Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-06-14
PAUL JONES'S ALIAS.
BY DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY.
Author of "Joseph's Coat" AUNT Rdch-
81" "Cylfc Fortune" Etc.

The millionaire began to feel that his
alias had cost the young man dear.
''Did you lose heavily" he asked. Eek
cuse mel hope you don't think ask from
any impertinent curiosity"
Il lost pretty near three thousand
francs" said the painter, simply: land
did not like the look of things at all. But
when | came back to my work this morn
ing had just struck a bargain, and it
lifted weight off my shoulders, | can
tell you. / was real gay when | came
back and found you looking at that pic
ture''
Il think" said the millionaire, feeling
bound to lecture the young man a little,
that there are few vices which give so
poor return for the pain tEey cost as
gambling"
THAT may be So" returned the artist;
but there are points about it, too. But
If those chaps take me for that millionaire
/ shall take the dust out of their eyes. |
amt hungry for the credit, and Pm
hanged if I'm hungry for the danger
can't afford to have fellows taking me for
a fifty million dollar man: wish | could"
you are great deal better off as you
are" said the millionaire, rather seriously
and sadly. You have youth and enthui-
sasm, and an art in which you hope TO
excel"
i shouldn't sink to MeJnusaIeh's time
of life on a sudden if anybody made me
present of fortune, should /? And as for
enthusiasm and art I'll trouble all tho
capitalists In creation to buy me up from
painting ! wouldn't stop painting to be
President of the United States, and have
the freehold of every acre, from Green
land down to Terra del Fuego. ! suppose
other fellows feel the same about other
things; but If / couldn't paint I'd want TO
die"
Whilst these two were in the peaceful
country, the enthusiastic Daisy was sweat
ing over his system at Monte Carlo,
watched and guarded by his more phleg-
matte companion. There was no denying
that up TO date the Majors invention had
acted wonderfully, and he was the lion of
the place. Those dreary croupiers and
wearily wary chefs DC pauti have seen so
many lions In their time that the biggest
and loudest of the species can hardly wake
them TO interest any more. But the gal
lery il always new. mt least. in its sym
pathies, and the most war hardened vet
eran of them all felt some remembrance
of the thrill of his first battle at the sight
Of the Majors heroic plunges. Do all he
could, Medhurst could not hold the ef1lor-
escent Daisy back. The system of course,
depended upon IA series of progrcssions,
but the Major, intoxicated by success,
doubled and then quadrupled his initial
stakes, so that he left himself no reasoua-
Bile chance of recOupiug for IL loss before
the maximum Of the bank was reached.
As fortune had it., the rashuess paid, and
the Major raked in money hand over hand.
He feed IA man to 90 beforehand, and sup
piled him with a little money 0 punt eau
tiOusly for small stakes until such time as
he appeared He had his sheaf of thou
sand frame notes in his hand before he had
entered the gaming room, and when his
subordinate resigned his place to him he
set his money down ia pile with noble
ostentatiou, and won or lost with as SPLEEN
did careIcssness to look at as if lac had
been "a Crnsus. When Medhurst could
secure n seat beside him he did 50, ana If
that were impossible he stood behind his
char, marking the game, and occasionally
stopping for whispered consultation.
Tho table was always lined three or four
deep whenever the pair were settled TO
their work.
Those writer's VINO nave described Une
lutte world of public play-aud Their name
IL legion have MI insisted upon the cx-
tent and variety of emotion visible in the
faces of the players though rs u matter of
fact, ii would bc difficult TO find any col
lection of people who look more fiat and
ordinary. Here and there, no doubt, u
face il memorable for its concentration
its fatigue, It's ayarce, its blaHon of sue
cess or failure. But on the whole you
can find nowhere a set of men and women
more commonplace in expression than
set of gamblers and it is only because
men see SO readily what they expect to see
that tho legend of facial emotion ever
Eprang into life, or, Mt all events, it is only
because of that curious faculty that the
legend lives o-day The people vhoshow
the real breathlcss interest, the genuine
devouring sympathy, are the lookers-on,
whose fate is not influenced by the turn
ing of the wheel to the extent of one cen
time lNIon bound to the wheel grows &C
eustomed in u minute or two, and begins
To look as impressive as a whirling dervish
but the spectator of his gyratons holds
his breath absorbed
The Major drew In the murmurs of the
gallery rs if they had been incense He
played his five or six thousand francs at
coup, and confident in the revenge his
martingale would afford him byand-hy,
saw IL go under the croupier's rake with
hit the bank, and the glittering rouleaux
were pushed towards him and the crisp
leaves of bank-paper doubled on the
croupicr's rake were dangled below his
rubicund nose, his calm had something
majestic in it, He used a handful of gold
Tor paperwciEht 10 press his growing
pile OF hank-notes down. and felt n tran
quii glory of financial strength as he did
IL. Money had really never meant very
much Ia the Major. To be without it, as
he knew 10y experience, was deucedly I'M
comfortable; but when he had it the coins
were only "a sort of counter or token, not
In the least valuable in themselves, but
merely symbolical of the power, consider
alton, and splendor of the owner. This
philosophtc frame of mind made losing
comparatively easy, whilst it took but lit
tie from the sweets of gain.
by and-hy the chances of war set In
against the Major, and he responded with
great gallantry to Fortunes challenge.
Coup by coup he mounted to the maxi
mum, and lost Medhurst stopped with
murmur of warming but the Major was
not to be daunted or dismayed He nut-
tered his diminished bank of notes, looked
down at the two or three louis dor which
feehiE represented the glorious pile of five
minutes back, and went for the maximum
again with an unmoved countenance.
There was an actual sway and murmur in
the watching crowd. and, as sometimes
happens, the bali refused 10 drop. Second
after second went hy, the wheel spun
slower and slower, ana the marble devil
ated hither and thither so provokinGly
that even the major grew nervous under
tic influence of suspense. The ball clicked
at last, the croupier called, and he had
won his coup. lie took his payment and
left his stakes, and won again; and from
that moment forward the system had it
all its own way, until there hung before
its inventors dazzled eyes the near pros
pect Of breaking the bank. 1t was his
hope, his dream, He would sooner have
done it than have won the Derby 1t
would have served him To hrag about for
ever, and would have afforded him n live
ly consolation, even in poverty for the
rest of his days. But it was not to be; the
chances Vcercd again. and went floating
TO and fro So indcterminately that the in
defatigahle one grew tired. and rose. still
serene and mistaken, the winner OF some
six or seven thousand pounds. 4 little
German jew, with very bright and beady
eyes, and a face bathed in an oily per-
SEPARATION from his interest in this heroic
game, addressed him in terms of admira-
fIOn