Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-02-26

With weary brain and trembling
legs, he threw himself upon long
leather safe which surrounded the
gambling table.
For several minutes he looked
vaguely about these private gambling
rooms where he had spoiled the most
beautiful years of his youth, recog-
nized the worn features of the differ
ent gamblers, cruelty lighted by the
great shaded lamps, heard the soft
clinking of the gold upon the green
table, felt that he was ruined, lost,
and remembered that he had at home,
i'll the drawer of the commode, pair of
pistols which had once been the prop
orty of his father, General de Hern,
when he was n captain; then, only,
worn cut with fatigue, he fell into a
profound sleep.
When he awakened, his mouth dry
and parched, he ascertained by glanc-
ing at the clock that he had scarcely
slept n quarter of an hour, and he felt
an overwhelming desire to breathe the
fresh, cool, night air. The hands of
the clock pointed to quarter of an
hour of midnight As he arose and
/ stretched himself, he remembered that
/ 1t was Christmas eve, and with an
lronical play of the memory, he saw
himself a little child and putting, be.
4 fore he went to bed, his shoes in front
of the fireplace.
At this moment, old Drouski, {
pillar OF the place, n typical Pole
wearing e rusty, long coat, trimmed
with braid and large ornaments ap.
preached Lucien and muttered these
words through his gray beard
''Lend me five francs, sir. II is now
two days since | have not left the
I club, and during these two days |
have not seen seventeen win. You
may laugh at me if you wish, but
will cut off my right hand if soon, at
midnight, this number is not the
one
Lucien de Hern shrugged his shoul-
ders. He had not even enough in his
pockets to give to that beggar, whom
the frequenters of the place called
les cents sous du Polonais " He
passed into the anteroom, took his hat
and coat and went down the staircase
with a feverish agility.
Since 4 o'clock, when Lucien went
into the club, the snow mad been fall
ing steadily and the street-a narrow
one IN the centre of Paris, with high
houses on eth II side-was white with
snow. In the calm, black blue sky
the cold stars scintillated.
The ruined gambler shivered in his
lurs and began to walk rapidly, turn
ing over always in his mind those
hopeless thoughts and dreaming more
than ever of the box of pistols which
awaited MN IN the drawer of his com
mode' nut alter having taken several
steps, he stopped suddenly before a
heart-rending spectacle
Upon stone bench, placed accord
ing to an old custom near the larp,
door of n private house, little CIR
scarcely six or seven years old, dressed
III II ragged black frock, was sitting il
the snow She had fallen asleep ther
despite the cruel cold, in pitiful at
titude Of fatigue and detection, AM
her poor little head and tiny shoulde
had dropped into corner of the wal
and were resting upon the icy stone
one Of the old wooden shoes will
winch the child was shod had faller
IRON the foot, which was hanging
down, aud lay drearily before her.
Mechanically Lucien de Hern put
his hand to his vest pocket, but he re
membered that a moment before bt
did not find even franc, and that he
could not give fee to the club waiter
nevertheless, pushed by an iustinctiy,
sentiment of pity, he approached the
litac girl, and he started, perhaps, tc
raise her in his arms and to give her
place of shelter for the night, when h,
saw something glisten in the sho
which mad fallen from her foot.
He bent over it; it was twenty
five ranc piece.
charitable persona woman, n
Doubt 4 had passed that way, had see
ou that Christmas eve tina; shoes tina
had fallen III front of the sleepin
Child, au recalling the touchin!
legend, she had carefully placed ther