The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1900-08-04

play! Again she placed her hundred.
franc stake on 30.
Then she stood leaning over the
players seated in front of her, watch
ing the revolving wheel. She held he1
breath; her hand clutched the back Of
her chair; her eyes seemed starting
from her head.
The ball jumped quickly as it dropped
upon the wheel, and the next instant
fell with final Click.
"Ving-et-un!"
Once more she Owed into the shabby
little reticule. She opened it wider
with nervous hands and peered into it.
1t was empty!
For a moment she stood glaring at
1t, rigid as statue.
"Ah." she shrieked above the poly
glot chatter. I've lost all-every-
thing! / have not a sou in the world.
And for his sake-for his sake!"
She threw up her arms and, reeling,
fell back writing in a fit.
Some little commotion was caused,
but, assisted by the two men on my
right, l succeeded in preventing her
harming herself and few moments
later she was taken out by four blue
coated attendants.
Yet, with that strange perversity OF
fate which ever follows us, just as she
was removed, the ball fell again, and
30. the number upon which she had
ruined herself, turned up.
bah! What luck!" calculated the
young man in English, with slight ac-
cent. "She ought to have let it pass
once. Then she'd have won. Poor
woman-poor woman!"
"She believed by some omen or 9TH
er. that the number would win" re-
marked. ITS always the same here.
People are not content with the sim
Pile chances"
mot only here, m'sieur, but in every
phase of life," he answered. There is
avarice-the avarice that ruins in the
hearts of all, from peasant to king"
Then he sighed, and with pleasant
nod to me turned away with his COM
panion. as though the sight of the play
bored him.
A couple of hours later having
supped at Ciro's with some friends,
left them and entered the "yellow' ex-
press. or gamblers train, for Nice. In
the compartment i found the unfor-
tunate woman, silent, almost statu-
esque. huddled up in a corner alone,
the deathlike pallor of her face only
half concealed by her veil. just at the
moment of starting, however, the two
men who had stood by watching her
ruin got in, and, after saluting me,
seated themselves.
1t was very curious, thought. They
seemed to be following either her or
myself.
Ere we ran past La Turbie the
younger man, who had seated himself
opposite her, suddenly raised his hat
and addressed her, saying in French;
IF | mistake not, madam is Rus
sian?"
"Yes, m'sieur," she responded in a
low, broken voice. 81 believe that it
was you who very kindly assisted me in
the rooms. have to thank you
"Oh that was nothing at all 81
only regret that madam had such very
Dad fortune"
"Bad fortune!" she cried bitterly.
"Msier. | am ruined-utterly! have
strven to save my son-but he is lost,
and | am ruined. All that | had has
gone."
"Your SOM" inquired the sympathet-
! ic stranger. Explain to me, am
Interested"
She hesitated glancing at him with
some surprise.
81 am Russian" she said at length,
with sigh 81 come from Markov, a
village 80 versts from Mimi on the
road to Petersburg, kept the inn
there; a poor place, but its scanty
profit sufiiced for my daily wants.
Alas! m'sieur most OF ones profits in
Russia are swallowed up in taxes. My
husband died ten years ago, and my
son Paul, is the only relation-the only
friend-I have in all the world. BY dint
OF greatest economy managed to send
him to the university at Kief, and he
there passed with brilliant honors and
became a doctor In the lzaak hospital,
in Petersburg. He returned to me sc.
cretly one night, two months ago, and
told me that the police were searching
for MIN. Within an hour the ispravnik
and his men entered our house, He was
arrested and taken back to Petersburg
where he is now in the Peter.Paul pris-
on, awaiting trial. When he had been
taken from me knew that he must
have money II he was to be defended
by the great lawyers.
81 had nothing saved, therefore | sold
my inn to jew; but he gave me so
little that It was insufficient, | had
heard that forttne might be won at
Monte Carlo by those lucky at games
Of chance; therefore, | left ten days
ago and came here, carrying with me all
that had. Ali how foolish | have
been--how foolish! ! intended TO in
crease my scanty capital, so that |
could 20 back and engage the best law.
yers IN Petersburg for my boys de.
Tense. But II is all in vain! was
foolish, know, to believe what they
told me; but wanted to save my boy.
have Travelled here and played 80 al
ways on 30, my lucky number, for my
birthday is on the 3oth, My boys lib
erty-nay, his llfe-was the stake !
played for tonight And have lost -
lost! Can you wonder, m'sleur, that |
am oyerwhemed?" And her voice be.
came choked with emotion.
"And your sons name?" inquired the