The Opelousas courier., 1898-03-19
In fact the scheme rather appealed

to me, for of late things had not been
going so smoothly as l could have de-
sired. It had seemed at times as
though Brooks was drawing away
from me in the race. Now a chance
had been offered. Once for all the
question would be settled. Then, my
luck was usually good. The plan was
not SO agreeable to my rival. Doubt
less he felt that he had the advantage
of me and in entering into sucha game
was gambling to obtain what was OIL
ready almost his own. He had no
other course but to assent, though,
and he did it with rather bad grace.
1T seems hard" he said to Maria,
"but you will it, and | obey
ct is agreed, them said she.
Brooks and [ bowed. The three OF
us walked back to the house.
was up early next morning at my
rooms in town. l had calculated
everything to a nicely. The postman
would reach the houssat s. 10 O'Clock.
The train for Elmwood left at 8
O'Clock. Provideds the contents OF
Ne note that 1 EXPECTED were satisfac-
tors EAL just have time to break
fast aid reach the ferry. Should the
note prove to he tie wrong one, l GER
tuinly would not need any breakfast
and much less to catch q train. [ had
been awake at dawn; excitement had
driven sleep from my eyes, and the
dragging hours gave me more than
ample opportunity to figure out my
chances. / revolved over and over
again in my mind the history Of my
acquaintance with Maria Torriogton.
[ reviewed my own life and picked
out incidents in it in which luck had
played a part, and [ found such a bal
ance in my favor that | was almost
convinced that it was useless for me
to worry over the outcome of the game
of chance I was playing. Having
brought myself to a state of compare
tive confidence, / began to pack a
couple of bags full of clothes, for l had
made up my mind to make a long stay
at the Torrington house while / was
about it. AS I stuffed my golf things
into a p%ortmanteau I pictured Maria
and myself plodding ove the links to-
gether. AS 1 folded up my riding
clothes I thought of the gallops we
were to have, and I broke into song,
and as I sang I forgot all about the
note that was then on its way to me
and worked away as cheerily as though
it were but the matter of an hour till
I was speeding to her. But a loud
knock at the door called me back to
realities, and when the hallboy held
toward me q square envelope addressed
in a small, angular hand, [ realized
that, perhaps, after all my Joy had
been premature. Decidedly prema-
ture! The note was brief, SO brief
that in an instant l comprehended its
contents, sank into a chair and, tossing
the paper from me, repeated the fate
full words: "Miss Torrington regrets
that, owing to another engagement,
she cannot accept Mr.. Blanks kind
invitation to become his wife,
Why had I ever consented to risk
all on a mere throw of dice? Why
had I tried to win by a gamble what
other men worked, waited and suffered
for years to obtain? 1t would not
have been so bad had Parkinson, who
had been out of the game a year, won
her. But that snob Brooks! He would
never have an opportunity to gloat
over me. l would go abroad. I would
exile myself rather than witness one
minute of his triumph. I would take
the very next steamer-no! After all
it would but add to the satisfaction of
my rival to have me eating my heart
out in some foreign city. Far better
to stay right here in New York; to
work and become famous, to bring
home to the girl a full sense of what
she had lost by her foolish lottery.
But why should I waste my life in dull
office drudgery? Why should l., with
a solid income inherited from indus
trious %forefathers, throw awaythe good
things of this life for an empty bauble,
for the sake of a petty revenge on a
silly Silly woman? A bold
woman who had repaid my homage by
gaming with me. Would a true
hearted girl, a girl worth having, have
played with a mans love as she had
done? She was a firt-an Internal
hirt. How lucky was I in getting the
wrong note-how fortunate! I sprang
from my chair and danced around the
room, singing a snatch of a song. A
bag, half packed for the journey,
caught nv eve, and in a frenzy of Joy
1 kicked it and sent the contents flying
over the for.
A knock at the door interrupted the
celebration of my good fortune. 1t
was the hallboy with a telegram.
I opened the despatch and read:
"Dreadful mistake. Letters got
mixed. Sent you wrong note. Come.
MARIA. New York Sun.