The herald., 1896-06-28
THE TURN OF A CARD

Twas in Monte Carlo on business for my
house. l had been there three days, the
better part Of which had spent in gam
bling.
During the first two afternoons Dame
Fortune perched herself upon my hand.
No longer would it be necessary for me to
slave throughout the day on aehigh stool,
facing pile Of ledgers.
Besides, there was a certain little girl
waiting patiently until the time should
arrive when 1 could afford to make her
my wife.
The third day was to be my last in
Monte Carlo; then, heigh no, for England
md May, my lovel But on the third day
Camc the crash--the cruel disillusion
+ For some time played carefully, staked
small sums and won. Then there flashed
scross my brain the thought that 1t was
my last day there. So I altered my play,
J staked high, had a variety of luck and
then sharp succession of heavy losses.
| But, after all, what was my real lossf
| A paltry e100l should have to return to
! London, work hard, keep steady and save.
/ Was that the only coursep
At the idea which suddenly grew within
me started in dismay and indignation.
Fain would I have strangled 1t, but
chung to my hopes as drowning man
clings TO a straw and became determined.
Either would win back all had lost, or
! well, never troubled about the alterna-
tive then. 1 took the step and fell.
Tho gambling fover was upon me, and I
found myself back in the casino with FL 900
in my pocket which belonged to my en-
ployers. l had been to my hotel and pro-
cured tho money, but remembered nausht
! cf ho io,,r tbor If thn
My first plunge was 100 francs upon the
and I won. After that L played with
great caution and was successful; then I
went the limit and lost.
What cursed luck I had Time after
time l ran right up to the limit without
winning once. After that I relapsed into
q semicomatose state Of mind and staked
recklessly.
A gain the last coin! 1 threw it on the
three and lost! There was nothing left
now-nothing but prison or death. was
man without a character, dishonored, .
thief. l rushed out into ths garden.
A revolver lay in my hand, shining
bright and cold beneath the moonlight. I
offered up prayer to heaven, asking for
giveness for the terrible sin; then raised
the weapon to my head.
a hand dropped heavily on my shoulder,
the revolver slipped from my nerveless
grasp, and turned to meet an evil, snlil-
ing face.
l started back, with mingled cry Of
fear and hatred on my lips as recognized
my old enemy, Paul Vanscourt, the man
who had tried unsuocessfully to steal my
Mays heart, and who had for his pains
received public thrashing at my hands.
$50 you have run yourself to earth at
last?" he began in a deliberate, exasperat-
ing tone. "Its bad to end life as o thief,
but knew you would. told you when
you thrashed me that would have re-
venge, and now I am having my flll.
ct knew your weakness; knew that
while you ever had sou in your pocket
you would never leave the tables and II
was 1 who persuaded your governor to In
trust you with the mission that brought
you here. I have played-and won. See
here.l' And he waved a bundle Of notes be-
fore my eyes.
II staid your hand to tell you this" he
went on, "and make your death the harder.
When you have ended your career; when
your dshonor is published to the world, I
shall return to England and May-your
May--will be mine, thankful that she had
not already linked herself to q common
thief"
He stopped, picked up the revolver and
offered it to me, smiling as he did 60.
Then all the bad in me came uppermost,
the wrath that had been choking me found
vent, lent mo the strength of a dozen
men, and as Paul offered the weapon
sprang forward and felled him to the earth.
Then dropped ON my knees and felt hiG
heart. 1t had ceased to beat and was .
murderer Us well as a thiefl There wa
no time to think or regret. took the r.
volver from the dead mans hands and the
notes from his pocket, thon fed'away, and
morning found me well on my way to
England.
never intended to deal him his death.
blow-though / allowed he deserved it
but when l found that he was dead acted
SO that his body, when discovered, might
be taken for that of suicide or mur-
dered man, for the authorities at the ca
sino did not trouble to announce publicly
every case of suspicious death which oo-
CURED on their premises.
In midchannel, under the cover Of night,
buried the revolver in the oceans depths.
felt no romorse for my sin. My heart
was adamant, my nature callous. No oon-
science pricked me; no thoughts haunted
me. / tore the former out by the roots
and buried it with the revolver in the sea
and never for moment encouraged the
latter.
BY the following evening was In the
great metropolis again and Fastening away
to Mays home, at Hampstead
What a welcome should receive! I saw
May running forward to greet me. to b
caught in my arms and Kissed.
What welcome did receive! Silently
the door was opened by the servant-open-
ed ere 1 was aware of it, for I was stand
ing, gazing down the road, and started
when hand touched my elbow.
II was a sorry face countered-white
and scared with eyes red and dim. A
finger was raised to insure silence.
"What has happened, Jane9 Is any one
ill?''
/ turned the light full on, and Mays
father entered as the girl fled.
One look on his face convinced me that
something unusual had occurred. He
took my proffered hand, but his grasp was
: weak and trembled as with palsy.
Something is wrong, SIR" I said.
"Tell me what is it. Some one Ill? Who
is it-May?"
He could not speak, but his eyes gave
mo sufficient answer, and in my agony I
could have screamed aloud. My May Was
dead !-Tit-Bts.