The Opelousas courier., 1894-05-19

Java - 80
| placed his double funds on "red."
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
a cup of gold and banknotes, and he
scattered them over the table franti.
cally.
All the combinations brought him
success. 1t was a 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 a score of plays the few miserable
notes of a 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 a 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 SO
few years squandered.
In his haste and desire to play he
had not taken off his overcoat !; already
che had filled the great pockets with
rolls Of notes and gold pieces; andno
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 as a receptacle. And he played
always, and he gained always, like a
madman, like a drunken man! and he
threw his handfuls of gold upon the
table at hazard, with a gesture of GER
tainty and disdain!
Only there was something burning
in his breast like a red-hot iron, and
he thought constantly of the little beg.
gar from whom he had stolen.
She is still in the same placed She
must be therel Immediately, yes,
when the clock strikes one, I swear to
myself that I will get away from this
place. I will take her, asleep, in my
arms. I will take her home with me ;
she shall sleep in my bed tonight; 1
will bring her up and I will settle a
large amount on her; ] will love her
as my daughter, and I will take ARE
of her always, always!
But the clock struck one, and a quar-
ter past and half past, and a quarter to
two, ard Lucien was still seated at that
Internal table.
At last, one minute before two, the
head of the house got up abruptly and
said in a loud voices: "The 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 a distance, by The hight
Of a gas jet, he could see the little
girl.
"Thank Godl" he cried, "she is still
there"
He approached her, and seized her
tiny hand.
..Oh, how cold she is. Poor little
thing!"
He took her in his arms, and raised
her to carry her. The head Of the
child fell back without awakening
her.
"How one sleeps at her age"
He pressed her against his breast to
warm her; and, seized with q vague
,nquietude, he tried, in order to draw
ner from this heavy sleep, to kiss her
On the eyelids, as one does to awaken
sently a loved one.
And then he perceived with horror
that the eyelids of the child were half
o3en, aid that the eyeballs were
classy, set and sightless.
His brain whirled with a horrible
suspicion he put his mouth close to
that of the little girl not q breath
came from it.
During the time Lucien had gained
a fortune with the money stolen from
the little beggar, the poor child with
out a home had died, died from expos
ure to the cold.
Feeling in his throat a horrible
choking sensation, Lucien tried to cry
out, and in the effort that he made he
woke up from this nightmare and
found himself on the club-room sofa.
where he had fallen asleep a little be-
fore midnight, and where the waiter
Of the gambling room, in going out
about 5 o'clock, had left him sleep
ing. out Of pity for the ruined man.
A misty December sunrise lighted
up the window panes.
Lucien went out, pawned his watch,
took q bath, breakfasted, and went to
q recruiting officer, where he signed a
voluntary engagement in the First
African Infantry.
To-day Lucien de Hern is a lieuten-
ant, he has only his pay to live on,
but he gets out of it very well, being
a steady officer and never touching a
card; it would seem also that he finds
it possible to say something out of it,
for the other day, at A1giers, one of
his comrades walking . little behind
in . hilly street Of the Kaspa, saw him
give something to a little sleeping
Spanish girl in q doorway, and he had
the irdiscreet curiosity to see what
Lucien had given to the child.
The inquisitive one was much sur
prised at the generosity Of the poor
lieutenant.
Lucien de Hern had put in the hand
OF this INDECENT child q twenty-five.
fronc mace -Translafad for BnitOn |