Saint Mary's beacon., 1886-04-15

station. The train was late and b,
and | were the only occupants of tn.
dingy waiting room. Under thes.
circumstances folks are drawn iowa rG
each other by the magnetism of mu.
tual discomfort, and We fell to talk
ing. He was a ine-looking fellow
tall, well built and vigorous, but an
air OF Undesirable melancholy per.
meated his appearance and tinged
even his talk to such an extent that
our conversation languished and would
probably have died entirely had he
not finally turned around and said to
me:
"fou must excuse me, sir, for an
apparent moodiness. The truth is
that ! am unable to shake off the re-
collection that to, night Us the ami.
versary Of a sad and singular event
In my life. l was a professional gam.
bier in my younger days aud dealt
faro for living, but ten years ago to-
night | quit forever under circum.
stances that even now half unman me
and almost call the tears to my eyes.
have no objection to telling you the
story if you think it would interest
you"
ceeded about as follows
"Ten years ago" he said, Il was the
proprietor of club rooms at Baltimore,
where I dealt game CT faro for a Sc
lect circle of players. They were all
heavy betters, business men most Of
them, and I catered to their game
only. My rooms were sumptuously
fitted up. There was no appointment
gilded vice could suggest that was not
at hand, and my side-board groaned
with the choicest vintagss that money
could buy.
"Ons night when the game was slack
and I was lounging in the dealers
chair under the great crimson globe
Of the chandelier, a stranger entered
the room. He was very young, but
dissipation or care had drawn lines
upon his, boyish face, and his dark
eyes burned with q feverish light.
AS he approached the table | marked
how ghastly pale he was and that his
hand trembled as though with chill.
He took a seat and drawing thou
sand dollar bill from his pocket, tossed
it across the table. Give me that
much in chips he said in tremulous
voice
81 think he must have played for
an hour. Luck went back and forth
for awhile, but finally it set in against
him and / raked in the last Of hi
ivories. For a moment he sat mo-
tionlesss, staring, dazed like, at th'
floor, then he lifted up his hagget
face to mine. Sir he said, you have
without knowing it, done me a favor
Had won. l would have kept on il
the old way; now that I have lost,
{ will never gamble again. / smiles
, cynically. Yes Isaid. 4 have hear
people talk that way before. 'Yo
mistake me-. he went on in voic
: that thrilled my very heart. i vii
/ not gamble again because the last car
You turned was my death warrant
Listen to me. That thousand dollar
: I have lost was the last Of fortun,
home and honor. 1t is gone, all gon
to enrich your clan. l am not blan
: ing you; I am not complaining; | al
e simply stating . fact. / am to-nigt
|, the worst of paupers-ons withou
. trade, without a profession. withor
: the ability to support the wife who
this moment confidently and trusting
D ly awaiting my return. She know
n nothing Of my gradual downfall.
= have dissimulated, God knows hov
before her. I have not now one do
|. lar upon the face of the earth. and
determined when entered your do