The Portland daily press., 1888-01-06
THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
A Handsome Mans Luck in the
City of Chance.


[Charles Gayarre in American Magazine.l
1t was on Mardi Gras evening. Dayis's
saloons were crowded, and Sterlain was in
iubilant spirits: he even cracked jokes, for
the roulette was winning largely. The
stakes had been high, and confined solely to
a few players III whose ventures,on account
Of their magnitude, the numerous bystanders
felt keenly interested. So absorbing was 1t
that the small fry Of gamesters abstained
from risking their petty dollars and gold
pieces, and gaZed with sort of awe at the
heavy pile of bank-notes that accumulated
in front of croupier as rich harvest under
the reaper's sickle. The excitement was at
hight when, just as midnight struck on the
bell of the neighboring cathedral, there
stood side by side with those magnates OF
the roulette-table, without anybody having
noticed how he came there. a gentleman APP
parently 25 years Of age. 1t was such an ap-
partition as could not but compel instant az
tention. He was of middle hight, fragile
and spare body, elegantly proportloneo III
form. His features were almost feminine
and of classic beauty, and yet at the very
first glance there could be detected IN them
an uadefinable expression which gave wanr-
inc that under this mask of softness there
lurked something to be guarded against
hard iron or sharp steel within an envelop OF
velvet or silk. Intensely black were his hair,
the beard on his upper lip, and his lnstrous
eyes. Black was his whole dress from head
to foot its evidences the unmistakable cut OF
fashionable artist. Black also were his
closely-itting gloves. His coat, OF the finest
cloth, was buttoned up to the chin, and
showed to advantage his statuesque bust
Altogether there could not have stood in any
princely hall a more MISUNDERSTANDING per-
sonage. A poet would have called him the
god of darkness.
This stranger-for nobody present knew
| him-seemed to abstract himself completely
| from his surroundings, and for awhile looked
| intently at the gamiug-board, as II he meant
! to impregnate it with the magnetizlng fluid
of his will. Then, suddenly addressing
| Sterlain, in front Of whom he had stationed
| himself: Sir he said in Spanish, with
| courteous bow and musical but somewhat
metallic voice, ARE the stakes limitedY NO
| briefly answered the surprised croupier. The
! Unknown deliberately took off his right
| glove, showing hand which woman might
| have envied, with long nails exquistely
| shaped and pearly in color. With 1t he drew
| out an apparently well-filled pocket-book OF
| black morocco, ornamented with gold clasps.
| He extracted from it a few bank notes,
| which he laid on the table, saying calmly,
my deal is for $4,000" An electric shock
seemed to have struck the bystanders and a
thrill shot through every ones heart that al
most stopped its beating.
take your plunder!" shouted Sterlain
with an oath.
| mo. Let IL SLdDu. 10 Jut WlOlC
The ball was again set in motion, and again
fortune favored the Spaniard, who by this
time had become the only player, all the
rest gazing with absorbing interest at the
terrible duel which had evidently begun be-
tween the two adversaries. Unused to such
bad luck and to such crushing loss, Sterlain
appeared to be beside himself, and growing
like an angry mastiff, jumped up. Excuse
me, gentlemen" he said. Il am out of funds
and must apply to Mr. Davis to replenish the
bank"
a few minutes elapsed, during which the
spectators remained clustered together In
profound silence and staring at the lucky
gambler, who meanwhile, without taking the
slightest notice of the surrounding crowd,
kept his eyes steadily fixed on the roulette,as
If buried in the deepest meditation.
Sterlain returned with shis hands full.
"Why have you not removed your trash and
cleaned the board?" he said gruffiy to the
stranger
Because" remarked he, Il choose to
leave it where it is and stake the whole
Sterlain turned very pale and breathed
heavily, as if something pressed against his
chest Again the ivory ball of fate twirled
in the howl. Again it stopped. The bank
had lost. Up started Sterlain, frenZied with
rage, to get another supply from those ample
funds which Davis and his associates always
kept in reserve. On his coming back, Ster
lain was so demoralized that all he could say
to his adversary, on whom ne east a bewlld-
cred look was, in tone Of frightened inter
rogation "Well, what next?
II stake all have on the board" was the
short reply.
Round and round went the roulette, and
for the fourth time the mysterious stranger
won. The total gain was enormous.
.'The bank is completely broken, and closes
| for tonight" Sterain announced, in voice
| with emotion rendered almost inarticulate
and, vaulting over the table, he rushed upon
the Spaniard, brandlshed his closed fists, snd
exclaimed: "In the foul fend's name what
have you eaten to-day?"
The stranger had retreated a few steps al
the sight of the threatened assault,and stood
still, waiting for closer approach. With a
!, diabolical, sardonic smile on his lips, with 6
look which froze the blood of the spectators
and made Sterlain reel back as if stilettt
| had struck him full in the chest, the SpaniarC
with perfect c0nposure, answered In his ricl
native language: IF you are, amigo mic
interested in knowing what / have eaten to
: day, have no objection to telling you tina
it is chocolate, senior, para, seryir listed
1.-The reader may laugh at this ridiculous
finale, but we were assured by one Oh tns
spectators, that none of them was so disposed
at the time, so tragic was the information viii
J which the stranger pronounced in Spanish
the word chocolate. II never was Know
who this man was. When he retired, he wa
followed by many who wished to gratif,
their curiosity on that point. But on reach
ing the street he jumped into carriage
which seemed to have been improviscd fo
the occasion, and drove furlously away
, That was the last seen of him in New Or
| leans The prince Of darkness was nevel
!. | better personated. Was he Mephistopheles