a singular manner.
1s1Well, no, Roland, said he; what
with your luck with women and your
luck with cards, you have too much
luck for one man.
"Roland, though somewhat choleric,
demanded no explanation, and content
ed himself with laughing.
"Some days after, the Perfect ofPo-
lice announced himself to the general
at his chateau. What passed between
them LIDO not know Allthatis known
OF the affair is that they returned to-
gether to Paris.
cat eleven o'clock of the evening fol-
lowing that interview, hevicomte was
seated at a table playing ecarte. He
had just won ten successive games from
an Englishman, who, passing through
Paris on his way home, had been IN
PRODUCED at the club by one of the
members. Roland had considerable
sum before him. The loser had lust
risen, and before leaving the table had
bowed thrice, when an elderly gentle
man approached the table.
"'Will the Vicomte Roland permit
me to take the gentleman revenge?'
s'The young man paled. It was his
father
"As you are bold player, I offer
you bold game. It will useless for
you to say that it is too high. Read
And the general handed him a note
folded twice.
'"The vicomte glanced over it, and
shuddered visibly.
do you accept?'
"He bowed. The general seated him.
self opposite his son. cut a king, and
dealt the cards. He won the first
hand When it was the vicomete's
deal, hetrembled slightly and a strange
light shone in his eyes; nevertheless he
played on. The general won again.
'"The vicomte rose, pale as a ghost,
and in a smothered voice said:
"In an hour, sir, shall have acquit-
ted myself
z he lelC Ule room WITHOUT another
word
"On the following morning the guar
dams OF the Bots de Boulogne brought
in the body OF the Vicomte Roland.
His head was blown to pieces, his
hand still grasping the pistol. In a
portfolio was found and unsigned
scrap OF paper, on which were the
words:
''The loser will blow out his brains"
1'The pretended Englishman was an
accomplished cardsharper, sent by the
project Of police. The three bows had
been the sign agreed upon between him
and the general to indicate that the
vlcomte had cheated.s
'"The game was one for life and death
between father and son. Both were
diShOnored-the son by his own act,
the father by the sons. But this dis
honor was a secret, which threatened
to become an open shame Death
could stife 1.-THE sons death or the
fathers, for the stern old soldier would
have disgraced his son had that son
not kept their pact. The price OF the
generals secrecy was his son life."-
Translated for the Argonaut from the
French of Edouard Siebecker.
Catherine's Ride.