Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-03-12

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 as 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 "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
n cup of gold and banknotes, and he
scattered them over the table franti-
cslly.
All the combinations brought him
success. 1t was n 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-
| ta1 l,,+ III
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 serv ed
, 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
[ he had filed the great pockets with
3 rolls of notes and gold pieces; aud not
f knowing where to heap up his gains
a he thrust paper and gold into the
4 pockets of his inside coat, his vest and
{ trousers pockets, his cigar case, his
n handkerchief. every place that could
W serve as receptacle. And he played
g always, and he gained always, like &
1T madman, like a drunken man and he
threw his handfuls of gold upon the
n table at hazard, with gesture of Ger
e, tainty and disdain
ed Only there was something burning
D. in his breast like red-hot iron, and
Sc he thought constantly of the little beg
CUR from whom he had stolen
W She is still in the same place! She
Ie must be therel Immediately, yes,
/ when the clock strikes one, | swear to
N myself that | will get away from this
| place. | will take her, asleep, in my
At arms ! will take her home with me
lie she shall sleep in my bed tonight;
will bring her up and | will settle a
l. large amount on her; | will love her
is as my daughter, and | will take care
m of her always, always!
ID But the clock struck one, and quar-
Ie ter past and half past, and quarter to
at two, and Lucien was still seated at that
Sc Internal table
AT last, one minute before two, the
1t head of the house got up abruptly and
l. said in loud voices: "rhe bank is
" broken, gentlemen; enough for to-
h day"
h With one bound Lucien was on his
V feet and, pushing aside recklessly the
curious who surrounded and regarded
s him with an envious admiration, he
went out quickly, rushing down the
e stairs and running to the stone bench
g there. From distance, by the light
l of gas jet, he could see the little
girl.
"Thank God r' he cried "she is still
, there"
He approached her. and seized her
tiny hand.
e ooh, how cold she is. Poor little
i thing"
d He took her in his arms, and raised
n her to carry her. The head of the
e enid fell back without awakening
j. her.
d .dow one sleeps at her age!"
r de pressed her against his breast to
4 warm her; and, seized with a vague
/. inquietude, he tried, i'll order to draw
b her from this heavy sleep, to kiss her
D on the eyelids, as one does to awaken
2 gently loved one.
And then he perceived with horror
that the eyelids of the child were half
open, ahd that the eyeballs were
2 CLASSY, set and sightless.
, His brain whirled with a horrible
F.; suspicion he put his mouth close to
that of the little girl; not breath
e came from it.
o During the time Lucien had gained
a fortune with the money stolen from
e the little beggar, the poor child with
e out home had died, died from expos
ure to the cold.
= Feeling in his throat n horrible
choking sensation, Lucien tried to cry
10 out, and IN the effort that he made he
n woke mp from this nightmare and
II i"nnd himself on the clnb.room sofa,
70 where hp EaII. al. lftt1n ha.