Wichita eagle., 1888-02-23

spectacle 1-can very 'readily~.~rG- you.
If you say 30 win present you to mine I"
'Good." cried D.; II am at this
time alone at home, and very lonely. Let
us not put off until tomorrow what we
can do today" and convinced Of the wis
dom of this precept he Immediately BE-
took himself to the club OF his friend, the
merchant, first assuring himself that it
was not the same as that OF his friend, the
lawyer.
Is it necessary to follow this man, this
fortunate, happy and honorable man,
through all the steps and bypaths that led
him at last to the career of q gambler Il
is always the same miserable story, the
same resistless fever! But from that mo-
ment his life was the life Of the damned,
or of the unfortunate wretch taken with
vertigo, who sees the precipice beneath his
feet, yawning to engulf him, but is pushed
on by an invisible and irresistible force
Two years passed by, and N. D. had
thrown away 1,5O0, 900 francs. He was
the owner Of two manufactures; one of
them he was compelled to sell. Still, even
then there was time TO have retrieved his
error, but he did not pause; once launched
in the whirlpool of play, nothing could
stop him.
With credit and consideration both TN
paired. the day came at last when it was
necessary to take an account Of the situa-
ton, and the unhappy gambler paid q
visit TO his banker.
"What money of mine is still in your
handss" said he.
''In bills!'
Eyes, in bills"
FIFTY thousand francs"
"And in specie'"
"Nothing at all"
Nothing at all,' cried D., astound-
ed. He had supposed that at least zoo,
600, perhaps 300, 600 francs, yet remained
to him. Bewildered and staggered like q
drunken man, D left the banker 8
Office in a state Of mind impossible to de-
scribe. His wife and children were beg
CARED, he himself bankrupt!
Gradually, however, his courage re-
turned to him; with 80, 600 francs sc, 600,
600, 600 might he gained! A few days
later he was put in possession of this rem
nant of his fortune, his very last resources.
Did he remember that If this, too, was
lost not even q morsel Of bread could be
bought for his children No, not for a
moment! He thought of nothing save
that with $1,000 francs baccarat could
produce q fortune.
He fairly ran to the club Of which he
was now q member, but cold sweat broke
out upon his body as he took his seat at
the table. 1t was the deciding game and
D. knew it. Fortune did not at first
pronounce either for the player or the
banker D. would gain little and
lose little, but at the end Of an hour he
had won 600 francs. He began to hope.
Then by q series of six or eight bad plays
he lost in as many minutes 20, 600 francs.
From that moment all went wrong and
frightful luck overwhelmed him. In an,
other hour only 5000 francs remained to
him, with the stakes augmenting at every
play.
Monsieur" said the oroupier at last,
'the bank only contains 4, 900 francs. "
Again they counted the stakes. There
were 9, 900 francs on the two tables. They
retired 2 1000, and D., frightened to the
point Of not knowing what he was about,
distributed the cards mechanically. The
table to the left had five and held it.
D. had three again. Weak and breath
less he turned his card-it was cour,
card, or buche, as they call it. This time
all was ended.
Without saying word he got up from
the table and staggered from the room.
What was passing in his mind God only
knew. Suddenly, as he wandered along
the street, hand was laid upon his arm.
D. turned and by the light Of an ada.
cent street lamp saw man whom he rec.
ognized at once as one who occasionally
assumed the place Of the regular croupieI
at the club.
Monsieur" said the man, II know all
of your misfortunes, and that everything
you possess has been lost in gambling,
also that it is yet possible for you to re.
gain it."
How" said D..
Every easily. You have lost only be.
cause you did not know how to play In
cutting the cards that ! will give you,
when you take the bank tomorrow, l, on
the condition that we divide, will guaran-
tee that you win! Is it understood"
81 will answer you tomorrow; 1 must
have time to reflect" replied D..
But when the morrow Jeanne NJ D.
was lying with bullet in his brain. he
had at least proved himself to be a man
Of honor. from the French OF
Hogier for The San Francisco
Chronicle, by E. c. Waggener.