The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-01

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me about at dinner time 1t seems TO ms
there lii scarcely any one / know left. =
Rouvalwas NOT very delighted mt this
decision. He was in the habit Of going
10 the club every evening and spending
some hours at the card tables. and II
had become so fixed q habit with him
that he felt restless and dissatisfied any
where else. He would like TO ask De
Saumur to take a hand with him, but
under the circumstances he scarcely
dared to. He kept casting furtive
glances at the little table In the corner
OF the room, and at length De Sanmur,
who had noticed his friends ufeasiness
and who from experience guessed the
cause, suggested himself "tAat they
should just have q round or two at cards
to see how much he had forgotten In 10
years."
but / though. you had quite given
up playing for ever and everf'' objected
his friend.
Eyes, as q regular habit ! have, but
it is quite another thing to have game
quietly here like this"
Rouval was only too delighted and
pulled the card table ont with alacrity.
De Saumur played at first carelessly.
He had only proposed 1t out OF con.
alteration to his friend. and he felt
rather bored. Rouval kept winning and
appeared SO contented with himself and
had such u triumphant that De
Saumur found himself getting interest
ed and excited in spite OF himself. The
more he lost the moro persistent he be-
came. IL was as though the old passion
Of former days which for 10 years had
been kept in control by his strong will
had completely got the mastery of him.
At first the stakes had been insignificant,
but as he continued to lose he became
more and more desperate, until at last
the amount was getting so serious that
Rouval did not wish to continue.
"But as I have been the loser so far,
said De Saumur, ''you cannot refuse to
go on surelyi"
1T is not for my W sake, but 1
don't. like ii, Gilbert. You are here at
my house, and you are playing desper-
ate stakes"
We'll, that's my own lookout. It's
your turn TO cut"
Day was beginning to break, and the
two men were still seated at the card
table. They had played all night, and
now their eyes were fiery with excite
ment, and their hands trembled as they
handled the cards.
At last Gilbert de Saumur exclaimed,
There, / cannot go on any more!"
Rouval looked at him anxiously,
thinking that he was ill, but he contin-
ned:
"No, I've come TO an end, that's all.
/ cannot 60 on, because you have won
nearly every cent I possess. I'll give
you a check on my banker for it. and
that settles it."
A dead silence followed these words.
What was TO be done? The play had
been strictly fair, and Rouval had won
1t fairly.
MY dear fellow, said Rouval as De
Saumur finished writing ont the check,
IT cannot take IL all. Keep something
for yourself"
81 have $40 left,'' replied De sau-
mur coldly. THAT will be enough to
get back where I came from. Work is
better for me than fortune. I have
proved that twice. I thought now I was
cured, but il appears / was mistaken. /
suppose now I shall never see Paris
again. Goodby, Rouval."
And he got up. and opening the door
took his hat from the peg In the hall
and went down stairs, followed by Rou-
val, who accompanied him to the hall
door, and who, when he had closed 1t
after his friend, went back to his smok-
ing den and paced mp and down the
room until it was broad daylight.
Very odd" was the verdict at the
club the next evening. mot quite the
thing to take everything the poor fell
low had worked 10 years for and 20 send
him back to perpetual exile. Million.