Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1894-02-16

I
l will cut off my right hand if soon, at
midnight, this number is not the one. "
Then this young man, twenty three
years old, who was descended from
race of honorable people, who bore a
superb military name, was possessed
ith a 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 a 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
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 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
II 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
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
4 trousers pockets, his cigar case, his
I handkerchief, every place that could
serve as receptacle. And he played
always, and he gained always, like a
madman, like drunken man and he
threw his haAdfuls of gold upon the
table at hazard, with gesture of GER
tainty and disdain
Only there was something burning
in his 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. | viii take her home with me
she shall sleep in my bed tonight; |
will bring her up and | will settle II
large amount on her; | will love her
as my daughter, and | will take care
of her always, always
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 abruptly and
said IN loud voices: ''The bank is
broken, gentlemen enough for to-
day"
With one bound Lucien was on his
feet aud, pushing aside recklessly the
curious who surrounded aud 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 gas jet, he could see the little
girl.
Thank Goll' he cried, ''she is still
there
He approached her, and seized her
tiny hand.
ooh, how cold she Is. Poor little
thing
tie took her in his arms. aud raised
her Ga carry her. The head ol the
child fell back without awakening
her.
How one sleeps at her age
tie pressed her against hls breast o.
warm her and seized With a vague
iuquietude. he tried. la order to draw
hes from this heavy sleep to kiss her
ou the eyelidr. aa 0ue does b. awaken
gently lowed uns
AMI theu he perceived with horror
chat tbe eYehds ~ tAp chill sere half
upan, nhi that the eYehalls wefe
sltsav. set ani siRhtleaH
tlia brain whiflet wiih rs horrible
suapleion he pat hls mouth el0ss g.
that al chs hille elrl aoi breath
famn fram a.
nuFlns ths time Luelsn hai gained
q furtune siih the maney stalen ffpin
abs llttie hes@ar thH puag rhliI sgth
put q homo had iitH liei irau sNpue
Hre a. thu eali
frelinR Ia hls throat holnhla
ehaklAW aeHsaf4uH, Lueisn tflal " gg1
aut. SAL H lh eHuFi thal ha made -
aasn Hu tfam ihls Hishtmafe ant
iuaHA hH4seli ~ a. eiat Fanm aais.
ahafa he hail laiifH asiffH ltiit hs
hfe MlAAIahi aal shti ihe saIiff
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