Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-09-03
THE MAGIC SKIN,
The IaliSman.

opened. He mounted the staircase OF
one of the gambling bells distinguished
BY the number SO without too much
elaboration.
The young man went straight up to
the table and as he stood there flung
down a piece of gold which he held in
MS hand without elaboration. 1t
rolled onto the Black; then, as strong
natures can, he looked calmly if anX-
iously at the croupier as if he held
useless subterfuges in scOrn.
The croupier spread out the cards
and seemed to wish luck to the new.
cCmer, Indifferent as he was to the
losses or gains of those who took part
in these sombre pleasures. Every by
stander thought he saw a drama, the
closing scene of d noble life in the for
tunes of that bit OF gold, and eagerly
fixed his eyes on the prophetic cards,
but however closely they watched the
young man they could not discover
the least sign of feeling on his cool
but restless face.
Even! red wins" said the croupier
officially.
The young man only understood mis-
calamity when the crOupier's rake was
extended to sweep away his last napo-
leon. The STRANGER turned pale at the
lips and softly shut his eyes, but he
Enclosed them again at once, and the
red color returned as he affected the
airs of an Engiishman to whom life
can offre no new sensation and disap-
peared without the glance full of en-
treaty for compassion that a desperate
gamester will often give the bystand-
ers
THAT was his last cartridge, of
course" said the croupier.
He is a cracked brain that will go
and drown himself" said a frequenter
of the place.
The young man went out whistling
''Di Tanti Palpiti' so feebly that h
himself scarcely heard the delicious
notes.
He bent his way towards the Port
Royal, musing over the last fancies of
others who had gone before him He
smiled to himself as he remembered
that the AcadCIniclan Anger had
sought for his snuff box as he went to
his death
death in broad daylight seemed de-
grading to him. he made up his mind
to die at night SO as to bequeath an
unrecOgnizable corpse to world which
had disregarded the greatness of his
life. He began his wanderings again,
turning towards the Quai Voltaire i'm
itating the tagging gait of an idler
seeking t kill time. He tried to escape
the agitation wrought in his mind by
the revulsions of his physical nature,
and went towards the shop of a dealer
in antiquities, thinking to give a treat
to his senses and to spend the interval
till nightfall in bargaining over curl
osities
At first glance the place presented
confused picture in which every
achievement, human and divine, was
mingled. Crocodiles, monkeys and
serpents stuffed with straw grinned at
glass from church windows, seemed to
wish to bite sculptured heads, to chase
lacquered work or to scramble up chan
delierS. A Seyres vase, bearing Napo-
Icons portrait by Nine. Jacotot, stood
beside a sphinx dedicated to Sesostris.
The beginnings of the world and the
events of yesterday were mingled with
g1otesque cheerfulness. A kitchen
jack leaned against a pyx, a republican
sabre on a medieval hackbut. Egypt
rigid and mysterious, arose from her
sands in the form of a mummy swath-
ed in black bandages; then the Pha-
raohs swallowed up nations that they
might build themselves a tomb; and he
beheld Moses and the Hebrews and the
desert and solemn antique world.
Fresh and joyous a marble statue
spoke to him from a twisted column
of the loving myths of Greece
and Ionia.
TIE whims of Imperial Rome were
there in life, the bath was disclosed,
the toilet of a languid Julia, dreaming.
waiting for her Tibullus. Strong with
the might of Arabic spells. the head OF
Cicero evoked memories of a free
Rlme, and unrolled before him the
scrolls of Titus Livius.
He assembled the inner staircase
which led to the first floor with its vo-
tive shields, panoplies, carved shrines
and figures on the wall ut every step
lie closed his eyes, dazzled by bright
rays from a red circle of light that
shone out from the shadows. In the
midst of the circle stood a little old
man who turned the light of a lamp
upon him, yet he had not heard him
enter nor move nor speak There was
something magical about the appari-
ton. The boldest man, awakened in
such sort, would have felt alarm at
the sight of this figure, which might
have issued from sarcophagus hard by.
You wish to see Raphael's portrait
of Jesus Christ monsieur?" tie old
man asked politely.
The merchant pressed a spring. and
suddenly the mahogany panel slid
noislessly back in its groove and dis
covered the canvas to the strangers
admiring gaze.
Il covered the surface of that picture
with gold pieces" said the merchant
carelessly.
And now for the death of me-" cried
And now for deathr' cried the
Young man, awakened from his mus
ings
'Ah. ha! then my suspicious were
well foundedr' said the other, and his