Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-06
THE GOLD LOUIS.
A Striking and Characteristic
Story Of the Present Time.

In By the dealers rake, then rising from the
roulette table. upon which he bad just lost
the remnants OF the little fortune he had
gathered together for this supreme battle.
no reoled forward, experiencing feeling OF
great faintness.
His head swimming. his limbs trembling
under him, no fastened to throw himself on
the leather couch. which nan the length OF
the gambling room. For few moments he
gazed vaguely around the forbidden hell In
which he had irittered away the best years OF
his life, recognized the unkempt heads of
the players. erudely Illuminated by the three
large lamps, listened to the light clink Of
the gold as 1t fell on the table realized that
he was ruined, lost, and remembered that
Ia his bureau drawer at home lay his
fathers ordonnnn0e pistols. His noble father,
who. but slmp captain, had fought so
brayely at the atthck on Zaatcha, that he had
been made General de Hem. Then, over
come by fatigue he fell into profound
slnmber.
He awoke suddenly. aud looking at the
clock, found that he had slept hardly half
an hour; he felt that he must go out and
breathe the fresh night air. The hand on the
dial pointed to a quarter to twelve. As he
rose and stretched out his arms. the recol-
lection came upon him ike a flash that 1t
was Christmas Eve and. by an ironica trick
Of memory. he saw himself once more a
little child, putting his shoes before the
chimney, In preparation TOR the Christ child.
just then old Dronski-an old tlpplcr,who
hung around the gambling he'll, approached
Lucion and mrmbled few words. which
were hardly audible through his gray beard.
"Lend mo five franc piece, monsieur.
For ten days / have not left the room, aud
for two days the "dlx.sept' has not turned
up. Make fun OF me- II you will, but give
you my word u honor that on tho stroke
OF midnight the number will come out"
Lucien de Hem shrugged bis shoulders;
he did not have the wherewthal In his peck
ct 10 pay this tax, which the habitues Of
tho place called "the poles hundred sous"
He passed out into the anteroom, put on his
hat and oyercoat. and ran down tho stairs
with the velocity oi person burning with
fever
During the four hours which Luclen had
pissed In the gambling house there had
been heavy fall Of snow, and tho street -
a narrow street In the heart Of Paris shut
In by high houses-was all white. In the
deep blue Of the oyerhanging heavens the
cold stars shone brightly
The ruined gambler shiyered under his
furs and started 10 walk briskly. turning
over in hls mind despairing thoughts, and
having the case Of pistols which lay In his
bureau drawer constantly before his eyes.
He had hardly taken dozen steps when he
stopped suddenly, brought to a standstill By
heart-rendng spectacle
ona stone bench, placed according TO an
od-time custom, near the carved door OF a
private hotel, little girl Of six or seven
years was seated In the snow; her little body
was barely covered with black dress. which
hung In tatters around her. She had fallen
asleep there in spite Of the bitter cold, in an
attitude hut too plainly bespeaking fatigue
and utter misery, and her poor little head
and pretty shoulders were crouched IN an
angle Of the wall resting on the frozen stones.
One OF her wooden sabots had fallen from her
pendant foot and lay piteously In front Of
her,
With mechanical movement l.ucien
de Hem's hand went to his vest pocket. hut
he remembered TINT he had an instant before
been unable to find forgotten piece Of
twenty sous, and that he had not been able
to give polg bore to the gdrcon ut the club
However filled with an instructive sentiment
OF pity, he drew near the little girl; the Iden
may have flashed through his mind OF lifting
hor IN his arms and giving her shelter for the
night when IN tho sRhot which had fallen In
the snow lie saw something gltttcrIng.
lie leaned over. 1t was a golden louisl
some charitable person, a woman doubt
less, passing by, had soon this shoe before
the sleeping child, and recalling the touching
Christmas legend, had quietly dropped this
magnificent gift so that the little one. upon
awakening, would still have faith In the gifts
Of the child jesus, and retain, notwlthstand-
ing her misery, some confidence and hope in
the goodness OF Providence.
A louis That meant many days Of rest
aud wealth for the beggar, and Lucien was
on the point OF awakening her to tell her So
when he hoard, as In dream yolce-that
OF tho Pole, with his whining, dragging
Notwithstanding these words In a low
tone,
For two days have not left tho room, and
Tor two days the "dix-sept" has not turned
up. give you my word OF honor, that, upon
the stroke of midnight. tho number viii come
out"
Then this young man OF twenty-three who
descended from u race OF honest men, who
carried great military name and who had
mover been found wanting In honor. con.
celNed airghtiul idea no was possessed with
wild, hysterical monstrous idea. With
ono hasty glance he assured himself that he
was alone in the deserted street, and getting
on his knees and creeping cautiously along
with trembling hands he stole the gold louis
from the fallen sabot. Then running as fast
as no could he reached tho gambling house
climbed the staircase in few bounds, pushed
open the door OF che accursed room and re-
entered at the precise moment that the clock
sounded the FIRST stroke OF midnight. and
throwing tho piece Of sold on the green cloth.
he cried:
En- pleine, sur lie 'dix.septt"
The "diS-sept won.
with twist Of the wrist, Luclcn placed the
thirty'slx louis on the red.
Red Won.
He left the seventy.two louis on the same
color. Red won again.
He s,akcd again, twice. three times, and
always with the same good fortune. He now
had a pile OF gold and hank notes before him.
He tried every known combination, and they
We've all successful. II was unhear,l Of, sun.
ernaturul luck. II almost seemed as though