San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-11-05
PAUL J0NESS ALIAS.
DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY.
Aut2sor of "Joseph's Coat" "Aunt Hdcf'
e." "Cyntc Fortune" Ete.
Commenced in No. 237.

nUDlU 10 take llttle more wine IMAM was
actually good for him at dinner, and to
day the cheerful brigand had exceeded
even his ordinary rotations. He felt thai
the splendid fortunes of the afternoon af
forded the best of excuses for another bot
tie Another bottle needed such slim ex
cuses at the worst that the temper pre-
vailed with him, and up the other bottle
came-cuvee reservee extra sec, with a
longish price facing its name on the list
The Major was willing to pay the longish
price, but IL, over and above the sum SET
down upon the hotel wine-carte. he had
known that that second bottle would cost
him, in round figures, twenty thousand
sterling, he would have heaved it through
the plate glass window and have paid the
damage with light heart rather than
have uncorked ii. The vision before the
Majors gaze revealed anything but loss
or the danger of loss; and when he had
finished his bottle he made the waiter help
him on with his furred overcoat and pre-
sent him with his hat and cane and gloves,
but mere handful of money in his pocket,
wretched three or four thousand francs
or SO, and he meant to 60 over and try a
little variation of his system on a small
scale by way of an experiment. He left
his outer adOrnments in the cloak-room,
and after q minute or two of waiting
found place at one of the tables. Then
he began to punt quietly with such good
fortune that it seemed absurd in view of
1t to play timid game. He launched out
therefore, and almost before he knew it,
found himself changing his last note into
napoleons. BY this time he was eager for
the battle, and drawing out his card-case
and jewelled pencil he wrote and signed
q line or two of command to the hotel
manager and whispered the chef de pdrti,
who spoke an excellent foreign English.
A trustworthy person from the Casino
crossed to the hotel, and a moment or two
later the manager and the Trustworthy
person returned together, the former bear
ing in his hands the cash-box entrusted to
him, and politely surrendering it to the
owners care.
The poor Majorl 1t was almost the last
moment of splendor for many and many
day; but he had never looked or felt SO
truly, so imperially noble. as he did when
he unlocked that box, and the gallery
gaped and gasped to see it crammed al
most to the top with bank paper and
thickly sown above with louis dor. The
Major took heap of the notes, without
counting, and rolled out the gold upon the
green cloth. Then with his scented cam
brio he brushed away the fragments of
wax which had fallen from the broken
seals, diffusing the perfume of ylang-
ylang to all nostrils Next, he handed the
bAx cd TO ha o,.ff he ohAf
began to play in earnest. He was as sober
as a judge to look at, but within-doors he
was as irresponsible as child. He began
well enough. dropped the variation he had
tested, and relied entirely upon his sys-
tenn. He gave that fair chance, too, be-
ginning at the beginning, and mounting
in due progression to the maximum which
guards the bank, but, losing that, he went
for the gloves, and lost at pace which
was no less than frightful. At length he
deserted his plan recklessly and went for
the simple chances, the columns, and the
dozens He set down maximums on each
and all-four-and-twenty thousand francs
and awaited the turn of the wheel. He
had seat in front of the red diamond,
and backed his side of the table, rouge,
lllpdlT, uTSU anu ldSU COl-
umn. He was hit hard already, and his
heart knocked busily against his ribs as he
watched the wheel Even if he won at
this stupendous play it would take him
half-a-dozen cOupS to bring himself back
to the point from which he started and he
had a sort of dreadful premonition that
the result of this one chance was charged
with fate If he won, he would break the
bank; and, if he lost, he knew, as only
people, who have no grounds
for their belief, knowing anything, that he
would rise ruined man.
The ivory marble gave it's first warning
click
"Ricn re Vii plls"'
1t fell
"Vingt-huit. Noir, pair ct passe."
The fateful rake ga bercd up the Majors
twenty-four Thousand francs, and he be-
gan, with fingers that trembled in spite of
himself, to count for new stake. He
held out his hand for the box. and it was
a work of some little difficulty to open it.
He couldn't find the keyhole readily until
the thought of the crowded observers
steadied him. Then he took out second
great sheaf of notes, relocked the box, re-
turned it to the chef, and completed his
stake. AT this moment Medhurst entered
the room, and seeing that all the idlers of
the place were drawn to one table nm