The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-06-22

ny OIL DlCSSlOn WulCn way JuC Ncdtu-
er vane of fortune pointed, and when
he had lost three heavy bets in success
sion, not a muscle of his face changed
as he calmly put large stake on the
ace to win and ''coppered" the king for
an equal amount. A hand reached over
the fringe of the crowd and placed a
modest number of chips on the same
cards. The ace won; the king lost.
Like all of his superstitious fraternity,
he was quick to notice the slightest in
cident connected with change of luck,
and now waited for the hand before
making his next venture. Again it
came over the heads of the crowd, and
this time played a combination of the
five, six, seven, eight and nine to win,
and the queen and jack to lose. In
stantly Jose had 5000 on the same bets
Once more he was successful. WhenTt
came to call ''the turn the party be-
hind him bet ''tray-deuce." Jose did
the same. The tray and deuce came
out in the order named. Then he cashed
in his chips winner, and getting up
from the table, pushed through the
crowd to see who it was he had so luck
lily followed.
The man was in a distant corner of
the room by himself. Jose's dark face
became instantly livid, for he found
himself looking into the eyes of Jim
Sanders. The eyes were in the head of
tall, heavily-built and smooth-faced
man.
"Who-are-you?" weakly gasped
Jose, backing away.
who am II" replied the other, in
jocular way, although his eyes belied
it. ''Who am L? Why, don't you know
me?"
''Not-not-Jim?" same Jose's hoarse
whisper, as he gazed in incredulous
fright. But the blood was slowly COM
ing back into his face. The voice was
different, if the eyes were not.
mo, I'm Tom-Jim's brother. Jim's
dead, we know"
Eyes, I-I-know; but your eyes?
Damn you! Whered you get those
eyes?" The other advanced a step.
MY God! 1t is Jim!" he almost
screamed, as he cringed in abject ter,
ror against the wall.
Say, what kind of Teller are We
anyhow, to be so skeart about feller's
brother? S'pose 1 hev got Jim's eyes?
Amt they good enough? Jim he'd
little the best O. me-he was a half
hour older. l jest KEN from Virginny.
Everybody thought Jim left a stake,
but he didn't, pore feller-leastways
none that l could find. How long since
you been tharG'
Some of Jose's confidence was re-
turning. He muttered an unintelligi-
BILE reply.
"How much money you got?"
The colossal impotence of the ques-
ton would have astounded any stran-
ger. Jose looked angrily amazed. He
started to reply with an oath, when
suddenly his face changed.
Don't look at me like that" he
whined.
How much money you got?" re-
peated the big man, calmly but re-
morselessly.
Jose struggled with himself to keep
silent; but the cold, deliberate and
judging eyes compelled him to speak
and tell the truth.
housand-dollars," he fall
tered, barely above whisper.
80 you've got four thousand dollars
now?" echoed the other, in tones of
great satisfaction.
AFFECT fright again swept into Jose's
face. Four thousand? Why, that was
exactly the amount he
The thought was not even finished
in his mind. He saw that the eyes read
guilt in his own. By an almost SUPER
human effort he broke the hypnotic
spell of the dreaded gaze and looked
hurriedly about him for help. He tried
to cry out, but his throat was dry. Then
his hand shifted nervosly behind him
for his revolver.
None O. that! None O. that!" cried
his captor, warningly. "Ive got my
eyes on We, and I've got good eyes
Jim's eyes, you call 'em. Jim's dead
but I've got his eyes in my head, and
l kin see with 'em, too. l kin see you're
guilty-guilty O stealing four thousand
O Jim's good money. want that four
thousand We got"
Jose, blanched and terror-stricken,
made a gesture of denial.
mo use O. denyin' it," resumed his
nemesis, coldly and sternly, ''for l
warn't in Virginny for nothin'. Iyeard
O. you thar. l was in that drift as well
as yourself. Ye left a wide-open trail
Ye don't think l been follerin' We for
nothin', do ye? Ye don't think I've
been keepin' my eyes-Jim's eyes
on ye to let we git away from me now?
Come outside and give me that money.
Come on, now!"
With his face toward Jose he opened
the door and stallled out. And Jose,
powerless to resist, followed him into
the night.
Richardson, the mine superintendent,
and Thompson, the San Francisco
stockbroller, sat talking over their cof-
fee and cigars in Virginia's best res
taurant:
you say he saw the whole thing?"
eyes"
swell, it certainly is a remarkable
story. When did he return?"