The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-30
CHAPTER II.
Thou shalt not steal; an empty feat,
When it's so lucrative to Cheat

OF three sons of Suffolk haronet, man of
scruputous honor and integrity, stern and
unloading in his his heightened morality.
Sir John Denison had twice paid his sons
gambling debts. On the third application
for the assistance of the parental sponge,
the baronet took time to c1nside- before
complying with his sons modest demand
Eventually, however, he handed Capt
Denlson a check considerably exceeding
the amount asked for. But the satisfaction
with which Capt. Denison received the
lnuniticent sum was considerably dashed by
the caustic observation with which 1t was
accompanied
There, sir. have done for you all that
intend to do You have now received the
whole sum to which you were entitled; and
you are at liberty to reform or 60 TO the
dogs in your own wny@
Capt Denison elected to "go to the dogs"
Reckless whilst the money lasted he bo.am
evel more reckless whsu it was all spent,
for, finding himself no lolger capable of
supporting his position as al officer holding
| the queens commission, he disappeared
from the army. when, curiously enough
fortune, which had frowned on him hither-
to, began to smile upon him after he hal
| adopted the life of a professional gambler
and adventurer.
There were few gambling bells on the
continent tn which Capt. Denis1n had
iOt u BibatSL Ut loSSeT QsSFb5 u HCQ I4lQJ-
ance. He passed the grea5 part of his time
abroad, visiting Paris, Hamburg, Baden
Baden, Mo laco and Monte Carlo in turn.
He was endowed with handsome presence,
marred only by too pronounced aquiline
features that earned for him in certain cir
Giles the nickname OF Capt. Vuture."
Notwithstanding this defect he was a man
of agreeable and polished address, with
hosts OF acquaintance who passed for
friends
His reputation did not suffer from the
evil rumors that attacked the ruck Of gam
lers. The worst chat was said of him was
that 'he had the DEVILS own luck But it
was not to be inferred from this that he
| played with loaded dice Or was guilty OF
| any malpractice thai could unfit him for the
| society of gentlemen. In short Capt
| Denison contrived to keep on the safe side
of that fine line that divides the gambler,
| pure and simple, from the level of the black
| leg.
| He was on his way to Monte Carlo, and
| was staying for a few days in Paris en- route,
when chance directed his footsteps one day
TO the Louvre. Capt. Denison cared little
| for pictures and statuary, and as for the
jargon Of "high art" he understood iu as
| little as he understood Chinese. But he was
| ennNye, and with a few moments to spare
| he thought he could not do better than es-
| cape from the scorching boulevards for
| quiet stroll through tue galleries of the
| Louvre, in one OF which he first encount-
| cred Winifred West.
Winifred was engaged in making small
| replica of war picture, whilst her father
sitting in his wheslcnair close by, occupied
himself with his GaLighaRi Cap Deai-
| sons first impression was one of amuse-
| ment to see 50 youthful a tyro of the arts
engaged upon what, even to his immature
understand lg, was evidently an ambitious
| attempt. But the next moment his amuse-
ment gave place TO admiration as his eve
| caught the beautiful facs of the youthful
| artist and the flowing lines of her budding
| figure. He became so absorbed in watching
| her that he failed TO notice the invalid sit
| ting in the wheelchair, until altering his
| position in order to obtain closer view of
| Winifred's face he recognized i'll the young
| artists father an old comrade with whom
he had served IL the Soudan.
| Mai. West, who had retired from the
| army in consequence of a severe wound in
| the hip, which had left him permanently
| lame, and from the Objects of which his life
| was SLOWLY ebbing away, was Overjoyed to
sec an old comrade-in-arms, aud the in
| timacy then renewed was continued until
the death of the major, who. knowing
nothing OF his friends later history, COM
| mitted Winifred to his care.
Lei it be recorded in Capt. Denison's favor
| that he was most reluctant TO accept trust
| for which he felt himself utterly unfit. He
| frankly told the ma Or that it was mot in
ms line But whel the veteran pleaded
that Winifred would be Left alone and
| frieldless, and appealed to him by the
memory Of the dangers they had shared To-
| gether that he would not refuse his prayer,
| Capt. Denison consented. Having under
taken the responsibility, he also meant to
| go through with it faithfully and honora
| bly,.
On settling the jor's affairs he di COW
| cred that sum barely amounting to one
hundred pounds per annum was left for
| Winifred's maintenance, and finding after
| consultation with friend who was better
| acquainted with such matters than himself,
that the girl really possessed artistic capa-
bilities of very high order. he arranged
| for her education in the technicalitles OF the
profession that she had chosen. Having
placed her under the care of respectable
woman. who undertook to accompany her
in her journeyings to and fro between her
| lodgings and the studio where she went to
receivo lessons. Capt. Denison started for
| Monaco.
| During the three months of his absence
| he nalntoined a regular correspondence
with his wrrd. who reported the events of
her daily life with the spontaneousuess Of a
frank unsophistic ted nature. When he
returned to Paris, bringing with q we'll
|
great change that three months had
wrought in Winifred's appearance Tall
and graceful as a fawn, every attitude one
of unstudied grace, Winifred in thu first
blush OF her maidsnly beauty was endowed
VITA undeniable charms. But what pleased
Capt. Denison most was the entire freshness
of her feeling, and her air of clndor and
| innocence, as Of q soul ignorant of this
worlds evil. The entire righteousness of
her nature, and the look Of innocent sim
plicity in her eyes suggested TO him a
scheme that ne lost no time in carrying
| out.
de began to speak to her Of marriage; a
subject that was received by Ninifro with
grave, wondering eyes. 1t was ts' first
time that the idea had entered her mind
that there was anything else to 1--we for ex-
cept the art that she loved. Capt. Danlson
masked his approaches to the virgin citadel
of her heart under plausible arguments
based professedly on n sincere concern for
her welfare His manner, too, was SO
quietly authoritative that she knew not how
to resist him She was barely II, without
experiences, TO guide hsr, or relative in the
world to appeal to. What else could she do
than yield to his persuasions, which,
| though she was little conscious OF II,