The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-08-03

win excitement. His eyes met mice
we exchanged g.ances more meanirn
IMAM words. could see that he VA,
sorry TO see her losing in that rockies,
manner, for her outward appearance.
showed that She could III afford 10 loss
the sum which she had already sfaked
Again she folded bank note and
placed II upon her fayoritc number
and lost.
Her face changed. She was des.
perate.
Again rose the stridcnt invitation "a
play Again She placed her hundred.
frame stake on 30.
Then she stood leaning over the
players seated in front OF her. watch
ing the revolving wheel. She held her
breath; her hand clutchcd the back o.
her chair; her eyes seemed starting
from her head.
The ball jumped quickly al il dropped
upon the wheel, and the next instant
fell with final click
"Ning-et-un!"
Once more she dived into the shabby
little reticule. She opened il wider
with nervous hands and peered into il.
1t was empty.
For a moment she stood garing al
1t, rigid as a statue.
"Ah'' she shrieked above the poly
I glot chatter. I've lost al.-eyery-
thing. ! have not sou in the world.
And for his sake-for his sake."
She threw up her arms and, reeliny.
fell back writing in fit.
Some little commotion was caused.
but. assisted by the two men on my
right. ! succeeded in preventing her
harming herself, and few moments
later she was taken out by four blue
coated attendants.
Yet. with that strange pcrversify 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. "Sbe ought to have let il pass
once. Then she'd have won Poor
woman--poor woman
"She believed, by some omen or 9TH
err, that the number would win" re-
marked. ITS always the same here.
People are not content with the sim
pie chances"
Not only here. m'sieur, but in every
phase of life," he answered. "There is
avarice-the avarice that ruins in me
hearts Of all. from peasant to kin,
Then he sighed, and with a pleasant
nod to me turned away with his com
panicr. as though the sight of the play
bored him.
A coupe 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 l found the unfor-
tunate woman. silent. almost statu-
esque. huddled up in 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 l mistake not. madam is Rus
sian?"
"Yes. m'sieur." she responded in a
low. broken voice. II believe that IL |
was you who very kindly assisted me in I
the rooms | have to thank vow
"Oh! that was nothing ut all. y
only regret that madam had such very I
bad fortune"
bad fortune." she cried bitterly.
"M'sier. ! am rnined-utterly, ] have
striven TO save my son-but he is lost.
and I am ruined. All that / had has
gone."
"Your son?" inquired the svmpathct-
ic stranger. Explain 10 me. am
She hesitated. glancing at him with
some surprise.
Il am Russian" she said at length,
with sigh. II come from Markov.
village ~ NtTSlS llOIi ~>lJii. VII INC
road to Petersburg. ! kept the inn
there; a poor place, but its scanty
profit suffced for my daily wants.
Alas! m'sieur. most Of ones profits In
Russia are swallowed up in taxes. Ny
husband died ten years ago. ard my
son Paul. is the only relation-thc only
have in all the world. BY dint
,f greatest economy | managed to send
him to the university at Kieff, and he
here passed with brilliant honors and
became a doctor in the Izaak hospital,
n Petersburg. He returned to me Sc
reilly one night. two months ago. and
old me that the police were searching
'or him. Within an hour the ispravnik
md his men entered our house. He was
arrested and taken back to Petersburg,
where he is now in the Peter-Paul pris-
IN. awaiting trial. When he had been ;
aiken from me l knew that he must
y L. II III 4