Connecticut western news., 1895-04-18
MY BET.

Alec Bradford was giving l hadn't drunk more than three glasses of wine In all But I have been a temperate man throughout my life, and possibly even this moderate indulgence made me unwontedly rash.
 Perhaps my unstrung nerves had g good deal to do with the matter as we'll. had fled from the home of tyrannic- al stepfather here in New ork about six years ago, when the merest boy, just after my mothers death. Count less hardships had beset me since then, but now had gained in the far west at least hopeful semblance of prosper ity. had come back with only single purpose-to find my twin sister. Ruth Amberley, and bring her to dwell out there in Kansas with myself and my beloved young wife.
 Fearful, yet-striving to smile through her tears, Clara had bidden me goodby. Its dreadful to have you go alone, Frank, '" she faltered. "Still, you know, you owe it to your sister. You never wrote to tell her where you were for a long time after you'd driven your tent stakes here into Ashbyville.
 "I know-I know, Clara. It was my jealousy, I suppose"-
 Jealousy of stepfatheri And of such shocking despot as you paiut him tool And how could Ruth have run away with you as you proposed in your madly boyish fashion? And as for her not answering the letters you've writ ten her since remorse has begun to prick you-why, there isn't doubt that she never received them. Her stepfather's s probably moved away from where hs used to live, or it may be that he's dieo and"-
 "That Ruth's dead, too, !" broke in dismally, Tor driven out into the bit ter world by that same brute who drove me there!" fe...- Twas destined to learn on my arrival in New York that my stepfather had died over two years ago. Concerning Ruth no one could tell me. Our former home held new tenants 1 made count less inquiries and even put advertise ments into newspapers. My stepfather had left all his money, discovered (no great sum either), to certain relations in Baltimore. These. answering my let ters regarding the whereabouts of Ruth, could only tell me that she had left her stepfather good while before his death, | and that they believed some kind of | quarrel had caused the separation. Some kind of quarrelp' forlornly | unused. "Oh, how horrible to think that the sister once so dearly cherished may be in want and suffering! But of one thing am certain. Ruth could never l 20 wrong, no matter what hateful crisis overlook her. She was and will always stay purity and refinement to her finger | tips Our dear dead mother taught her | that and gave 1t to her as we'll as the ! strange and sweet sanctity of inherit | ance. Iwrote to my wife several sad letters, and one was so desperately repentant in its tenor that she answered it with a kind of sweet savagery.
 How dare you say, Frank, that you feel as if you had killed Ruth?" ran her ] response. .'If you want to make my loneliness, which am trying to bear as bravely as I can, still more distressing \ to me, you will not write again in a l mood both so morbid and so absurd. That evening, when | dined at the \ Brunswick with Alec Bradford and John Hathaway, two friends whom ] had made in the west, and who were in New York for commercial reasons, far different from my own, 1 felt far more wretchedly hopeless than cared to re- I veal
 At the end of dinner, while we were drinking our coffee and smoking ouI EcigArs, Bradford advanced his little
 theory, born of some converse we ha6
 held about the wickedness and depravity
 of darker New York. Y"
 "1 believe could do just what yor
 say I can't" came my words after {
 little furry of discussion.
 John Hathaway was rather flushed
 with champagne. He knocked his ifs
 seriously: :
 S Make him take your bet, then, Alec
 We'll all go stunning together, a
 they call it"
 ."fhe bet," I said, "gives me bit
 odds. Ten dollars from myself to s1ot from Alec that nothing will happen t
 us if go with both of you whereve you shall direct and in each place mak
 it known that carry on my person tn
 sum of $5, 000r'
 Viewer mind" laughed Bradford il
 his breezy, staccato way. "I'll stick t.
 my bet" He turned to Hathaway
 "Jack, you'll hold the stakes?"
 "Oh, yes" came Jacks reply. "W
 may all get ourselves murdered, so
 propose to raise my courage with brandy and soda !"
 While the waiter obeyed his order
 Hathaway received my $10 and Alec
 $1o0. Then two little paper roll
 were constructed, each ensheathed in
 greenback These I was to carry in ei
 ther inner breast pocket. The season wa June, and the night bland one; henc
 neither of ns wore an overcoat. Whe all was arranged, resumed my argl ment about the safety of going unpr'
 tected into quarters of the lowest clas r es. But I did not tell why there ha
 lately come upon me this boldness an 9 security. 1 did not choose openly 8 avow that in seeking my poor lost sist' : everywhere" I had not neglecte
 haunts of poverty and sorrow.
 Of course it was all mad kind
 venture. If Bradford and Hathaws
 At n