Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-05-20

could possibly make use Of. And he
still played and he still won, like mad
man. like one Intoxicated. He threw
handfuls of louis on the table with q
disdainful and certain gesture.
A red hot iron seemed to scar his soul,
and be could only think of the little
beggar asleep in the snow-the child he
had robbed.
She is still in the same place! She
should certainly still be there! Right
away. yes, when one o'clock strikes,
swear 1t! l WiIl 60 out Of here, l will
take her, asleep. just as she is, in my
arms and I will carry her home with
me and put her in my bed. I will
bring her uD, give her marriage
dowry, love her like daughter and
care for her always, always"
But the clock struck one, the quar-
ter, the half and three-quarters, and
Lucien was still seated before the in
iernal table.
At last, just one minute before two
o'clock, the dealer rose and said In Q
loud voice:
THE bank is broken, gentlemen.
Enough for tonight"
With one bound Lucien was on his
feet. Pushing the gamblers rudely to
one side, who crowded around him and
gazed at him obviously, he went out
quickly, hurried down the stairs, and
ran as fast as he could TO the stone
bench. In the distance, by the light OF
q gas jet. he perceived the little girl.
God be praisedl" he cried, "she is
still there"
He approached her and took her
hand.
"oh, how cold she is! Poor little
one."
He took her under the arms, lifting
her, to carry her better. The child's
head fell back heavily, and still she did
not waken.
"How they sleep at this age"
de pressed her against his breast to
try and warm her. and at last, filed
with vague uneasness, he tried TO rouse
her from this heavy sumber; he kissed
her eyes, as he had formerly kissed the
sleeping eyes Of some loved one.
Then he perceived, with terror, that
the cnild's eyes were half epen, and dis
closed CLASSY, strained, motionless pu-
pills. A horrible suspicion flashed across
him; Lucien put his mouth close TO the
little ones mouth; no breath came.
While LucIen was winning fortune
with the gold louis, which he had stolen
from the little beggar, the homeless
child was dead-had died from cold.
Lucien seemed to be strangling with
the frightful agony which had seized
Ia fria RI m
the effort he made he woke from his
nightmare and found himself on the
eather-covered couch, where he had
fallen asleep little before midnight,
and where the gGrcOn Of the club had
let him lie undisturbed out OF pity for
the poor, ruined gamester.
A misty December dawn struggled
through the windows. Lncien went
out, put his watch in pawn, took bath,
breakfaSted, and going to the recruit
ing Office, enlisted ia the First Regi-
ment of the Chasseurs d'Afrique.
To-day Lucien de Hem Is a lieuten-
ant; be has but his pay upon which to
live, but he lives upon it; he has thu
reputation Of being fine officer and
has never touched card. 1t seems
that he can even save something
of this small income; for the other day
in Algiers one Of his comrades, who was
following him, as they climbed hilly
street in Kasba, seeiaR him give alms
to little Spanish girl who was sleep
ing in the doorway, had the curiosity to
look and see what Lucien had given the
little beggar. The curious one was In
OF q "A N N :
generosity.
Lucieu de Hem had put gold louis In
the girls hand. FRANCOIS CoPPEE.