Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-02-26

superb military name, was possessed
with mad, hysterical, monstrous de-
sire; with one look he assured himself
that he was really alone in that deserted
street. and bending his knee and push
ing his hand tremblingly into the
fallen shoe, he stole the Twenty-Five
franc piece.
Then, running with all his strength,
he returned to the gambling house,
climbed the staircases with few
strides, pushed open with his fist the
padded door of the cursed room, and
reached it just ms the clock was strik-
ing twelve placed upon the green cloth
the gold piece and cried:
81 stake it all on seventeen ="
Number seventeen was the winning
number.
With turn of the hand Lucien
placed his double funds on cred"
Red was the winning color.
He tried all of his money again on
the same color.
Red came the second time.
He doubled his preceding stakes
twice, three times, always with the
same luck, He had before him now
n cup of gold and banknotes, and he
scattered them over the table franti-
cally.
All the combinations brought him
success 1t was chance never heard
of before. Something supernatural.
One would have said that the little
ivory ball jumping into the pigeon
holes of the roulette table was fasci-
mated and magnetized by the gambler
and obeyed him. He had recovered
in score of plays the few miserable
notes of thousand francs, his last re-
source, which he had lost at the begin
ming of the evening.
At present covering with several
hundred francs at time, and served
always by his fantastic luck he was in
a fair way to regain all, and more than
his family fortune which he had in 50
few years squandered.
In his haste and desire to play he
had not taken off his overcoat already
he had filed the great pockets with
rolls of notes and gold pieces; and not
knowing where to heap up his gains
he thrust paper and gold into the
pockets of his inside coat, his vest and
trousers pockets his cigar case his
handkerchief, every place that could
serve rs receptacle. And he played
always, and he gained always, like
madman, like n drunken man and he
threw his handfuls of gold upon the
table at hazard, with r gesture of GER
tainty and disdain
Only there was something burning
IN ms breast like red-hot iron, and
he thought constantly of the little beg
gar from whom he had stolen.
She is still In the same place She
must be there! immediately, yes,
when the clock strikes one, | swear to
myself that will get away from this
place. will take her, asleep, in my
arms. | will take her home with me;
she shall sleep in my bed tonight; |
will bring her up and / will settle
large amount on her; | will love her
as my daughter, and | will take care
of her always. alwayst
But the clock struck one, and quar-
ter past and half past and quarter to
two, and Lucien was still seated at that
Internal table.
At last, one minute before two, the
head of the house got up abrubtly and
said in loud voices: "rhe bank is
broken. gentlemen; enough for to-
day."
With one bound Lucien was ON his
feet and. pushing aside recklessly the
curious who surrounded and REGARDED
him with an envious admiration, he
went out quickly, rushing down the
stairs and running to the stone bench
there. From distance, by the light
of a gas let. he could see the little
girl.
"Thank God - he cried. "she is still
there"
He approached her, and seized her
tiny hand.
On, how cold she is. Poor little
thlng
lie took her in his arms, and raised
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