The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22
STORY OF THE GOLD LOUIS.

not nOld nlmSelI up.
Completely upset, he threw himself down
upon the leather-covered setee which ex-
tended around the room For a few mo-
ments he looked vaguely around the gam
bling-room in which he had wasted the
best years of his life. realized that he was
hopelessy ruined, remembered that a COM
mode held a pistol with which his father,
Gen. de Hem, then only a captain had used
so well at the attack on zaatcha; then
overcome by fatigue he fell into deep
sleep.
When he awolxe he Judged after glancin9
at the clock, that he had slept scarcely
half an hour, and he felt an imperious de-
sire to breathe fresh night air The hand
of the clock showed that 1t was quarter
to twelve.
Rising and stretching out his arms. Luz
Glen suddenly remembered that il was
Christmas eve, and as il in irony his MEM
DRY carried him back to the days of his
childhood and he saw himself putting his
shoesby the fireplace before going to
bed.
Just at this moment, old Dronski. de-
votee of the gambling table-came up to
Lucien mumbling something behind his
dirty gray beard.
Lend me five francs, sir. have not
stirred from here for two days. and in
that two days the II has not come up.
Laugh or not, as you please; but l would
give my hand If tonight at midnight that
number does not VIM
Lucien de Hem shrugged his shoulders;
he did not have enough in his pockets to
make the contribution which the Inmates
of the place styled 1.-The Polander's hun
dred SOUS" He went into the cloak room,
put on his wraps and descended the stair
case with feversh agility. During the
four hours that Lucien had been in the
place 1t had showed steadily and the
streets were white. The ruined gambler
shivered under his furs and walked
quickly along; his steps we're soon arrested
by pitiable spectacle.
On a stone bench, covered with snow
which, according to the ancient custom
stood before the opening of the hotel
little girl six or seven years old, scarcely
covered by a ragged black dress, was
sitting. She had fallen asleep in spite of
the bitter cold in an attitude of fatigue
and abandonment, and her poor little
an angle in the wall and rested against
the icy stone. One of the sabots the child
wore had slipped or from her foot and
was lying in front of her.
With mechanical gesture Lucen de
| Hem put his hand into his pocket; then
he remembered that a moment before he
| give the errand boy at the club
| Urged by an instructive feeling Of pity
however, he went up to the child, and was
about to take her in his arms, perhaps
and carry her to place of shelter for the
| night, when, in the sabot lying in the
snow, he saw something glittering. II was
| A benevolent person, woman, doubt
| less, passing by had seen the shoe lying
before the sleeping child ON this Christmas
| eve, and recalling the touching legend, had
| given munificently so that the abandoned
| child might still believe in the gifts made
by the infant Jesus, and in spite of her
| misfortune, have some confidence and
| hope in the goodness OF providence.
A louis! that meant several days Of rest
and ease for the beBgaf. IsUcien gas about
| to waken her and tell her about It when he
heard close to his ear as in dream. a
voice-the voice of the Polander-murmur-
| ing these words:
n have not stirred from here for two
| days, and for two days the seventeen has
not come up. would give my hand If to-
night at midnight that number does not
VIM
Then this young man of %, who had
never done dishonorable act, conceived
| a horrible thought. BY a quiet glance he
assured himself that he was alone in the
( deserted street. then bending his knees
| and reaching cautiously forward he stole
| the gold louis from out of the fallen sabot.
| Running back as fast as he could to the
| gambling house he re-entered, bounded up
the staircase, thrust open the door of the
| occursed place, entered just as the clock
was sounding the first stroke Of midnight.
| put the gold louis on the green cloth and
| exclaimed, IAN on the seventeen
Lucen pushed the IS louis on the red The
| red won. He left the Y louis on the same
| color. The red won again.
He made the double stakes twice, three
| times always with the same success He
| had now before him a pile of gold and bills
| He had won back the paltry amount, his
| ginning of the game. Now, risking two or
| three hundred louis at once, favored by
| fantastic fate, he was about to win back
the patrimony he had squandered in such
| a few years He played desperately, like
| drunken man, like a mad man, and he
| won. He cast his louis on the table reck-
| lessly with a certainty and disdain.
But in his heart was a burning pain; he
was haunted by thoughts of the beggar
child sleeping in the snow, of the child he
'She was still in the same place. OF
course she was. In a few moments, yes,
as soon as ! o'clock strikes, / swear it. l
| will go out from here, will take her
| sleeping in my arms, will carry her
| home / will put her in my own warm
bed. And will adopt her and love her as
my own daughter and / VIII take care of
/ her always, always"
But the clock struck /, quarter-past,
| three-quarters past-and Lucien was still
| sitting at the Internal table. Finally a
minute before the proprietor arose
brusquely and said in a loud voice: '"The
bank is closed, gentlemen. Enough for
Lucien bounded to his feet. Roughly re-
| pulsing the gamblers who crowded about
| him and regarded him with envious adj
| the stone bench. From distance he saw
the child under the gas light.
THANK God!' he cried. She is still
there"
He went up to her and took her hand.
"Ohl how cold she isl Poor little thing!"
| He took her in his arms and raised her up.
did not awaken.
How soundly one sleeps at her age''
/ He pressed her against his chest to warm
/ her, and seized with a vague anxiety he
/ was about to kiss her on her eyes to
| awaken her. Then he saw with terror that
| they were half-open and that they were
| set and CLASSY. A horrible suspicion
crossed his brain; he put his mouth close
| TO the child's; no breath came out.
While Lucien was winning a fortune with
/ the gold louis stolen from the child she
| had died, died from cold.
Choking with anguish, Lucien tried to
| cry out and in the effort he aroused from
| his nightmare and found himself lying on
the settee in the club room. where he had
dropped asleep, shortly before midnight,
and where the porter the last to leave in
the morning, had left him undisturbed,
out of sympathy for his misfortune
The December morn shone through the
| frosty panes. Lucien went out, pawned his
watch, took bath, ate his breakfast then
went to the recruiting Office where he en-
listed as a private to the First Regiment
of African chaSseurs.
To-day Lucien de Hem is a lieutenant:
he has only his salary to live upon, but
it is sufficient, as he is prudent and never
touches card. 1t seems that he even saves
something. A few days ago a comrade who