The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-02-08

if he should swindle them. but it is i'm
possible. No human being can come
winner out of q game with him"
Then the two men clinked glasses and
passed out.
The dice-players-the pale one and the
starving one-sst gazing at each other with
Sl4S,O0O piled up between them. The
winner n ade no move to take in the
money he merely sat aud stared at Car
ringer. wholly unmoved by the converse
tion in the adjoining room. His imper-
durability was amazing, his absolute still
ness terrifying.
Carringer began to shake with an ague
The cold. steady gaze of the stranger sent
ice into his marrow. Unable TO bear
longer this onwavering look CarrinRer
moved to one side aud then he was
amazed to discover that the eyes OF the
pale man, instead of following him, re-
NAMED fixed upon the spot where he had
sat. A great fear beset the young man. He
feared TO make the slightest sound. Voices
OF men in the barroom we're audible and
the sufferer imagined he had heard 9TH
ers whispering aud tip-toeing in the passage
outside his booth. He poured out some qb-
sinthe, watching his strange companion
all the while, and drank alone and IN
noticed. He took a heavy drink. and it
heart bounding with alarming force and
rapidity, and breathing was difficult. Still
his hunger remained, aud that and the
sbsinthe gave him an idea that the gastric
acids were destroying him by digestiDg
his stomach. He leaned forward and
whispered to the stranger, but was given
no attention. One of the mans hands
lay upon the table; CarrinGer placed his
upon 1t and then drew back in terror-the
hand was as cold as a stone
The money must not lie there exposed.
Carringer arranged it into neat parcels,
looking furtively every moment at his i'm
movable companion, and in mortal fear
that he would stir! Then he sat back
and waited. A deadly fascination impelled
him to move back into his former posi-
ton, so as to bring his face directly be-
fore the gaze of the stranger. And so the
two sat and stared at each other.
Csrringer fe't his breath coming
heavier and his heart-beats growing
weaker. but these conditions gave him
comfort by reducing his anxiety and
softening the panRs of hunger. He was
growing more and more comfortable, and
yawned. II he had dared, he might have
gone TO sleep.
Suddenly fierce light flooded his
vision and sent him with bound to bis
feet. Had he been struck upon the head
or stabbed to the heart? No; he was
sound and alive. The pale stranger still
sat there gazing at nothing and immov-
able, but Carringer was no longer afraid of
him. On the contrary, an extraordinary
buoyancy of spirit and elasticity OF body
made him feel reckless and daring. His
former timiditv and scruples vanished,
and he felt equal to any adventure. With
out any hesitation he gathered up the
money and besto wed it in his pockets.
Il am fool to starve." he said to him
self, with all this money ready to my
hand"
AS cautiously ne a thief he unlocked the
door, stepped out, reclosed it, and boldly
and with head erect stalked out upon the
street Much to his astonishmsnt he
found the city in the hustle of the early
evening, vet the sky was clear IL Was
evident to him that he had not been in
the ssaloon as long as he had sup
posed. lie walked along the street with
the utmost unconcern of the dangers that
beset him, and laughed softly and gleeiul-
ly. Would no not eat now-ah would he
not? Why, he could buy dozsd res
taurantsl Not only that, but he would
hunt the city mp and down for
hungry men and fed them with the fat
test steaks, the juicisst roasts aud fine big
gest oysters thet the town could supply.
As for himself, be must eat first; after
that he would set up a great establish
ment for feeding other hungry mOrtals
without charge. Yes. he would eat first;
if he pleased, he would eat till be should
burst In what single place could he find
sufficient to satisfy his hunger? Could
he live long enough to have an OK killed
ard roasted whole for his support? Be-
sides an OK he would order two dozen
broiled chickens, fifty dozen oysters,
dozen crabs, ten dozen eggs ten hams,
eight young pigs, twenty wild ducks. tif-
teen lish OF four different kinds. eight
salads, four dozen bottles each OF claret,
Burgundy, and champagne; for pastry,
eight plum buildings, aud FOR dessert,
bushels of nuts, ices and CONNECTIONS. 1t
would require time to prepare such q
meei, and If he could only live until 1t
could be made ready it would be infinite
ly better than to spoil his appetite with
dozen or two meas OF ordinary size. lie
thought he could live that long, for he
felt amazingly strong and bright. Never
in his life before had he walked with so
+ great ease and lightness; his feet hardly
touched the ground-he ran and leaped.
1t did him good to tantalize his hunger,
for that would make his relish OF the feast
ell the keener. Oh, but how they would
stare when he would give his order,
and how comicslly they would hang
back, and how amazed they would be
when ha would throw a few thousand dol
lars on the counter and tell them to take
their money out of it and keep the
change! Really, it was worth while 10
be so hungry as that, for then eating be-
came such an unspeakable luxury. And
one must not be in too great hurry to
eat when one is so hungry-that is
beastly. How much of the JOY OF living
do rich people miss from eating be-
fore they are hungry-before they have
gone three days and nights without
food And how manly it ia. and how
great seli-control it shows, 10 daily with
starvation when ehas dazzling fortune
in ones pocket and every restaurant has
an open door! To be hungry without
money-that il despair TO be starving
with bursting pocket-that il sublime.
Surely the only true heaven is that in
which one furnishes in the presence OF
abundant food, which be might have for
the taking, and then q gorged stomach
and long sleep.
The starving wretch specializing thus, still
kept from food. He felt himself growing
in stature, and the people whom he met
became pignies. The streets widened,
the stars became suns and dimmed the
electric lights, and the most intoxicating
odors and the sweetest music filled the
4