Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-07-13
THE LUCKY COIN.

coulu De. lrue, ne had pro1eSSlOn-thato oil
a journalist-but in Spain the gains of the
fraternity of pen workers are anything but
large, and what he did earn unfortunately
being rabid gambler-went to the dogs.
Then, one morning, from being a hand to
mouth quill driver, he suddenly blossomed
forth as moneyed grandce. Fine horses
were his the entree to the most fashionable
and expensive clubs also his as well as the
best cook in Madrid and the most luxuri-
| ously appointed town and country houses
purchasable for money
''Listen," said he. 1.-TWO years ago."
continued he, lighting a fresh cigar, 81 was
u very poor man, as do not need to remind
you. You and all the rest of my friends
know, too that | had wild passion for
gaming. Poor Bonillap you would always
chorus when speaking of me, he has the
worst of vices-he is a gamblerp You were
wrong nevertheless. l played, but l did
not play for love of it, l played because /
was poor. l was speculator | was not
gambler
"In word, had fixed upon certain
sum that considered would be comfort
able competency There was no way or
chance of acquiring it in my profession
There was In the green cloth. How assidu-
ously devoted myself to that chance you
| know"
He smiled g little at the expressive nod
that involuntarily escaped me, gazed a mo-
ment at the smoke wreaths curling over
his head and vent on:
Zone night was feeling particularly de-
pressed. / never drank, you remember
that is, never to excess, and certainly never
for the purpose of what is termed drowning
sorrow-the gaming table was my resource.
Unfortunately for me had in my pos
session on that night considerable sum of
money intrusted to me bya friend suddenly
called from the city, for the paying of some
debts. / entered the gambling hall and
took my seat at the roulette table, Luck
was against me. The scant pile of douros
that belonged to me one by one melted
away in the bankers pocket But the fever
was on me. l was as one possessed and
did what / never should have believed my
self capable of doing-I staked my friends
money. | staked it, and lost it alp
was going to cry out. Bonilla stopped
me.
mo-" he interrupted do not condemn
me. You could say to me nothing harsher
than my own self reproaches. Like man
turned to stone l sat there in my chair
dumb, torpid, glaring with fevered eyeballs
at the other players, my brain as the ivory
ball spun round whirling and spinning
with it. My senses seemed leaving me-
My life was no longer dear to me. Penni-
less, dishonored, what was there left for
me to live for?
"In thoughts like these and with burn
ing self reproaches the night wore on. One
by one the players dropped off-the tables
were gradually deserted. Soon there was
but one left lighted-the roulette table at
which / sat and whereon a perseyering
0op, h1ar xunG fill tryripe, bio I,,oi-
FINALLY he, too, grew tired, and / was
alone with the banker, who was also the
keeper of the gambling hell"
Jose Herrarra, you mean," cried |, "who
disappeared SO mysteriously two years
ago"
Exactly, Jose Herrarra," Bonilla re
turned quietly, continuing his story. HE
looked at me inquiringly. shook my
head slightly and half rose to depart, in
wardly determined to blow out my brains
as soon as l reached the street. That 1 did
not do it is owing to the strangest chances
of all-so strange that when / tell you you
will no longer wonder that l am still un.
able to decide whether the agency at work
at that moment was supernatural or other
wise
II half rose, say, to go out, and as did
so saw on the floor round, bright object
that had silvery simmer as the gaslight
fell upon it. 1t was coin, a silver''-
"Peseta2" interrupted breathlessly be
fore Gomez could finish.
"Yes," said be- "a little silver coin, only
a peseta, but it saved my life. Quick as
thought placed my foot upon it, motioned
to the banker and called aloud:
"a peseta on 17l
1.-THE banker knew me well-he had rea-
son to know me-and without a question or
hesitation he called after me my wager and
set the ball rolling. 1t stopped on-17.
"'Seventeen wins said he, and on II
clinked and shimmered seven round silver
douros.
"'You leave them therep You stake
againP demanded the banker anew.
, II nodded my head. Again the ball spun
, and again came to a stop on-l7.
"'Seventeen WINS the banker called once
more
"Once, twice thrice-seven separate and
consecutive times left the glittering pile
on II, and seven separate and consecutive
times the ball spun round and II won.
when l stopped at last, it was not be-
, cause l was afraid to longer risk fortune on
II, but because l had broken the bank The
poor, poverty stricken, dishonored journal
list, who had contemplated suicide only a
brief half hour ago, was now wealthy
man."
"But the peseta, the lucky peseta," said
1, ''of course, Gomez, you have it still?"
NO" Gomez replied, with a singular
, smile.
| "Ehf" cried I, amazed "Why, had l
, been you, nothing in the world would have
, made me part with it."
NO." replied he again with the same pc
culiar smile. "You would have parted
with it, for you could not have kept it."
"Why not, pray"
because when stopped to pick up the
coin nothing was there"
, Nothing therep"
"Nothingl That which 1 / ad taken for a
peseta was not coin. The round little
shimmering object upon which the gaslight
had flashed was only-a drop of waterl''-
From the Spanish.
The Masters In America.
: Max O'Rell has pointed out that America
Is the only country where the man who is
paid is the master One feels this every