Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-05-20
THE GOLD LOUIS.
A Striking and Characteristic Story oil
the Present Time.

watched his last hundred franc note as
it was scoopsd in by the dealers rake
then rising from the roulette table, up
on which he had just lost the remnants
of the little fortune he had gathered TO-
gesher for this supreme battle, be reeieo
forward, experiencing feeling OF great
faintness.
His head swimming, his legs trem-
bling under him, he fastened to throw
himself on the leather couch, which ran
the length of the gambling room. For
a few moments he gszed vaguely around
the forbidden hell In which be had frlt-
tered away the best years OF his lie, re-
cognized the unkempt heads OF the
players, crudely illuminated by three
large lamps, listened to tina light cllnK
of the gold as it fell on the table, real
lied that he was ruined, lost, and re-
membered that in his bureau drawer at
home lay his fathers ordnance pistols.
His noble father, who but 8 simple cap
tain, had fought so bravely at the attack
on Zaatcha, that he had been made Gen
eral de Hem. Then, overcome by
fatigue, he fell into q profund slumoer.
He awoke suddenly, and looking at
the clock, found that ne had slept hard
ly half an hour; he felt that he must go
out and breathe the fresh night air.
The hand on the dial pointed TO quar-
ter to twelve. As he rose and stretched
out his arms, the recollection came
upon him like a fash that it was Christ
mas Eve, and by an ironical trick
of memory be saw himself once
more a little child, putting his
shoes before the chimney, In
pre- paration for the Christ child.
just then old Dronski-an old tippler,
who hung around the gambling hell.
approached Lucien and mumoled few
words, which were hardly audible
through his gray beard.
Lend me five franc piece, mon
sleur. For ten days l have not left the
room, and for two days the "dix-sept"
has not turned up. Make fun OF me, II
you will, but l give you my word OF
honor that on the stroke OF midnight
the number will come out"
Lucien de Hem shrugged his Shout
ders; he did not have the wherewithal
In his pocket to paw his tax. which the
habitues OF the place called "the poles
hundred sous" He passed out into the
anteroom, put on his hat and overcoat
and ran down the stairs with the veloc-
ity of person burning with fever.
During the four hours which Lucien
had passed in the gambling house there
had been q heavy fall of snow, and the
street-a narrow street 10 the heart OF
Paris, shut in by high houses-was oil
white Ia the deep blue OF the over
hanging heavens the cold stars shons
brightly.
The ruined gambler shivered under
his furs and strrted 10 walk briskly,
turning over in his mind despairiDg
thoughts, and having the case OF pistols
which lay in his bureau drawer con-
stantly before his eyes. he had hardly
gone a dozen steps, when he stopped
suddenly, brought to standstill by a
heart-rendng spectacle.
On a stone bench, placed according to
an old-time custom, near the carved
door OF q private hotel, little girl Of
six or seven wears was seated in the
snow; her little body was barely COW
cred with a black dress, which hung in
tatters around her. She had fallen
asleep there in spite OF the bitter cold,
in an attitude too plainly beSpeaking
fatigue and utter misery, aud her poor
little head and pretty shoulders were
crouched In an angle OF the wall resting
on the frozen stones. One OF her wood
en- sabots had fallen from her pendant
foot and lay piteously in front OF her.
With mechanical movement LuCien
de HENS hand went to his vest pocket,
but he remembered that he had an in
slant before been unable TO find for
gotten piece of twenty sous, and that
he had not been able to give a DOltr
boire TO the qdrcOn at the club. How
ever, filed with an instructive senti
ment OF pity, he drew near the little
girl; the idea may have flashed through
his mind Of lifting her in his arms and
giving her shelter for the night, when
in the sahot which had fallen In the
snow he saw something glittering.
He leaned over. 1t was golden louis
Some charitable person, woman
doubtless, passing by, had seen this
shoe before the sleeping child, AID re-
calling the touching Christmas legend,
had quietly dropped this magnificent
gift so that the little one, upon awaken
Ing, would still have faith in the gifts
OF the child Jesus, and retain, notwith-
standing her misery, some confidence
and hope in the goodness Of Provi-
dence.
A louis That meant many days Of
rest and wealth for the beggar, and
Lucien was on the point Of awakening
her to tell her so, when he heard, as in
a dream, voice that of the Pole, with
his whining, dragging acceDt-mur-
muring these words in low tone:
For two days 1 have not left the
room, and for two days the 'dix-sept'
has not turned up. give you my word
OF honor, that, upon the stroke of mid
night, the number will come out"
Then this young man OF twenty-three,
who descended from a race OF the hon.
est men, who carried great
military name. and who had never been
found wanting in honor, conceived a
frightful idea; he was possessed with
wild, historical, mOnstrous idea. With
one 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
he could, he reached the gam bling house,
climbed the staircase in few bounds,
pushed open the door OF the accused
room and re-entered at the precise mo-
meut that the clock struck the hour Of
midnight, and throwing the piece OF
gold on the green cloth, he cried:
"En pleine, sur 10 'dlx.sept
The "dix-sept" won.
With q twist of the wrist, Lucien
placed the thlriy-six louis on the red.
Red won.