Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-08-04

his pockets. He had surprising
quantity of silver, and whenever | fan
cied he had come to the end OF 1t ne
would thrust nervous hand into an
other pocket and bring forth the value
of one more wager.
| think, however, that his very last
5 franc piece was ON the board when
the croupier called go. The young man
had upon this number the value of 81,
the smallest sum that may be bet at
Monte Carlo When the bet had been
paid, he had $50 francs, or s36. With
this encouragement, he laid down his
money more literally, and almost imme-
diately won again upon 81.
Then could see in his eyes that hope
was alive in him. 1t always seems so
natural that fate should relent. The
element of pity in a human heart is
is very slow to believe that the ultl-
mate intention can be bad. 1t maJ
| Fave seemed only fair to this young
gentleman that he should have a turn
Of luck upon his last coin and should
win enough to reeompense him for his
sufferings He wiped the sweat from
| his brow and went into the silly strug-
| gle with new courage.
But the little ivory ball that cared
| nothing for him or for his sacred obll-
cations to his wife refused to perform
the small service that was requisite
Instead II tantalized him by falling into
II. which is on one side of 80. and then
into 20, which is upon the other side Oh
| it. And | could see the poor fellow S
heart leap in his bosom.
Watching this performance, | got my
first comprehension of the gambling
passion, which has for its basis fatu-
GUS pugnacity; an aimless, agonizing
resistance to an impalpable foe. At the
outset | wished this man to stop play
ing knew that he was doing a fool
ish thing. At the last l merely wished
him to win. and | saw his coin dwindle
with no more rational feeling than sor-
row and wrath that he most stop, give
up, 60 away beaten.
| remember hearing that an Eng
lish nobleman, Lord Arrlesford whose
wealth had been a byword on the con-
tinent since the recent death OF his I'M
Gle. had won $4,000 franc on the day
before our arrival. Why could not such
luck come to this man who needed 1t
rather than to that Croesus to whom
ten times the sum would be of no i'm
portance? When one asks why why
why. he is beginning to be gambler,
for sane man knows there is no why
in the matter.
That man is losing more than he
can afford" whispered Wilmot. Il
don't like the look of him"
Nor l." was my rejoinder. Con
found those numbers! Why don't
they Gomez
"They won't show again. said Will
mot, with the confidence of an expert
enced gambler who is always deceived
with the notion that he has some small
insight into the ways of chance. He
is on his last legs"
Il don't think he has another franc
in his pockets, said l, " but it looks as
if he were going to make another
search
so you've noticed that hand of his,
eh?. It's lowering around his hip
pocket, and it's not money he has
there"
"You don't mean
81 mean just that" whispered Will
mot. HE wouldn't be the first man
who's shot himself over that table.
The croupiers are watching him.
Gracious heavens" l exclaimed.
'Did you see his wife,"
Witmot nodded, with his eyes frll Of
meaning.
This is terrible place he said.
edge over little nearer to him, and
if he loses his next bet look out
The croupier called five. Our friend
had three coins remaining. He covered
81, 80 and SO. Again the ball whirled
around. 1t seemed to me that it rolled
for half an hour before it fell sharply
against one of the divisions Of the
wheel and bounced back.
waited for the croupier's word, but
| the ball had not come to rest 1t was
spinning like top on the edge of the
wheel, upheld only by the force Of its
rotation, and seemingly fixed on the
revolving disk. | got a glimpse of It,
and it was poised above the number 80.
Immediately it fell with little click.
Twenty, black, even and above"
called the croupier. And l saw our
young gentlemans hand go trembling
to his hip pocket, while his figure