Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-19

which a gentleman could commit. For eigh-
teen years / have screened him at the cX-
pense Of everything which a man could
sacrifice. | have lived a living death, whi2h
has left me an old and shattered man, when
l am but in my 10th year. But now when
| am faced with the alternative of telling
the facts about mr. brother or Of wronS'ns
my son, / can only act in one fashion. aud
the more so since l have reason to hope
that a way may be found by which what
] an now about to disclose to you need
never come to the public ear"
He rose FROM his chair, and. leaning
heavily upon his two supporters, Re tOttsred
across the room to the dust-Covcred side
board. There, in the center OF it, was lying
that i'll boding pile of time-stainCd mildewed
cards, just as Boy Jim and l had seen them
years before. Lord Avon turned them over
with trembling fingers, and then, picking up
half a dozen, he brought them to my uncle.
place your fnge' a.. thumb uron the
left-hand bottom corner of this card,
Charles" said he. Pass them lightly back
ward and forward, and tell me what you
feel"
1T has been pricked with a pin"
Precisely. What is the card?'
My uncle turned it over.
ct is the king Of clubs"
"Try the bottom corner OF this one"
at is quite smooth"
And the card is-?"
+ THE three of spades"
and this one?"
1T has been pricked. 1t is the ace OF
hearts,
Lord Avon hurled them Town upon the
floor.
There you have the whole accursed
story" he cried. Need l go further, where
every word is agony?'
81 see something, but not all. You must
continue, Ned"
The frafl figure s%tifened itself as though
he were visibly bracing himself for an eff
fort.
81 will tell you. then, once and forever.
Never again, | trust, will 1t be necessary
for me to open my lips about the miserable
business. You remember our game. You
remember how we lost. You remember how
t, you all retired and left me sitting in this
very room and at that very table. Far
from being tired | was exceedingly wakeful,
and | remained here for an hour or more,
thinking over the incidents of the game
and the changes which it promised to bring
about in my fortunes. | had, as you will
recollect. lost heavily, and my only con-
ISOLATION was that my own brother had won.
| knew that owing to his reckless mode
of life he was firmly in the clutches of the
Jews, and | hoped that that which had
shaken my position might have the effect
of restoring his. AS | sat there, lingering
the cards in an distracted way, some chance
led me to observe the small needle pricks
which you have just felt. | went over the
packs and found to my unspeakable horror
that any one who was in the secret could
hold them in dealing in such a way as to
be able to count the exact number of high
cards which fell TO each OF his opponents.
And then with such a flush of shame and
disgust as ! had never known | remem-
bered how my attention had been drawn
to my brothers mode of dealing, its slow
ness, and the way in which he held each
card by the lower corner,
81 did not condemn him precipitately,
sat for a long time calling to my mind
every incident which could tell one way or
the other. Alas! IL ALI went to confirm me
In my first horrible suspicion, and to turn
II into a certainty. My brother had ordered
the packs from Ledbury's in Bond street.
They had been for some hours in his
chambers, He had played throughout with
a decision which had surprised us at the
time, Above all, l could not conceal from
myself that his past life was not such as to
make even so abominable a crime as this
impossible to him. Tingling with anger and
shame, l went straight up that stair, the
cards in my hand, and ] taxed him with
This lowest and meanest of all the crimes
to which a villain could descend,
"He had not retired TO rest. and his i'll
gotten gains were spread out upon the dress,
ing table. l hardly know what l said to
him, but the facts were so deadly that he
did not attempt to deny his guilt. You will
remember as the only mitigation OF his
years of age. My words overwhelmed him
He went on his knees to me, imploring me
to spare him, I told him that out of con.
sideration for our family should make nc
public exposure of him, but that he mus
never again in his life lay his hand upor
a card, and that the money which he haC
won must be returned next morning TO my
guests with an explanation. 1t would b'
social ruin, he protested. | answered tina
he must take the consequences OF his owl
deed. Then and there | burned the papers
which he had won from me, and | replaced
! In a canvas bag which lay upon the table al
the gold pieces. | would have left the room
without another word. but ia chung to m,
and tore the rufie from my wrist in his at
tempt to hold me back and TO prevail upoI
me to promise to say nothing to you or 81