The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-08-10

'Sn''oo1,nnS III 'o" y WILDERNESS CT
Herbert 'Eushford Iii Ainslce?S< Magazine.
1.-THE GAMBLBR,,"':'
I'm room of Il Gibraltar hotel sat
Feryl Faulkner, looking white and anx-
mamie was hardly more than Il boy. in
an officers uniform: They were the only
occupants of the room, and Il glance ut
their faces revealed that they. were
brother and sister.
The boy Was gazing with Il set express
sion ut an open letter lie held in his hand
He was deadly pale. :'.,' -.
"'Every penny OF my money will have
to got save the honor Of the tirnl,'' he
read out. 'Oh, it, awful DO you grasp
what. it means to you, Bcryl?'
''Not so much to me as to YOU, Ted
dear" she said bravely. II shall be able
yon will have to give up the regiment
sell OUT -... - .,.,
The boy sank into a chair and buried
his face in his hands: J.: go =
. His sister Went TO him and twincd her
arm about him.
I'VE must think" she said softly,
THAT it means mort, tt! tho dear Old ia
to try and DO our best to pHMt,, things
STRAIGHT for him. I know it will be hard
leaving the regiment. bnt-". -
Its not that he burst out. .,.: ::
"W'hhat then, Ted, drar?" she said any
iorSly* 'i''' '.' 80 .':'
He, raised HIS head and turned IA white
face to her.
"Idw can tell tou?" he cried brhkcn-
ly. give been a fool--wors., than a fool
Il sl hsaviY in debt Hery' and it's debt
i've gamhled and lost he, continued
gloomily. "There'S a man here who
likes high stakes-an1 he holds a batch
dreamed of this horrible thing happen
ing. l cablcd to the, governor last night.
thinking the only result Of my folly
would be that he'd blame me for my
extravaganza. 80 J. .,'
How much do YOU owe this man,,
Five hundred pounds: It's Il debt of
honor. and it can't be paid. My; God,
il: can't be paid:' he repeated between
,.Fi;ve hundred: pounds" She said: with
a little gasp. "EIe let you-a mere boy
play until YOU owed him 1hat:'
o''He did NOT know bit what 1 could
afford 1t. >'lii's i
4 bugle rang out from the far end of
the town. Young .falkiner >prang to; his
Il have I'd yo"' he said hoarscly!!' 'ln
come and see You again after ]unch.':
\ little later the same morning, Capt.
Crosbie DrEsuale was stro1ling in The
Alameda Gardens He was II guod-look-
ing man Of bout thirty. lie climbed the
paths, lcis1re1y. apparently deep in
thought. Presently his eyes fell on the
figure Of a girl who. was sitting, a few
yards higher up. He recognized her i'm
mediately. and sudden glcAm came
into his eyes.
TOO hot for our old friend. Mrs. Cres-
field"' he asked with laugh, ,lroDpinc
visit up?'
Bcryl made no reply. He glanced 1T
her and saw that her face was turned
toward Europa. lie noticed thar shn
was very pale and that her cyelashes
We're wet with tears
Il am very sorry,' he said. in low.
sympathetic voice. Il" he paused
hcSS1hta11 1 L can be Of any usc?"
met. She had only known him Il week.
yet kind OF mutual understanding had
sprung up between Them Somehow he
seemed different from most of the men
she had met.
said slowly.
She shook her head.
tie catch in her voice. There is moth
ing to be done: we arc runed:'
He said nothing. \ sudden desire ia
tell him her trouble crept over her.
perhaps if YOU told me-" he began
in q tone of persuasion.
The story came to him gradually. He!
father was engaged in commrrre-the
getting old, and had allowed his junior
partner to attend to most OF the bust
ness. Then one day the crash came. II
tranSpired that, unknown to Mr.. Falki
| neI, h.s junior partner had been speculat
ing Wildly-had lost, and in desperation
had ,appropriated money belonging to thu
firms clients. Finally, he. had abscond
ed, leaving Mr. Faulkner to weather the
storm as best he could "
Drysdae listened to the tale, his eyes
| staring ont to sea. He bit his lips as he
realized what it all meant to the girl a,
his side.
II am sorry-more than sorry!' lie
said in a jerky tone at the finish Ii
scmmed terribly lame, but they were the
only words he could find. &C.,.
with little sob. :feaving the regiment 1
would not be 50 much i'm itself to Ted
But he must leave it in debt! He tells
me be has been gambling. and owes q
large sum of money to one Of the Off
GERS. He can't pay:-,and the disgrace
| will break his heart"
The man at her side clenched his teeth
He did not speak. however. 49,
3"This cruel gambl ing"'' she cried
"What do you think Of man who lets
| q mere boy like Ted play with him until
he owes hundreds of pounds? What dc
you think of him." she repeated excited
| ly. ! ." u.s. -. 80
Il think, him .blackguard,' said Dsys,
dale slowly. -;
II feel as if hate that man, she
said. more than. anyone else in this
world.'
J. { ,Drysdalc was still looking out to sea
There was curious light in his eyes.
%,,'You would never forgive bim?" .>he
asked evenly.
: Il loathe gamblers and he did his
best to make Ted one He has ruined
our habpiness. No, would never for
give him!'
There was slight, noise few wards
way. They looked up and saw Mrs.
! Cresfeld approaching them 'Drysdale
rose to his feet.
You are nuite riehtv' he said in a
| lo-- @,~v..~ Il l.