, 1896-08-25
THE GAMBLERS REVENGE.
Too Late He Found That His Wife Had
Been Slandered.

Night after night in a large gambling
house in San Francisco may be seen a
gray-h2irei man whose sad face tells
the story of some great trouble. He
never plays, but seems always there,
evtr ready TO speak a kind word to the
unlo4 .unate youth who has staked his
all and lost, and by good influence start
him anew on THE right course. Many
are h young men whom he has saved
from a suicides death. and I am one.
We have become very firm friends
since then, and one night he told me
his life story. which I put in his wi
words.
Many yeats ago,m my boy, l, like you,
was a constant habitue of the gaming
table in the very house where l first
met you. Success seemed always to at
tend me. although i had a large for
tune. and could afford to lose occasion
ally. Another frequenlter Of the place
was a man named Allen Richmond,
who one evening. invited me to his
house. 1t was there l met the original
OF that picture you see there, who was
introduced as Miss Aline Richmond,
the daughter of the old man.
Il did not notice the apparent pov-
erty of the house in 1.-THE presence of this
beautiful girl. Words fail to describe
her iloveliness. Eyes that shone like
stars, a perfect complexion and feat
ures and a superb figure, whose beauty
vas enhanced by her dress. plain,
Though neat. Needless to say that l
fell deeply in love with her, and the
play was no longer any attraction.
Very Don | asked Richmond's consent
to win his daughter, which given after
a little seeming hesitation. Then |
proposed to Aline, and was made SUI
premely happy by her confession that
she loved me and would become my
wife as soon l wished. In a month VIC
were married. and then followed a year
CT such perfect happiness-happinNess
that was too perfect Ito last. 1t liz the
only bright spot in my life, and my
own folly destroyed 1t.
" had been constantly supplying
Richimcnd with large sums of money,
but had lately refused to give him any
more. Had l only kept away from the
gambling house all my subsequent
miisery and remorse might have been
avoided, butt n night the old mania
came over me and l could not resist.
AS in The old days, l won steadily.
Richmond stood near. Wife, home.
time, an was forgotten in the excite
ment of .yhe game. My opponent stalk
e his last dollar ard-lost. He rose
from the table, his face white as death.
LISTEN he said, you win and I lose.
That means hunger and rag for my
wife. but diamonds for THE woman you
call yours. God alone knows whose
wife She lis, for Richmond took her
from the streets. 1t was a plot between
them to gain possession of your
wealth. His daughter! Richmond was
never married in his life
''For a moment I was stunned; then
I looked at Richmond. One glance at
his face was enough. My God! what a
fool had been, and I Thought her so
pure, SO innocent. But one thing was
sure. she SHOULD share my wealth no
longer. AS in a dream i left the place
ami went to a hotel. From there l
dispatched a note to my wife.
Richmond has told me your past.
l shan mot return to my house until
YOU have lett it forever. Go back to
the streets. l never wish ito see your
face again.
When l returned home she had
gone, l never knew where. Months
passed Unto years and no one knows
the anguish Of that time. Then one
day came a letter from RichmondV
dealh-bed confession. He had paid
the gambler to speak the words that
ruined my life in revenge for my re-
fusal to give him more money. Aline
was innocent of amy plot. She was
hts sisters child, brought up as his
own, because of her mothers wicked
ness. He knew that through my blind
wrath and her pride bis infamous plan
would succeeded. My poor. wronged
wife! l hired private detectives, adj
vertised. did all THAT any n could do
to find her, but in vain. Then at last,
after all but myself had lost hope. che
came home.
zone evening as I retu1neil from a
a day of weary search for her a SER
yanL met me in the hall, and, pointing
to the door Of THE parlons. said in a
broken voice: She is in there. sir. but
oh, SO changed With a bound l was
in The room. Oh my boy, she had come;
and gone again. l found her cold and
dead on the carpet, a crimson stain on
her lips. Beautiful still, W with that
dreadful look of suffering GIN her face.
l cannot speak more Of that time. I'm
til They carried her ito the grave l never
left her. l knelt by her tide, begging
her to forgive, but the loved voice
could no answer. Then she was laid
at rest and I was alone, alone width the
burden of remorse and grief. I must
mot forget to tell you that she eft a
mole for me-. saying khat when abe
knew death was near. she must come
back to die in the home that had been
30 dear.