The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-01-06

ready 10 cut your acqIaintance2 A
young man OF decent family-plenty Of
money. good prospects. and yet how are
you using yourseln Champagne. cards,
dissipation. Going right to the dogs on
the gallop. At 25 you feel like a man
of 80. Health, prospects and the whole
outfit going 10 the devil, and what are
you getting in exchanged You are the
son Of your fate and IA high roller
that's all. When you come to figure IL
down you are Il champion fool-nothing
less"
lie lazily turned over, sat up on the
side of the bed and continued
Head as big rs a house, and your
stomach full OF yitriol. Nice chap you
are. A decent mule ought to be ashamed
to kick you. No sand-1O energy
hardly strength enough to get into your
clothes aud wash up. You and ] are
going 10 have a talk after a bit. Had
no idea where the boys tucked me away
this morning, but | guess this is a hotel,
and Inl order up a bite TO eat"
Half an hour later the high-roller sat
down to his cigar, and as he smoked he
said
"What want TO know is how much
longer you are going 20 continue this
sort Of business. You've had six or
seven years Of it, and il seems to me
that you ought TO be through. When a
young man gets to that point where he
realizes that he is an ass he's ready for "A
change. Suppose we swear off, Sup
pose we surprise the old folks by drop.
ping this high-roller business and living
a half way decent life. Champagne,
cards, songs, cigars and all that last
night till you were drunk as an old bum
That reminds me. Seems TO me ] had a
streak OF luck. Let's see!"
lie had money in every pocket -twos,
fycs and tens. The bills were |crunpled
and rolled, but he smoothed them out on
his knee and counted them over and
said:
"a fool for luck! Here's an even
$500, and | must have had luck, just
about enough 10 pay for u wine supper,
and just about a huudredth part of what
I've lost at cards. Well, what are
you going to do about the other natter
swearing off? Strikes you as about the
correct thing, does III All right. Hold
up your right hand and repeat after me.
-, James Forbush, being in my right
mind for the first time in several years,
and fully realizing that | am the biggest
idiot in North America, do hereby affirm
and declare hat ] am no longer a high
roller on wheels. In other words, |
pledge myself to eschow cards, drink and
other rapid transit matters. from and
after this 6rst day Of January, l89-, and
If ] break my word may ] he despised by
men and kicked by animals"
That's all right, old man-all right.
May come hard, but you'll wobble
through. Now. as to the money. You
don't need it. IL was won at cards, and
there's wine stains on every bill. In
being a high roller you've forgotten all
about charity. You've been ready to flip
"A dollar to the waiter who held your
overcoat, but never Il nickel to the beg
gar on the street. Let's take n walk"
"Well, what's the matter with you2r
''Don't arrest me, sir; I'll move on"
ARREST nothing! What's in the
bundle2"
Toms suit. Sir"
"And who's TomF"
my boy, sir, and he's sick with pneu-
monia, and I'm trying to sell his clothes
to get medicine
Come off never heard of such a
Heres the prescription, sir, and will
you come home with me and see for
yourself2"
She led the way and he followed.
When he saw the pinching poverty and
heard her story-when he stood by the
bed and saw how sick poor Tom was, he
grimly, and said
"'Then there are high-rollers and low
.rollersl Never knew that before. Never
had an idea That people really suffered
from poverty. So this is poverty, eh2-
no money-no hopes-boy sick-rent due
coal out-and you trying to sell the
clothes for medicine"
AT hat moment Tom ceased his moan
ing and opened his eyes and saw the
man in the room.
81 thought it vas a dream mother
What, Tom"
about the Lord. | was walking the
streets and looking all over for Him,
aud He was right here all the time Now
We'll have the medicine and a good fire
and something TO eat You said there
was n Lord. but-l-I-."
"What does he mean asked the high
why, sir, | told him that the Lord
raise up a friend for us. He was
i'll and we were so poor that he doubted
il the Lord watched over the poor
One by one he counted the bills into
her hand-just $500, and put on his hat
to go.
why, sir-but you see you don't
mean a II this for mel'
Get medicine-a doctor coal-prO-
visions-save Toms life!' he said, rs
he went out.
She sat down in a chair, dazed aud
faint and wondering If she had not passed
from earth 10 heaven, and as he clattered
stairs and got out into the cold and
the night-he mutterCd
"Old man, you've made a beginning,
and now see If you can't keep it Up. ~
Detroit Free Press.