Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-07-16

pretending the coming dawn.
at seems to have been settled
for us, Charles" " said the taller Of
the two.
"What else is there to dot"
ooh nothing. l do not ever
know that / am sorry"
"Ab, but you have tasted all
the Joys, while H.
Yes, you, you don't know the
bitterness Of it, at least Of some Of
it. AS for me, l have seen and
felt tall"
The other man threw back the
cape of his inverness. His face
was drawn, in his blue eyes there
was a look that cOmpOrted badly
with the tilt of his opera hat. He
was very young, perhaps he look
ed younger than he was. The
fair mustache that curled on his
lip added to the bOyishness Of his
face.
The tall man stopped and faced
him. He was clean faced, the
sheer of cynicism that revealed
his mental habit, perhaps his ma
ture, hardly detracted from the
beauty of his face. 1t was clean
cut as a cameo. There was not
a weak line in the c%ountenance
that the other looked up into.
"Madame lie Clerc will certainly
not be gratifed to see you when
you tell her at breakfast that you
are finished, cleaned out, have
nothing, not even the price of the
wine that she will order. 1 am
rather glad that it is settled. l
have no wish to be gazetted as a
hotel swindler. For me l am GO
ing to put a period to it here, as
we said" They had stopped
again on the lower step of the
broad stairway leading down from
the casino.
"The revenues of NJ. lie Prince
will be chargeable for the cost of a
double funeral, and it is some
satisfaction to know that all the
world will be advised of our
taking off, said the dark man.
He thrust his hand into his peck
ct. The old moon glinted with a
cold, sinister flicker on the barrel
of a derringer pistol.
The face of the younger man
worked spasmodically. He look.
ed swiftly about, then seized the
pistol out of the others hand.
GA moment" he said. Then
slowly he raised the weapon. In
the act he beat his head.
"Farewell, Charles" said the
other. Suddenly the younger
stopped and picked up from be-
meath his feet on the gravel walk
a yellow coin. He laughed hys.
terically as he held out a gold
napoleon.
1--WE have another chance" he
said. The other frOWned.
cit may mean a respite" he
said. "Shall we go backi"
"GO back3" Why of course. II
is an omen. Alb, life is good at
ter all, my friend, do not you
Think" This time he laughed
without cODstraint.
"Yet if it should be but a res
pitei" said the other.
''Then let it be a respite, but ]
believe it is for a long time.'
"Still if we lOse7"
"Then the compact holds and
M. lie Prince will pay for a double
fureral."
"Who playsl'
"You do. 1 have no luck"
"But you have known Madame
lie Clere."
"Was that luckf I don't know
said the younger man.
They approached the table
Men, with flushed faces, the wo
men, haggard and disheveied
made up the greater part of thu
gamesters at that hour. Here an(
there was a steady-nerved and i'm
passive faced man, or an Ameri
can playing for the love of excite
ment and careless OF the outcome
The monotone Of the crOupier wal
the one sound to break the silencC
Of the great room. They made
their way to a table that had few
er players than the others.
"Play 10 francs" whispered the
fair man. The other answered
him with a look of disdain. HC
staksd the gold piece on the red.
The ball spun around the disk.
"Sixteen, red, under and even, ,
sang the crOupier. An eager
CLEAN came into the face of the
younger man. The other made nc
sign, but let the money lay.
kTR-nwAu -Ahwna waH nwnw nnI