Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-02-06
MAGIC BIT OF SILVER.
"I want to ask you a question. Co.

!
Where did you get your money!"
He looked at me thoughtfully, and
Knocked the ASH from his cigar. Where
did get my money!" he repeated slow
ly And what says Dame Rumor con-
cerning it, Pedro?"
There are all sorts of STORIES" | re-
piled; some probable, some wildly I'M
possible; some good-humored more ill
natured. You will pardon my frank
ness if | tell you that l have heard
some people call your wealth 'ill-gotten
gains,' whisper of etired highwaymen,
and the like. Thre are others who
hint darkly at cou,iterfeiting. Among
the lower classes there is widespread
belief that you have sold yourself to
the devil. And | have even met intelii-
gent people who hiated at supernatural
means"
Perhaps they wsre right" was his
laconic reply
stared at him.
Listen, and you may perhaps tell me
whether the meant Were supernatural
or no. | have never been able to de-
eide. The reason .,at the source of my
fortune has never Jeen discovered was
because the only man who knew of IL
left the city the day after"
He paused
The day after Nhat?" / quered.
He lit fresh cigar and then began.
You knew ME two years ago, whoa
| was poor. on also knew, as did all
my friends, that | had a passion for
gaming. You would all of you chorus,
when speaking of me. Poor Bonilla!
He has the worst OF vices-he is des-
perate gambler. You were all wrong.
| did not play simply for love of it. l
played because | was poor.
"One evening | was feeling unusually
blue. | never dralk, as you know
that is, never to eXcess--and certainly
never to do what is called drowning
SORROW My resources was the gaming
table. Unfortunately l had in my pos
session a considerable sum of money,
which had been intrusted to me by
friend for the purpose of paying some
debts he had been suddenly called
away from the city. | entered the
gambling hell, and seated myself at the
roulette table. Fortune was against
me; the few duros that belonged to
me were soon gone. Something SEEM
ed to possess me that night; | was not
myself. | did what | never should have
dreamed myself capable of dong-I
staked my friends money | staked it,
and | lost it all"
| was about to speak.
DO not condemn me-" he interrupt
ed; you could say nothing severer
than were my seif-reproaches. Long
| sat there, glaring at the other play
ers. AS l watched the ivory ball spin
round, my brain seemed to spin round,
\ too. My sense seemed to be leaving
me. | felt as If life were no longer
dear to me. Penniless and dishonored,
what was there left to live for?
"As these thoughts passed through
my working brain, the night wore on
The players dropped off, one by one.
The tables were gradually deserted
Soon there was but one left lighted
the roulette table before which | sat,
and at which one persevering CANISTER
was trying his luck. Finally he, too,
wearied, and | was left alone with the
banker, who was the proprietor of the
gambling hell"
l do not know why, but / began to
feel uncomfortable. However, he con-
tinued:
THE banker looked at me lnquring-
ly. | half rose to retire. | had fully
determined to blow out my brains in
the street, and that | did not do so Is
owing to one of the strangest of cir
Cumstances-so strange that you will
not blame me for wondering whether
it was supernatural. | half rose, say,
and as | did so, | saw upon the floor a
round, bright object which had a silver
simmer as the gaslight fell upon it. It
was coin, "a
"A peseta," interrupted, breathless-
ly
Yes" he went on. "a little bit Of
silver coin-oniy a peseta. But it
saved my life. I placed my foot upon
it, and motioning to the banker. said;
"A peseta on the seventeen
"The banker knew me well-he had
cause to-and without making any in
quiries he repeated my wager after me,
and set the ball a-whirling. 1t stopped
in the seventeen.
Seventeen wins, said he, and on
the seventeen changed seven silver du-
ros.
again it stopped at seventeen"
Seventeen wins, said the banker.
Again left the glttering pile upon
the seventeen, and again 1t won. Sew
en- several times did the goddess For
tune smile upon me. And when I
stopped it was not because feared to
venture further, but because had bro
ken the bank. The poverty stricken
wretch who few moments before had
contemplated suicide was now veal
thy
"And the peseta,' said I, you have
that still, of course?"