St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-13

The proprietor raised his eyebrows
ana replied, with cold civility:
at is an unusual request. sir, even
for my friends to make, and you are
perfect stranger!"
81 know Pm asking much more than
I can expect" Evasio replied; 'but my
father is well-known London banker,
strength of his credit,you might manage
to grant my request. Of course,I
should expect to be charged commits
sion for the accommodation"
The other regarded him Shrewdly for
! a minute from under his long. dark eye
lasheS. Then he asked: 'How much
do you want?'
"a thousand forms if possible, but
less if that is more than you can trust
me for.''
Write out draft for 1000 forms and
let me see the signature" answered the
proprietor briefly. Il will then decide
about cashing it."
The young man Immediately filled in
one of Potsdortf d Guelph's draft forms.
which he happened to lave in his
pocket, and handed it to the proprietor.
| The latter scanned it closely. Then,
| after looking several times from the
draft to EvaSio's face and back again to
the draft, he inquired briefly:
/ pardon ME for asking, but how much
! have you lost altogether in my saloon?"
'SiX thousand forms tonight, 1000
last night and 800 the night BEFORE"
| Evasio returned.
Very WE'LL" the proprietor said.
GAS you have brought so much grlst to
my mill, and your fathers name is
known to me as one of the leading ones
in the financial world, will cash this
! draft for you. | only make one Stipu-
lation-namely, that you mention this
to no one else. If it were generally
known, should be pestered with like
applications"
Evasio readily gave the required
promise and cordially thanked the pro-
! prietor, who unlocked a cash box,
I counted out notes to the necessary
amount and handed them to the young
man without a word.
But about the commission
began the latter. Let me-
''My dear sr!" interposed the pr opri-
etor, setting aside, as it were, the sug--
geStiOn with wave of his hand. Il
could not think of accepting commission
OIL draft i.ayable at sight. | shall, OF
course. present this at Pottsdorff d
| Guelph's tomorrow morning., ~
do so, by all means,", Evaslo re-
turned. And, after again thanking the
manager for his obliging kindness, he
re-entered the gambling saloon, eager
to retrieve his losses.
But his attempt to do so proved noth-
ing better than throwing good money
after bad. In an incredibly short time
every farthing of that last 1000 tlorins
had vanished, and he returned to his
hotel broken and Desperate l.sess5ssu
| :
About noon next day, as he, sat over
| his untaSted breakfast, resting his head
on his hands, detected and miserable,
| he heard knock at the door. Before
he had time to open it the door was
thrown open, and the waiter. an
nouncsd:
"a gentleman to see YOU"
EvaSio looked up with a gesture OF
| irritation, meaning to say that he could
receive no one just then. But he de-
sisted from his purpose when he saw
his visitor already crossing the thresh-
Old, and recognized in him the proprl-
et0r of the gambling saloon. :*@
"Pardon me for troubling you with a
visit" the latter began politely, when
the door had closed Oh the water, "but
| | have just been to present your draft
at PottSdorff & Guelph's, and"
''It was honored all right. was it nOt?"
Evasio interposed quickly.
| sit wasp the other returned, wfth q
bow. 81 have no complaint to make on
that score. But l fear-and pardon my
seeming impertinencei in allnding to the
matter-that the thousand tlorins which
| have just been paid on your draft was
all the money that you had left"
''Really, that is no affair of yours"
the young man. retorted. He highly re-
scented such suggestion from perfect
stranger, who had Obliged him, it was
night, but who still had done nothing to
warrant any inquisitive interference
with his private affairs. However, in a
moment his curiosity got the better of
his resentment, and he added, what
makes you think SOP" t. ...t
Several things" was the answer.
1.-THE fact that you asked me to advance
1000 forms and no more, your demeanor
while losing, the conduct of the cashier
at Potsdorff & Guelph's-who was
obliged to refer to his ledger to see if
you were good for the sum-this combi-.
nation of circumstances led me.to sup
pose that you had lost your allsand
might now stand in need of money! Es-
pecially," he concluded, fixing his dark
eyes full on the young mans face, "as
|
which you have gambled away was not
your own."
"Who told you that?' cried Evasio,
adding quickly as he thought he OWNED
the motive of this strangers visit, II
see! You are money-lender@
II do lend mOney-SOmetlmeSF was
the quiet rejoinder. .- s.
| "GOodl" exclaimed EvaSiO, eagerly.
''Then you will advance me 5000 for
ms? I'll give you bill Oh the agents
at month-at a fortnight, if you like;
and pay any interest you please!"
The other, looking the young man full
in the face, answered: But you would
only gamble away the money, were |
to lend it to you" - azt
perhaps so.' was the reply-''but'
quickly "look here. I'll promise to
gamble with it at your saloon, SO that,
If it all vanishes, you. and you alone,
will profit by the loss"
The proprietor smiled gravely, as he
returned: Young sir, | should be
sorry to see you go to the devil through
the medium of my gambling table,
though you would be far from the first
who had suffered that fate. Several
striking resembiances occur to me now
one especially, which l should like to
tell you of, if you have the leisure to
listen."
Now, Evasio desired nothing less than
to be bored with any of this fellows
stories. But. as it would not do to of
fend him while there was any chance of
obtaining loan from him. he said with
as good grace as he could assume:
by all means tell me the tale. j
should like to hear it,"
cit happened many years ago. the
other began. "a young man of about
your age was playing recklessly at one
of the tables in the saloon of which
am now proprietor. Everything went
, against him and he lost heavily. More
| over, the money with which he was
specializing was not his own to lose. All
that he himself had possessed had al
ready vanished, and he had borrowed
i from friends on the strength of drafts
, and Acknowledgements payable next
day, though he had no money lying to
, his credit. and his only hope of meeting
these drafts rested on his chance of win
r ming. Luck was dead against him.