Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-27

lou tOOE tef6 DtOHtuQ stakes tcutN 0kQ
Scratch hisseif|
This remark attracted the attention Of
the other players at the table. They
looked up too, and with laugh or an
imprecation, according to their various
modes Of speech, repeated their fellow
gamblers invitation.
A sudden shudder shook John Smith
from head to foot, breaking that rigid
terrible look Of eager excitement, and
he took tho forgotten pipe from his lips.
"Nol" he answered CURLY.
In way he was popular, but the men
among whom his lines were cast felt
that he lacked two thugs to make him
good comrade-he neither gambled
nor drank. II might have been the
spirit of human weakness which dos
not like TO feel itself In tho presence Of
superior strength, or 1t might have BEEN
moro directly prompted simply by the
desire to win money from q novice, but
at any rate they suddenly attacked John
Smith, trying TO force him by cntrcatiss,
taunts. or jeering chat to join thsm.
For moment or two, baited BY them
all, John Smith kept silence, his breath
coming hard between his set teeth.
Then his eyes, glittcring with Q strange
brightness, were turned furiously upon
his tcmpters.
II will not playr he said, drawing
himself UP to his full height. "Tor I've
sworn to myself never to touch another
card as long as I live. and III keep my
oath. But, 1t isn't TO save my PIE, e
you say. Tako II oil, and much GOOD
may 1t do youi 1t will only carry you
little faster to tho misery those cards
have'brought me tor
As his voice rang through the room hs
dashed down handful Of gold and Ill
yer on the table. scattering the cards,
while the coins went spinning In every
and unexpected--he had gained the nick
name OF Sleepy Smith-that the men
for moment were silenced. In the
sudden lull John Smith turned his back
upon the table and passed rapidly down
the room and disappeared through the
doorway.
Newenham followed as swiftly a. he
could. He had been looking on ut the
scene OF temptation with an interest 20
painful in its intentness that Il could be
measured only by the relief he felt at
John Smiths victory. He overlook him
outside in the starlight, but they walked
on for some minutes In silence. John
Smith apparently quite unconscious that
he had companion. Newenham was
mt length forced to break the silence BY
that new feeling OF respect for his friend
which had suddenly grown up In his
heart.
"Why did you do that" he asked.
II don't know" replied John Smith,
thinking Newenham alluded to what
had just taken place at the card tablA
He spoke now without any Of the affec-
tation OF roughness, and It was the 70
fined, rather than languid voice Of man
accustomed to good society. II was
mad. l think, for the moment--men are
apt to make fools OF themselves when
they are mad"
~ did not mean that--I meant, Why
did you let me take you there? II had
known"-
''It's the first time I've been In such
place since But it did not matter"
rather wearily. II wanted to SEQ
whether could stand it; and"-with an
echo OF that terrible passion-"I failedl"
Nonsense, my dear fellow! don't
know what has brought you here. but,
after tonight. would back you through
thick and thin!"
John Smith stopped abruptly In the
road, and turned to Newenham, his face
looking very white in the starlight.
you don't know" hs said steadily.
"If you did, you would not say that
am thief. One night was at such
place as that, and man was there who
had q bundle Of bank notes. I found
them and took them"
Newenham drew back q step In the
road. 1t was terrible confession for
an honorable man to hear, and. II this
man who made ir were the man he sus-
pected him to be, 1t was tenfold more de-
grading and repulsive. Probably that
shrinking was unconscious, for Newen.
ham was too generous to trample On .
man who had fallen; but, unconscious OF
not, John Smith noticed it. and felt the
degradation keenly. He too moved fur
ther away.
"Don't think shall expect you to
notice me-" he said awkwardly, but with
touch of patient humility which gave
the words deep pathos. at was be-
cause Of that-that tried to keep you
of at first" Then he turned upon his
heel and walked swiftly back towards
the camn.
Continued ne9t. Saturday.