Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-05-24

lived by the most eQuivocal means con-
ceivable, and his hand was constantly In
his pocket for the relief of distress He
had a happy audacity, born of profound
belief that no living soul could doubt the
distinction of his manner, speech, and as
pect. He ticketed himself "snob" from
head to feet, and conscientiously believed
himself to impress all and sundry with
the belief that he was gentleman OF the
first water. He was utterly pltiless to
people who had money, and regarded them
as his natural prey. He and Medhurst
had formed themselves into a gambling
partnership at time when both were very
much under the water, and the Captains
social cachet not being quite obliterated
at that moment, he had been able to in
troduce his confederate into places where
he would otherwise have had little chance
of obtaining foothold. The partnership
ioated both Of them, in financial sense;
but it ended in Medhurst's social ship
wreck. He had played pigeon for a good
many years, and the rocks had tripped
him of a handsome fortune. Now, like
hundreds of men who. had gone before
him, he had turned rock, and was ready
to feather anything defenceless that might
come III his way.
He had an almost pious horror for the
public tables, and he thought that Monte
Carlo was quite a sink Of iniquity. He
felt in respect to the great gambling in
stitution there as man who shot for the
pot over few bare acres of his own might
feel If the birds upon his ground with one
consent betook themselves to the pre-
serves Of some wealthy, princely neighbor.
The existence of Monte Carlo was mimi
nl IL
had been feathered there himself, the poor
Medhurstl-he had been feathered every
where-and he was grieyed and indignant
to find his partner so incurably smitten by
the seductions of the place. A professional
man. he urged, should only play where
his experience, skill, and GOODNESS gave
him the advantage. No experience, skill.
or GOODNESS could help the best-trained
gambler in the world against that moons
Gent wheel which could never get excited
or tired. or run away from its own system
of fOrtuitous eccentricity.
The Captain had already thrown billet
or two of wood on the decaying fire, and
it now burned up again very brightly.
The two sat on either side of it, slipping
their wine and smoking.
1--WE got tenner on the Association
Cup Jle. SilI MAUI bC fCiC. sup
pose one can get an English paper here,
The game should have been played off
yesterday"
"You can get the New York Herald"
said Medhurst. Shall l ring and ask for
itS''
The journal came In answer to Med
bursts demand, and the Major turned it
over.
'Pve pulled that off, anyway" he said;
Though it doesn't matter much now
Hillo! You've got millionaire staying
hcre!"
That's likely enough" Medhurst an
swered, uninterestedly; "who is he?"
'Mr. Paul Jones, of New York." the
Major answered. Il remember reading
about him last year. His father died. He
was something in petroleum or a corn-ring
i don't know what all. He's worth about
ten millions, English money"
He'd be better worth going at than
your Monte Carlo"
'D'Ye think sos Those Yankees are
deuced sharp, my boy. Eve been had by
on or two of them; but l never landed
one myself yet" All Americans were
Yankees to Major De We're. Monte
Carlos got az much as he has, and Monte
Carlo won't shy; and even if you were to
ruin Monte Carlo, you could hold your
head up with the rest. If the Archbishop
of Canterbury or the Pope of Rome went
and smashed up Monte all the good Chris
tians would approve of him; but if you
and me went and cleaned out private
millionaire, we should get hoOted at. Not
that should mind that much" the Major
added, philOsophically, $50 long as | col
Jared the pieces"
Father died year ago, did her" said
Medhurst. He's likely to be pretty
young, then"
THAT depends" returned the Ma or.
My old governors alive somewhere. At
least, I've never heard to the contrary, and
Pm no chicken. Anybody who counted
on picking me up because he heard that
my governor fell off the hooks last year
would have his work cut out"
The Major went back to his paper, and
Medhurst slipped and smoked. Once he
murmured inwardly, to himself, and the
Major catching the words-"ten millions,
English money"-looked up and smiled.
The snow whirled against the window,
and the wind howled in the chimney. The
streets on such day were only for those
who had imperative business, and the
Major, with view to killing time, pro-
posed hand at cards. Medhurst assent
ed, and they played until the dressing bell
sounded, and in due time they went down
to dinner. The hotel was full, and the
long tables of the table d'hote were crowd
ed. Medhurst found himself side by
side with his Colossus of the early after
noon, who edged away his chair to make
room for him with smile of friendly re-
COgnition."
Rough weather outside, SIR" he said,
cheerfully. "Tve got but very little time
in Paris; Pm going down South to-mor-
row, and I've been tearing around with
an interpreter to get few things ready
purchases of one sort and another"
He was CHEEKY, amiable. open-hearted
young fellow, not in the least afraid of the
sound of that big voice of his, but agree
ably and wholesOmely natural, and with
out trace of atTectation. Medhurst made
some politely inditferently reply, and the
Daisy spoke across him. The young New
Highlander, who wore scarlet neck-tie
and n coat of bronze colored velvet, quite
lit up the table with these colors and his
auburn name and coppery beard, and his
frank, jolly blue eyes. The Daisy was as
loud and as sans gene as he; and when
Medhurst seeing that they wished to talk
together, changed seats with his compan-
ion, the two got on as if they had been
made for one another.
Right opposite to Major De We're sat
rctined-lOoking, shrinking man of seven
or eight-aud- tw enty, who looked in a cur
ious way at once shy and distinguished.
Whilst the Daisy and his new-fOuud COM
panion were talking rather noisily to each
other, MedhurSt caught this gentleman's
eye, and observed a look and an almost
impercepible gesture of distate. A mo-
ment later a neighbor offered to this gem
tleman some little table courtesy, to which
he responded by Thank you"
Hes an American, too" thought Med
hurst to himself: land doesn't like the way
in which his young countryman is pro
claiming himself"
He himself did not altogether like the
Daisy either, and knew how over-prs-
nounced all his airs seemed to well-bred
people, but he was used to him by this
time; and as TO the average British cad
who makes himself Objectionable on the
Continent, Captain Medhurst would have
thought so little in his better DAYS Of ally
ing himself in other peoples fancy With
that loud and vulgar parsonage that the
quiet Americans silently expressed dis
pleasure was droll to him.
The American gentleman had not the
faiutest intention in the world of betrayine
to any strangers eye his disapproval of
the loud pair opposite; but Medhurst,
watching him saw il peep out in a score of