The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-06-01

ACIoCll ACAO'
She drove direct to the club where Tom
Darlington occasionally called of an af-
ternoon on his way home from the city.
By good luck he was there now, and the
message which Mrs. Brandon sent IN
quickly brought him to her carriage
door. A very few words passed between
them, but enough to make Toms face
grow to twice its normal length.
81 will be off at once" he said.
"Do." replied Mrs. Brandon. "But
mind, not a word yeti Not until she is
quite well again"
"Trust mel" cried Tom. He was al
ready hailing a passing hanson. and
with hurried bow to Mrs. Brandon he
jumped into it.
When he reached home he sprang up
the steps and rang the door bell sharplv
1t was opened in about half a second by
the cook, who, with look of deep i'm
portance on her face, gasped out: please,
sir, will you be as quiet as possible And
-and-it's boyr
Before her bewildered master had
time to make any inquiries relative to
this information the doctor, who had
been descending the stairs when he en-
tered, came up to him and shook him by
the hand.
Il must congratulate you, my dear
SIR" he said, ION the birth of remark
ably fine son. am glad to tell you, too,
that Mrs Darlington is going on as well
as can be expected. But she is naturally
very weak. So if you go in to see her
do not stop more than a minute or allow
her to talk Anything calculated to ex-
cite her must be most carefully avoided.
will call in again later and see how she
is progressing"
Under these circumstances Mr.. Part
ington was compelled to abandon for the
present the hope which he had enter
tanned of inducing his wife to confde to
him the trouble which seemed to have
recently oppressed her. He accordingly
restrained his patience as best he could,
and waited until her strength should re-
turn. At the end of the week, however,
it was evident that Mrs. Darlington was
only mending very slowly, and the doc
tor was by no means satisfied with her
progress. Indeed, he expressed his con-
viction to the husband that something
was weighing on his patients mind, the
removal Of which was essential to her
complete recovery. After this Tom re-
solved to endeavor at the earliest oppor-
tunity to come to an understanding with
his wife.
So, on the same afternoon, as he sat by
his wife's bedside, with one of her hands
in his, he said kindly, "Ada, my dear,
you have something on your mind"
A quick flush overspread her pale face,
and she averted her gaze, murmuring in
confused tone, "What makes you fancy
that, TOMB"
''The eyes of love are quick to see such
things" replied her husband tenderly, as
he stroked her head with his disengaged
hand. "Did you think failed to remark
it just now, when, as your glance fell on
the little one there, groan escaped
your lips? And you have shown by many
other signs that something is troubling
you"
"Oh, Tom," she cried suddenly, lean
ing forward and hiding her face on his
shoulders. "You will not speak so kind
ly when you know the truth. Yet l
must tell you my-my husband. You
have been SO kind and gentle that can
not deceive you any longer, but try,
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES to be very an
cry with me-"
"There is no fear of that" said Tom
encouragingly. "Come, little woman,
let us have the murder out"
"Ah, you do not know what it is" she
went on in remorseful tones, "else you
would not treat it so lightly. Oh, Tom,
Tom, I-I-have lost all my fortune"
SHOW did you manage thatT he asked
quietly.
"You may well put such question"
she continued in voice broken by fire.
quent sobs. 'You may well fail to I'M
derstand my folly and madness. Oh,
Tom, Tom, although / used to set you
at defiance in the matter of gambling,
yet your open remonstrance and silent
disapproval in time began to vex my inn
patient heart. And when / discovered
a secret gambling club, where could
indulge my Unsuitable passion without
your knowledge, at once began to fire.
quent it. The game was roulette-the
one of all others in which had always
longed to join. gave myself up to its
fascination, and stalking wildly incurred
heavy losses day after day. Then, as
my fortune rapidly diminished, and time
went on, and thoughts of the little one
whom was soon to bear were brought
home to me, a chord of motherly feeling
was touched within me, and 1 hated my
self for my wicked folly in having
robbed my child.
81 vowed would win back all that /
had lost, and with that intention for my
strange gamblers craving was somehow
dying away staked heavily at the tables.
But my endeavor was nothing else than
throwing good money after bad. lost
--lost-lost-unti my whole fortune was
gone. Do not"-very piteously-"do not
reproach me, Tom. My own heart is re-
preaching me already, almost more than
can bear"
"My darling" he replied, ~ have no
thought Of reproaching you. If I had
meant to do that l should have done it
before this, for have known all about it
long while"
"You have known all about it a long
whilel" she cried, raising her fearful eyes
wonderingly to his "Oh, Tom-how
did you find out?'
Every easily, my pet" he answered,
kissing her forehead, "seeing that the
founder and proprietor of the gambling
club where you lost your money is no
other than-myself!"
Sheregarded him in speeches. amaze
ment. He went on to explain himself
further;
Eyes. tits quite true. When found
that advice and remonstrance were lost
on you, my dear, hao TO look about for
another method of saving you from the
effects of your folly. And the starting
of that private gambling club was the
method which occurred to me. 1t took
some working out of details and the en-
ployment of good bit of capital to get
the thing properly ahoat. But enlisted
the services of competent agent, whom
paid well, and undertook to indemnify
in case the club were found out blythe
police. 1t had not been discovered, nor
now ever will be; for, its object having
been gained, the establishment is finally
closed. There, Ada, that is enough to
enable you to grasp the truth. But tell
me-are you soily to learn that all the
money which you lost has passed back