The Portland daily press., 1898-11-03
CHAPTER XI-Continued.

Again the game was made and the
man upon whom everyone's eyes were
turned threw Eve hundred francs upon
fine simple chance Of the red. Black
again won.
a. Once more he threw a similar sum upon
The red. A third time black won. he
had lost fourteen hundred francs IN LILIES
spins of the WHEEL
n seemed that his luck had suddenly
departed. 1t is often remarked by pro-
fessioual gameSters that luck departs
from the fortunate when the croup1ers are
changed.
But the passion was now fun upon
him, His face was rigid; his mouth
tightly closed. He had spoken no word
to Zertho, and had seemed hardly to
notice how much his companion had been
gathering into his hands, or to take the
trouble to glance at the revolving roulette.
The croupier's voice was for him sufficient.
dropped into it's socket he knew that its
clickscost him four hundred francs. Time
sitter time he lost, and those who, half an
hour before had been carefully following
his play and winning heavily thereby,
began to forsake him and trust in their
own discretion. In eighteen games only
twice the red turned up, still with the
logged pertinaoity of thu gamester he
pinned his faith to the color upon which
he had had his run of luck, and continued
to stake his notes in the expectation that
the black must lose.
you're getting reckless, - Zertho whis-
pered 'tThis isn't like you, old fellow.
But his companion turned from him
with angry gesture, and flung ON his
money as before.
At that moment red won. The color
had changed. From Zertho's hand he took
the bundle of notes, atill formidable, al
though his losses had been SO heavy, and
counted them as quickly and accurately
rs a bank-teller. There were eighty three.
each for one hundred francs.
For an instant he paused. Already the
ball was on its way. His keen oyes,
cleaning with an unnatural fire, took In
the table at glance; then withdrawing
twenty three of the notes, he screwed up
the remainder into bundle and tossed
it upon the scarlet diamond.
Good heavensi'' Zertho gasped. care
you mad. Brooker?"
But the Captain paid no heed. His
blotchy countenance, tribe paler, was
as impassive as before, although be had
staked six thousand francs, the maximum
allowed upon the simple chance.
'Rien ne va plus p cried the croup1er.
once more, and those crowding around
the table, witnessing the heavy stake,
glanced quickly at the reckless gamester,
then oraned their necks to watch the tiny
ball.
Slowly, very slowly. 1t lost Its impetus.
The breathlessS seconds seemed hours.
All were on tip-toe of expectation, the
least moved being the man sitting with
his chin upon his hand, his eyes fixed
thoughtfully upon the table before him;
the man who had Spent whole years OF
his life amid that terrible whirl of fren-
zied greed and forlorn hope. Even the
croupiers, whose dark, impassiye faces
and white shirt-frouts had haunted 50
many of the ruined ones, bent to watch
the progress of the ball.
ZerJho, in his eagerness, rose from his
chair to obtain a better view.
Whir-r. Clickl 1t fell at last. and
scarcely had it touched the number when
the croupier's voice clearly and distinctly
announced that the red had gained. Then
the crowd breathed once more.
Brooker raised his head in the direction
of tie oroupier, and slight smile played
about the corners of his hard, set mouth.
A moment later six notes for thousand
francs each were handed to him at the
end of the rake while Zertho drew in the
big bundle of small notes his companion
had staked. BROKER had re-won all the
winnings he had lost
He toyed with the bundle of sixty notes
which Zertho handed to him until the
ball was again SET spinning, when, as IL
with sudden resolution, he tossed them
once more upon the same spot.
A silent breathlessness followed, while
he remained still motionless, his chin
sunk upon his breast 1t was reckless
game he was playing, aDd none knew it
letter than himself. Yet somehow that