The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-01-07

sought his pocket; then he remember
cd that lie had not been able to find
even twenty sous, and that he could
give nothing to the office-boy at the
club But. moved by an involuntary
feeling of pity, he drew near to the lit
tie girl, and perhaps would have lifted
her in his arms and found shelter for
her for the night, had he not seen some
thing shining in the shoe which lay on
the snow. He leaned over. 1t was 4
gold louis!
Some kind body, probably woman,
had seen, on this Christmas eve, the
shoe lying before the sleeping child,
and, perhaps remembering the touch
ing legend, had dropped with generous
impulse this lavish gift, that the little
homeless waif might still believe in the
gifts made by the Child Jesus, and, in
spite of her poverty, might still feel
trust and hope in the goodness of
Providence.
\ louis! That meant many days of
peace and luxury for the little beggar;
and Lucien Was on the point of waking
her and telling her of it, when near his
ear, like an hallucination, he heard a
voice, the voice Of the Pole. with its
thick, drawing accent, muttering these
words:
"For two days | have not left the
table, and for two days II has not been
called. / will cut off my fist, fiat mid
night that number is not called"
Then this young man Of twenty
three, the descendant of an honest race,
which bore a great military name, and
which had never done 4 dishonorable
act, had frightful thought; he was
seized by a mad, hysterical, monstrous
desire. He glanced around, saw that
he was alone in the deserted street,
and, bending down, cautiously and
with trembling fingers took the gold
ouis from tn" ragged shoe. Then,
gathering all his strength, he ran back
to the gambling-house, sprang up the
stairway, thrust open the door Of the
accurscd room, and appeared within
Just as the clock struck the first stroke
of midnight Throwing the gold-piece
on the green cloth, he cried:
at en- plem.'
II won.
Then he placed the thirty-six louis
on the red
The red won.
He left the sev, ,nty.two louis on the
same color Again the red won.
Twice he doubled the stakes, always
with the same luck He had pile of
gold and bills before him, and began
to throw them upon the table wildly.
The "dozens,' the columns" the
numbers" every combination won.
1t was an unheard-of, a supernatural
luck One might have tn ought the
little ivory ball was magnetized, hyp-
notiz,d, 10y the glance of the player.
Now, punting two or three hundred
louis at time, and favored by his
strange luck, he would soon win back
even more than the inherited fortune
which he had squandered during the
last few years. In his haste to reach
the table he had not removed his over
coat; already the large pockets were
| filled with bundles of bank-notcs and
gold pieces: and, no longer knowing
where to put the money, he stuffed
bills and gold into the outside pockets
OF his coat, his vest, and his trousers
into his ciyar-casc, his handkerchief
anything that would hold them. He
never stopped playing, he never failed
to win He was like wild man, q
drunken man! throwing handfuls o.
louis anywhere on the table with 8
sure and scornful movement!
But in his heart was burning fire
and he could think of nothing but the
po)r little beggar-girl asleep Oh thu
snow. the child from whom he hat
stolen.
She is still there! Surely, she mus
be. OF course! Soon--yes. as soon th'
clock strikes one. swear! | will leav,
this room, | will 90 to her, raise her il
my arms, and carry her home. wher
she shall sleep on my bed. And viii
bring her up; | will give her all my
fortune; | will love her as though sh
were my daughter: ! will care for he
always, aIways!'
But the clock struck one, and
quarter past, and half past, and thre
quarters, and still Lncen sat ut tn
accurscd table.
At last, one minute before tw,
n'rloc.i. the banker rose hastily ant
rrie,':
The bank is closed, gentlemen
This is enough for to-day!' With
spring Lucicn was on his feet. Rough
ly thrust;ng aside the players who ha
; be gun to su;roaad him in envy an
admiration. he rushed out down tn
stairs, and ran to the s:olc bencl
From asar, beneath the light of a laml
post, he saw the little girl.
"Thank God!'' he cried, "shc is sti
there
He leaned toward her, and t Dok he
hand.
"Oh! how cold she is! Poor littl
maid!.'