Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-01-31

not be escaped. Exposure would be
immediate full restitution inevitably
tardy. Once, in remote part of Sibe-
rian Russia, he had obtained money
from home in few hours here a re-
mittance was six weeks process, COM
ing overland by stage or else around
the Horn. AT the impotence of the
situation a sinister smile settled on his
face. The moral part of his act cut
keen but the thought of social dis
grace cut keener. The struggle was
short, calm, decisive. Again the bitter
smile fingered on his lips. He arose
and walked toward the river, and
passed the dancers and orchestra with
out hearing the music or the sound of
feet, for he saw nothing.
Merton did not know that footsteps
followed him: he started as one from
sleep when slender hand was laid
softly on his shoulder and he heard
vaguely, as waking men hear: "Senor,
your money has been badly earned-it
was borrowed from the devil, and the
devil takes care of his own. Use this,
the last money which ever came by
honestly; it will bring you luck" AS
she spoke she threw back the lace from
her throat and removed from the chain
of her locket an old Spanish coin.
For moment Merton stood cropping
like one to whom the realities of life
are not yet real. Then, as sinking men
seize straws or plants dying of darkness
reach for sunshine, he grasped the coin
and in the moonlight its pale gold
shone to him as ray of hope.
The touch of gold brought the mate
rial world back into being, and he was
annCcinnS nf thn N u, hI1t
her dark eyes and the soft curves of the
bosom whose warmth the coin in his
hand yet retained, escaped him. In
his moral shipwreck he saw only the
golden straw.
With the greedy haste of men gone
long without food, he rushed back to
the roulette table to stake the coin, but
paused between the black and red as
men pause when drawing lots for life.
He placed it on the red. 1t was for
life.
1t won. Again he places his bet on
the red, and once more his fate is Who'll
ly in the hands of chance. He is think
ing of the strangeness of the unequal
wager. He is not stalking gold against
gold now; he is stalking life against
gold He wins. Again the same bet,
but with stakes doubled, yet for him it
is still life against gold. Nerves that
were calm when they faced despair are
now eXpectant, and tremble with the
vibrations of hope.
His third bet wins. He feels that he
will live, but he can not wait for life;
he must know. He places his entire
winnings on single number in the
red. Now is it life or death, and he
has given death odds 80 to one in this
duel with chance. The sight of his
reckless wager sobered him, and steadi-
ly, as men tried for murder sometimes
nerve themselves to question the faces
of their jury, he waited for the verdict
of the wheel, while the marble bounded
from black to red among the stalls and
settled into it's final compartment.
Through the fading haze of motion that
enveloped the moving Wheel he could
see the marble lying in the red, and as
his heart took hope to read, he found
that it was life!
Come, senior, quit the play"
Like a tired child he let her lead him
to a seat in the grove. 1t was then he
comprehended her presence. He ex-
tended his winnings.
S'Take what you will of it, y he said
But she shrank from the offered gold.
'No, senior; in money from that table
I see only the stain of blood"
"Bloodv' he echoed; "bloodW
Eyes, senor."
"No, it is not stained with blood; it
has saved blood-my blood-my life
and what to me is more-before the
world it will save my honor
eyes, senor."
"And you refuse to take anything?
Then let me give you back your one
pure coin which for me had done SO
much?"
"No, senior; it has been on the table
it is now like the rest
''In one night am / become both
thief and beggar?"
She did not answer, and her beauty,
until now unnoticed, held him. He
gazed into her eyes, dark and soft as
the raincloud of Sonora, and their ten
derness compelling an infinite gratitude
made it easy to speak of love.
Selling her hands, he spoke very
quickly: "You are an angel-you saved
my life. Was it for love?n
"No, senior, I have already loved-I
am only fallen woman"