The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-31

| to what is called drowning sorrow NV
resource was the gaming table. Unfor-
| tunately had In my possession a con-
siderable sum OF money, which had been
| lntrusted to me by friend, for the pur-
| pose or 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 be-
| longed to me were soon gone. Same
| thing seemed to possess me that night:
| was not myself. / did what I never
should have dreamed myself capable OF
| doing-I staked my friends money I
| staked it. and l lost It ALL"
L was about to speak
do not condemn me- he interrrn+ad.
| you could say nothing severer than
| were my self-repreaches Long I sat
| there, glazing at the other players. AS
watched the ivory ball spin round. nv
brain seemed to spin round too. NY
| senses seemed to be leaving me. I felt
as IL life were no longer dear to me.
| PennilesS and dishonored what was
there left to i've for?
AS these thoughts passed through nv
working brain. the night wore on. Tie
players dropped off, one by one. Thu
tables were gradually deserted. Soon
there was but one left lighted-the rou-
lette table before which I sat- and at
which one persevering CANISTER was try
Ing his luck Finally he too. wearied
and was left alone with the banker
who was the proprietor of the gambling
HE'LL
"Oh. L remember 1 interrupted Jose
Herrara, who disappeared so suddenly a
couple of years ago"
The same" replied Boniua, fixing his
eyes keenly upon me.
do not know why but l began IN feel
IIncO10f h.
The banker looked at me inquiringly.
L half rose to retire. 1 had fully deter
mined to blow out my brains in the
street. and that 1 did not do so Is owing
to one Of the strangesr circumstances
so strange that you will not blame me
for wondering whether 1t was supernat-
ural. 1 half rose, say. and as 1 did 30
saw upon the floor a round bright OBJ
Ject which had a silver simmer as the
gaslight fell upon 1t. 1t was coin,
a
"A peseta," l interrupted, breathless1y.
Yes" he went on. "a little bit Of sill
yer coin-only peseta. But It saved my
life. placed my foot upon 1t. and, mo
tioning 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 duros.
Do you leave 1t there?' said he
nodded.
Again the ivory ball spun round and
again 1t stopped at seventeen. Seven
teen wins said the banker
Again I left the glittering pile upon
the seventeen. and again It won. Sew
eral times did the Goddess Fortune
smile upon me. And when 1 stopped IL
was not because feared to venture fur
Their. but because l had broken the bank.
The poverty stricken wretch who g. few
moments before had contemplated suicide
was now wealthy"
And the peseta," said I, you still
have that. of course?'
NO" he replied. with a strange smile.
why" exclaimed 1, with surprise,
had been you would have kept 1t all
my life"
mo- he replied. with the same pecu-
liar smile. you would not have kept It"
And why not2"
when I stopped to pick UP the coin
I found-nothing."
''Nothingr I echoed. ''Why-what-
where
THAT which I had taken for peseta
was not coin The round. silvery OBJ
ject on which the light had fallen and
deceived me was"
WHAT"
"a drop OF water"