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 I had in my possession a con-
siderable sum of money, which had been
Entrusted to me by friend. for the pur-
pose OF paying some debts: he had been
suddenly called away from the citv
entered the gambling hell, and seated
myseir at the roulette table Fortune
was against me; the few duros that be-
longed to me were soon gone. Some
thing seemed to possess me that night:
was not myself I did what I never
should have dreamed myself capable OF
uolhg-I staked my friends money. [
staked 1t. and lost 1t ALL"
1 was about to speak
DO not condemn NO." he INTERRUPTED.
you could say nothing severer than
were my self-reproaches Long I sat
there, glaring at the other players. AS
l watched the Ivory ball spin round. my
brain seemed to spin round, too. MY
senses seemed to be leaving me- 1 felt
as II life were no longer dear to me.
RennileSS and dtshonored, what Was
there left to live for?
AS these thoughts passed through nv
working brain, the night wore on. The
players dropped off, one by ono The
tables were gradually deserted. Soon
there was but one left Iighted-the rou-
lette table before which I sat. and at
which one persevering CANISTER was try
Ing his luck. Finally he, too, wearied
and L was left alone with the banker
who was the proprietor Of the gambling
hell"
ooh. remember" interrupted. Jose
Herrara, who disappeared so suddenly a
couple Of years ago."
The same" replied Bonilla. fixing his
eyes keenly upon me-
l do not know why. but began to feel
uncomfortable. However, he continued.
The banker looked at me inquiringIy.
half rose to retire I had fully deter
mined to blow out my brains In the
street. and that did not do 80 Is owing
to one Of the strangesr circumstances
so strange that you will not blame me
for wondering whether 1t was supernat-
ural. half rose, 1 say, and as I did 30
l saw upon the floor q round bright OBJ
ject which had a silver simmer as the
gaslight fell upon It. 1t was a coin,
a"
"a peseta." I Interrupted, breathless1y.
Yes" he went on. "a little bit of sII-
yer coin-only peseta. But It saved my
life. 1 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
quirtes he repeated my wager after me
and set the ball a-whirling. It stopped
III Inc seventeen.
" Seventeen wins said he, and on the
seventeen changed seven silver duros.
g Do you leave it there?' said he. I
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 1t
was not because I feared to venture fur
Their. but because had broken the bank.
The poverty-stricken wretch who a few
moments before had contemplated suicide
was now wealthy"
And the peseta." said I. you stin
have that, of course2'
NO" he replied. with strange smile.
why" exclaimed I, with surprise.
had been you would have kept it all
my life"
mo-" he replied. with the same pecu-
nar smile, you would not have kept tt"
and why not?''
when stopped to pick up the coin
I found-nothing."
"NothingF' I echoed. ''Why-what-
where"
'That which I had taken for a pesetG
was not q coin The round. silvery OBJ
1ect which the light had fallen and
deceived me was"
"What?'
"a drop Of water"