Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1896-11-18

we won't talk about it. Tell me Of your
self. What have you been doing?'
ooh, I've been wandering in the same
aimless fashion about the world, writ
ing poems which nobody reads, painting
pictures which no man buys, gambling
a little, running into debt great deal. y
"And you are not married." she
asked.
'.No; I'm not married." he said
slowly, looking at her. '''Did you expect
that should be-"
She did not answer for moment
she only looked shyly up at him, with
flush on her face.
s'Poor boy!" she murmured at last,
softly 81 remember that you were aw-
fully fond Of me-in those old days."
'sYes; I was fond Of you, y replied the
man, without looking at her.
IT see that in spite Of your advice to
me you still carry some Of your dreams, -
she said wistfully.
'sSome of them,' he said.
"And you are still fond of me, Les
lie?" she said.
"Can you doubt it?''
"You poor boy, treated you very
badly in the CID days, very badly in
deed. I wish I could make it up to you. -
Something i'll the tender, regretfu]
voice touched the man; he bent nearer
to her.
"And you thought had forgotten all
about you. You thought could forget?'
he whispered.
She looked down the lamplit path,
and suddenly sat upright and stiff
$50 away now" she whispered,
"Yeend is coming. can see his figure
in the distance. Come back to me again.
want to talk to you
She was sitting quite calmly, evi-
IDENTIFY very much bored, when her hus-
band came slowly along the path and
stood before her.
"Well?'' she said questioningly, glanc-
ing up at him.
It's all finished, he said in hol-
low voice. "This is the end.''
'sYou don't mean she began.
st mean," he broke i'll, "that I have
lost tonight as heavily as before-more
heavily, in fact. 1 have so francs left. y
'"Thirty francs!" she calculated
fercely.
THAT is all. wanted to save enough
to get us some dinner and-aId carry
us elsewhere in the morning. The hotel
bill-well, We'll forget it,
He laughed grimly, and the woman
shuddered.
$50 this is the end, she said slowly
without looking at him, "beggary and
shameful flight and nothing in the fu-
ture. This is all you have to offer me?"
''We are still together, Bertha" he
said, looking at her hopelessly.
s'Bahl That is the worst part of it, -
she said scornfully. erich, you were
tolerable; but, poor She made a
quick gesture Of disgust and turned
away from him.
''And you can say this to meat this
hourP' he said bitterly.
sit is such moments as these that
teach men and women honesty" she
said, with a laugh. "You have been
blind not to see it all before. You know
never really loved you.''
He turned away with almost sob in
his throat. She looked at his bowed
head curiously. Suddenly she leaned
toward him, almost eagerly.
s'Herrick," she said, "give me the 30
francs. Let us risk all or nothing. I'll
try my luck .
He looked at her modify, then drew
the coins from his pocket and tossed
them into her lap. Gas you will, =" he
said. cit doesn't matter now.''
She caught the money quickly to-
gether and rose.
'sI'll go alone,'' she said. "You'd
spoil the luck. Something tells me
shall win tonight. p"
He watched her as she walked quickly
III the direction of the lighted building,
then turned and thrust his hands into
his empty pockets and walked slowly
and deJeetedly in the opposite direction.
With a nlad recklessness which was
characteristic of her, she staked all her
small capital On the first throw-and
won. Keeping no reserve, she staked all
she had again and won again. With a
white, set Iace, and with something
beating hard and fast in her temples
like little hammer, she played stead.
lly on. Gradually a crowd grew about
her; a little, hbarse murmur Of surprise
went np as shA raked over the money
-