The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-13
A PIECE OF
STOLEN GOLD.

When Lucien Hem saw his last hundred
franc note grpped by the bank-keeper's
rake and rose from the roulette table, where
he had lost the last fragments of his little
fortune, collected for this supreme struggle,
he felt gddy and thought he was going to
fall.
With giddy head and tottering legs he
went ami threw himself down upon the
broad leathern settee surrounding the play
table.
For some minutes he gazed vacantly on
the elandestine gambling-bouse in which he
had squandered the best days of his youth {;
recognized the ravaged faces of the gam
blers crudely lit by the three large shaded
lamps; listened to the light Jingle of gold on
the cloth-c0yeTed table; felt that lie was
ruined, lost: TeCOllected that he had at
home the pair IF regulation pistols which
his father, General Hem, then simple Cap
tain, had used so well in the attack Of Iaat-
cha; then, overcome by fatigue, ne sank
into a profound sleep.
When he arose with clammy mouth, he
saw By the clock that be had slept for barely
half an hour, and felt an imperlouS need Tor
breathing the night air. The clock hands
marked a quarter before ID dnlght While
rising and stretching his arms Luclen re-
memhpred that it was Christmas eve, and,
by an iTonic trick Of memory, he saw HIM
self little child, putting its shoes into the
chimney before going to bed.
Atthat moment old Dronski-a pillar of
the gaming-house, tie classic Pole, wearing
tie IhreadbaTe hooded WOODEN cloak, Orna-
mented all over with grease StaiuS-ap-
preached LuCeu and muttered few words
i'm his CrizZled beard: Lend me a 5-fTauc
pieco, monsieur. It's now two days since
have stirred out Of the club, and for two
DAYS the ~ has never turned up. Laugh
Int hpr 70
be cut off If that number does not turn up
on tile stroke Of midnight"
Lucien Hem shrugged his shoulders. He
had not even enough IN his pocket TO meet
this tax, which the frequenters OF the place
called The Poles 10O sous" BE passed
into the ante-ChambeT, took his hat and fur
coat and descended the stairs with feYeriSh
Tauidlty.
Since / o'clock, when Lucien had shut
himself up in the gamIng-hOUSe. snow had
fallen heavily, and the street-a street in
tie center Of Paris, very narrow and built
with high houses on either Slde-waS COM
pletely white.
In the calm sky, blue black, the cold stars
glitteTed.
The ruined gambler shuddered under his
tuTS and walked. away, his mind still teem-
ing with thoughts Of despair, and more than
ever turning to the remembrance Of the
box Of pistols which awaited him in one Of
his drawers; but after moving a few steps,
he stopped suddenly before a hear.-wrlng-
ing SiEut
On ihe stone bench, placed according to
old custom near the monumental door OF
mansion, a little girl Of or years of age,
dressed in a ragged black frock, was sitting
in the snow. Size was sleeping, in spite OF
the cruel cold, IN an attitude Of frigntful
fatigue and exhaustion; her poor little head
and tiny shoulder pressed as if it had sunk
into an angle Of the wall and TepOsiDg on
the icy stone. One of her wooden shoes
had fallen from her foot which hung help
lessly and lugubriOusly before her.
With a mechanical gesture Lucien put his
hand TO his Waistcoat pocket. but moment
sfterWaTd he TecOlected that he had not
been able to find even forgotten piece Of
% sous, and had been obliged to leave the
club without giving the customary "tip" TO
the club attendant; yet, moved by an in.
stinctive feeling Of pity, he approached the
little girl, and might. perhaps, have taken
her in his arms and given her a nights lOdg-
ing, when in the wooden shoe which had
slipped from her foot he saw something
glitter.
He stopped; il was gold coin.