Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-06-21
which was new in Medhurst's knowledge


| pushed eagerly to where the Major sat.
| One or two who had remarked his associ-
| alton with the player made willing way
| for him; but others, VINO were strange to
| him, resented his attempt to pass. There
| was little scuffief and at the end OF it
| Medhurst was standing at the back of the
| Majors chair.
The croupier was counting out thirty
| thousand francs for payment tothe Major,
| and for an instant Medhurst did not
| quite see what had happened, though,
with the stakes still upon the table, and
| the money passing to his comrades hands,
| the position of affairs needed little ex-
| PLANTATION.
This isn't the system, Major" Med
| hurst whispered, bending above him. 1t
| never crossed his mind that the Major had
| broken ir 20 the cash-box. He supposed
| him to have begun with the contents OF
his pocket-book, and to have risen 10 this
| daring play by sheer luck and audacity.
| The Major answered nothing, but left the
stakes upon the table. The game went on,
| and the next two or three turns of the
| wheel made great inroads on the second
| pile of notes.
| 'sThat'n do for tonight, Daisy" Med
| hurst whispered again. ''Be content with
| what you've done already. Now, be per-
| suaded, there's good fellow. You know"
| he went on, seeing that the Major pre-
| served an obdurate silence. that you au-
| thorized me TO stop you if | found you
| going outside the system You seem to
! have done pretty well as things stand but
| you'll spoil it all if you go on at this pace"
| The tone was measured carefully enough
/ to reach the Majors ears only. The words
had no more effect upon him than If they
| had remained unspoken. Medhurst be-
| came charged with a cold anger at the
| others obstinacy, and stood by to watch
! whilst the Majors money melted at an
| average of some five hundred pounds for
each turn of the wheel. AT last there were
! but two or three notes of the second pile
left, and Medhurst tried again.
Come" he whispered, you're where
| you started now, or whereabouts. Give it
up for tonight"
For sole answer the Major turned to-
wards the chef and extended his hand.
| The chef held the cash-box towards him,
and Medhurst. with start and an mar
| ticulate groan of anger which was audible
| to all the table, Intercepted 1t. Inc MA
| jor turned in his chair, and, seizing the
| cash-box violently with both hands, drag
| ged it out of Medhurst's grasp, set it upon
| the table, and unlocked it. At that, the
whole truth flashing upon Medhurst's
mind in second he seized the Majors
| burly shoulders as if he would tear him
| from his scat
You unmitigated assl'' he said, forget
| ting to measure his tone this time You
| have suuandered fourteen or fifteen thou
sand pounds! Didn't you give me your
solemn word Of honor not to play tonight?
! Give me that cash-box. You sha'n't throw
the rest away"
go to the devil, STRIP cried The Major,
wrathfully. Mind your own business"
| This is my business" Medhurst an
swered
an be hanged if it is thought said the
Major.
AT the noise of the strong voices people
ran from all parts of the room.
al have done" said Medhurst, loudly.
but with seIf-posscssion in the midst Of
HIS anger which the Major could not com
| mand-'I have done what you yourself
besoughJ me to do You told me that you
| were a fool, and not tit to be trusted at the
tables after dinner. You begged me to
| keep you away, and authorized me to take
the money from the table if you played
wildly. / have done my duty, and | wash
my hands of you. You may take your
idiot!c course aloner'
Il am glad" responded the Major call
ing after him as he forced his way through
the crowd, 81 am glad To be rid of your
| damned impertinent interference on any
| terms. STRIP
And having delivered himself thus, he
turned back with foolish, fruitIess valor
to the tables, and did not rise till his last
bank note was gone. He had seen that it
was going, and had reconciled himself so
| perfectly for the moment in that irrespOns-
ible, happy -go-lucky mind of his that he
laughed with unfeigned good-humor when
it was all over He had still q double
| handful of gold pieces left, but he was not
going to fall to stakes which anybody
might play after that superb losing game,
so he staggered with perfect seeming
tranquility to the UeStidirc, secured his
stick and hat and overcoat and, returning
| to the hotel, went to his rooms and ordered
wine. As he sat drinking alone he laughed
with great enjoyment once or twice at the
| recollection of certain small episodes in
the history of the evening but he began
| to feel that there was a cloud above him.
| Little by little it descended, until he was
saturated with its gloom He ordered
| more wine, and the waiter brought his
| bill. He paid it with lordly oaths, de-
handing to know why a gentleman should
be insulted by the proffer of his account
| before he asked for it, and threatening to
| quit TIE house next morning. But the
news of the Majors prodigious losses had
| reached the hotel before him, and the
manager was not unuaturally anxious to
secure his money. Perhaps the waiter
had heard the like objurgatiOns before
People keep hotels under unusual condi-
tions at Monte Carlo, and the gay-hearted,
| loud, and lordly person for whom nothing
Is good enough on Monday is pretty often
amournful hanger-oH on hope and suffer-
ance by the Saturday. What Croesuses
| there are there for day or two! What
holders of the Fortunatus' purse for an
hourl How they shine and swell and
burgeon, and, oh, how they wither and
dimiuishl The experienced host knows
these gentlemen in all their stages He
must have curious views of the world
The Major in his convivial hours was
| wont to give vent to certain old fashioned
toasts or sentiments, and one of these was,
May the evenings amusement bear the
mornings reflection" There were few
who had greater need to offer up that
petition than the Major. His evenings
| amusement had failed to bear the morn
| iugs reflection pretty constantly, and,
sagely accepting the fact, he had met the
trouble by refusing to reflect. But after
that historic night at the tables the sturd-
lest refusal was of no avail. Medhurst
found him very i'll in bed. He was drink
| ing champagne and seltzer, aud his red
face was so swollen that his eyes seemed
half obliterated.
"Medhurst, old boy" groaued the Ma
jor, do You want to hear my opinion of
myself"
IL have my own" Medhurst answered
you've got right TO it, I'm the big
gest fool out of Hauwen. | ought to be
| harnessed to Il saud-cart. There isn't such
another ass alive. If l had to go and play,
! why couldn't stick TO the systemp To
have twenty thousand pounds, and jack
| it that wayi Twenty thousand poundsi
| Think of the unlimited spree fellow
might have had with It'll Go outr' he cried,
! struggling upright in his wrath and scorn,
''go out and hire some able-bodied scoun-
drel to come here and kick mel Go and
tell them that the Daisy"-he smote HIM
self resoundingly upon the breast-"the
Daisy is nothing but a blooming Jtggins. ~
The reflection was too bitter for him
He fell back upon his pillow and groaued
II told you how it would be" said Med
hurst You were better OFF than ever