The Washington times., 1894-07-22

then entering the hotel. hurriedly seized the
keys of his bedroom and bounded upstairs,
| taking three steps at a time.
chambermaid gave him a candle: he
closed the bedroom door carefully behind
him, took bunch of KEYS and opened large
trunk belonging to mis- wife. Diving into this
he drew out n small workbox. which he again
unlocked, and then. graspinging pile of
English banknotes ii contained, put it back,
closed and relocked the trunk and hastened
down. running as ii he would outstrip
thought, and leave behind the warning cries
that pursued him.
Jumping into the fly. he was driven quickly
to the Casino. and here changing the notes to
gold he flung coin 10 the iehu. and then
turned his steps toward the fourth or gold
room, so called because cold is the only coin
allowed to be staked -nere. He knew that
here trente ct quarante was played, and he
told himselfthat luck would favor him at cards
where it had forsaken him at roulette. He
no longer paused to consider what it was he
was doing-what il was he had done. That
he had broken the oath made to his wife and
taken her money. no longer troubled him;
his veins ran with fire, his pulses throbbed
with passion. his brain reeled with excite
ment his heart thirsted for gambling.
In the gold room the crowd was not so
great as in the other saloons. and he readily
found place at one OF the tables. Who made
way for him, who sat beside him, ne could
not say. He was anxious to begin and win
back not only what he had lost but to gain
fortune. such as is sometimes made here in a
night. This would bo the only Justification
he could offer for his perjury; play he must,
and succeed he must. Coin after coin left his
possession. He lost repeatedly: but again he
gained. and for a while it seemed the sum in
his pocket was neither diminished nor in
creased. Then becoming desperate he doubled
his stakes, which were swept from him,
l,ha t.xrN
an hour of his entrance into the room he had
parted with $500. and was now penniless
man.
He staggered from the place haggard and
white-faced. filed with despair. loathing and
despising himself. The gardens outside still
slept in the calm moonlight: here and there
figures sat or walked; the waters of a fountain
splashed on its marble basin. He found an
unoccupied bench under some palm trees,
and sat down in the shadow. His senses
were yet throbbing with excitement, his brain
yet maddened: but above the tumult, as the
voice OF the wind rising abore the roar Of the
waves, came the thought, ii have forgotten
her love-I have broken my oath-I have
crept to her room and stolen her money; and
nevermore can LOOK into her eyes and see
there the love she once bore me. the faith she
placed in me. l cannot trust myself. for am
weak as water and the most sacred pledges
have no power to bind me. Fool that am.
wr2tcn tnat am. li;ir tnat nm. L, uare NOT
face her and read condemnation and reproach
in her glances. Godr' he cried out, what
is to become OF me?'
He rose up. and with his right hand struck
his breast His clinched fingers hit against
the barrel OF Il small revolver which. with an
Englishman's fear and distrust of foreigners,
he always carried with him. For n moment
he recoied at the touch. and put from him
the horrible thought that rose in his mind;
but once there he was powerless to Danish 10
and he found himself forced 10 dwell upon,
and presently TO act on it.
''Gambling has been the curse OF my life;
let it end it. he muttered. 'She will be bet
ter without such man rs am, for how do
know / may not waste every penny OF her
fortune as / have already wasted my own,
now the devlish thirst is in my blood-this
hell-ire in my heart? am not worthy OF
her; better should die now than cause her
years of anxiety and grief"
loud discordant laugh-a woman's laugh
fell like mockery on his cars. He drew out
the reyolver-acting on an impulse which he
knew was madness, yet had not the power to
fly from, nor the courage to overcome-and
with one wild thought Of her whose path he
had crossed. whose love he had gained whose
life he was destined to sadden, he, as il acting
on compulsion, raised the barrel to his fore
head and fired.
At that instant Col. Danton's voice was
heard crying ont, "Gerardl Gerard Gerard"
But the man he sought could answer nsver.
more.