Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-05-02

There are all sorts of stories" | repled:
"some probable. some wildly imnossihle.
some good-humored. more ill-natured. Yon
will pardon nv frauxness if | tell you that
| have heard some people call vour wealth
'ill-gotten gains wbisper of retired biph.
waymen and the like. There are others who
hint darkly at counterfeiting. Among the
lower classes there is a widespread belief
that you have sold yourself to the devil.
And have even met intelligent people who
hinted at supernatural mean"
Perhaps they were right" was hi, Ia.
comic reply.
stared at him
Listen, and YOU may perhaps tell NE
whether the means were supernatural or no
have never been able to decide. The rca.
son that the source of nv fortune has never
been discovered was because the only man
who knew of it left the city the day alter"
He paused
"The day after what" queried.
"Well, | will begin at the beginning The
story is a curious one, and should be told in
sequence"
He lit fresh cigar and then boo,n.
"You knew me Two vears a,o ,,.hor u.o.
poor. You also knew, as did ali nv friend.
that had a passion for gaming Ion ,yn,,Ii
ms
Poor Bonillal He has tbe vors, of ,.i,os
he is desperate gambler You wore ali
wrong. did not play simply for the loy,
OF it. | played because was poor. | was
not gambler. | was a speculator. had
fixed upon certain sum which considered
a competence. | saw no way of acouripg if
by my profession, SO | devoted mvsclf to
the green coth-how assiduouslv vou know. -
lie smiled at the expression of assent
which involuntarily fitted over nv com
tenance, watched the smokc-wreaths curl
ing over his head for moment and con
tinued
"Onc evening was recling un,sually hlue
I never drank nc Won Lro,Y-thot 10 no,.or
to cyccss-and certainly nover tn do ,.hot l.
called drowning sorrow Nv rosn,,,cn ,,,.
the gaming taLIe I-nfo,+unstoly / LaJ il,
nv nossession n cope;Jer.,IIo s,,r,, of ,,l,uo,'
which had been ;ntrustod 10 mo L,, n f,;o,
for the purpose of paving some debts; he hnd
been suddenly called orov from ,ho c;tr
entered the gambling hell and seated nv.
self at the roulette table. Fortune was
against me; the few duros that belonged tc.
me were soon gone. Something seemed to
possess me that Eight; was not myself.
did what never should have dreamed mvscIl
capable of doinc-I staked nv friends
money. | stnkcd il. and lost il ALL"
[ was about TO sneak
"Do no+ condem, mo" ho ;,,orrr,tod
"vnu coulJ cav. noth;rc, so,,rror tI,,, ,,.,r,
my sclf fronro,clos nn, .,t ,L,ro ,la,
inc at tho othcr nloy,rs u.otohoJ tL,
ivnry bau sn;n rnund nv. br,in ssomoJ to
spin round loo Nv scnscs seemed to ho
leaving me. fclt os if life were no longer
dear to me. Pcnniless and dishonorod wHat
was there left to live fory
",s those thouohtu rossoJ ,hrough ,,,.
worl,inr br,ip tbe pirht wore an Tho ulo,.
ers ,lr,,ncd of ono Ia, ono TIC t,hIa. ,ror,.
prnduaily drsertod Soon tbcre wos hut ono
left liphfed-the roulette table bcforc which
sat- and at which one nerscyering ~ gomeste,
was tryng his luck FINALLY he toe wnar;rd
and was left alone with the banker Who
wos thc nron,,ioto, ~. of tbe ,,on,hIina hell "
"Oh rsmomher :" ;n,orr,,ntrJ. ".Jose
ucrrnro Who disnnncnrcd so suddenly n
couple Of ycnrs oro"
"1ho ,.,,o non,;od p.,;u, r,;,,, III.
cycs LccnIy unon mo ''''
do mot lno,y WIZ, hr, I bo,on 10 fool
rn,on,for,,l,io u,,,,'o,,ar ha ar,,'in,,,,l.
",Thc hnnI.cr IonLed =, M, ;rn,,;ringl,,
half ros. ,o ra,;ra lad f,Il,, Jotorm;rod
tn hlo,y ont my. bra;n, in ti,o stro,t and
that d;d NOT 10 CO. il owing to ono of tho
strongcst circumstapcesIso strange that
Won Will not hlnmc mo for wandering wheth.
cr il WINS suner,,atnrol I half ross / soy
and az did 80 / saw unon the floor n round
bright object which had silver simmer as
the gaslight felI unon if II was n coin A.
* pcseta" " interruntcd ,brootblcssv
Yes" he went on IN little BIZ of iii, Q,
coin-onIv :, nosot, pnt !, snvcd nv Efo
I placed INV foot unon il. and, notioninr to
tho honker sail.
"'A nese,n on tnc seventecn,'
"rha Lr,,i',n isa,,, sn, NV, roll ho b,d o,,,.o
to--nnd vithont making onv ipo,,irins be re.
peatcd INV wager nftcr me and sci the bnn
a.whirling. II stopned in the seventeen.
".Seycntocn v,inS said hc and m tbe
sevcntccn clnnocJ save, silver duros
"Do Won leave if thcre?' said he.