The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-03-14

vine being. but l must stop lest l make
myself ridiculous in your eyes. l viewed
all these splendors with joyful astonish-
ment, with certain pride at being there.
At times l thought of my little wife at
home and wished she were on my arm
enjoying the spectacle.
presently | found myself In q small
parlor. l Gun see it now as plainly as at
the moment | first entered tia room
hung In cherry and satin, lighted by
large golden candelabrum holding tall
candles. About the room were several
mahogany tables with green cloth tops.
Seated at these tables were elderly gen.
tlemen, Respondent in their many deco
rations, and all absorbed in card playing.
They eonversed in low tones, as if In a
church, and only the strains of distant
orchestra occasionally interrupted the
whisperings Of the gamblers. These
sights quite overpowered me, and JUST as
| was about to quit this sanctuary /
heard my name called. l turned. 1t was
my colonel who had spied me. He pro-
posed q game of ecarte. l bowed &C
ceptance and took the chair just vacated
by his partner. Several persons were
standing around our table, and l can re-
call the feeling Of vanity l experienced
at being seen in public with my supe-
rior. The colonel proposed stake of 8
forms, to which | agreed. We cut for
deal. He drew seven spot, l drew
jack. In this first hand l captured all
the tricks. In the next hand he swept
the board. We were now even-two and
two. 1t was now my turn to deal.
while shutting the cards I noticed
that the card at the bottom Of the pack
was the king of diamonds. How bright
1t looked in its scarlet color! At sight of
it was seized with an uncomfortable de-
sire to steal it. For the moment l I'M
agined myself at home, at my own table,
under the lamp, my wife opposite me,
and quietly-unobserved, I thought
drew from the bottom that king of dia
monds, which / played at the proper
time, exclainiing with feigned surprise,
Hello, l have the king" Hardly had
uttered the words when l felt a pallor
spreading over my face. The colonel no.
ticed 1t, stopped playing and looked at
me In silence. My breathing became
rapid. / was so overcome with shame
that could have died on the spot.
From a rear room came the sounds Of
the orchestra playing LIES Joys The
colonel kept his eyes right on me-a
steady, penetrating, hard look, full OF
contempt and sadness. Finally he turn,
ed his eyes away and remarked coldly.
Well, since you have 1t mark it, Then
as he arose from the table he pushed to-
ward me with the finger tips of his white
gloves the 8 forms, remarking, You have
won. sir l had not yet recovered my
equanimity, so completely had my grief
Frustrated ME, but | could not let my
colonel go away in that humor.
81 said to myself: He is a worthy man,
father of family. will tell him that
laugh it off. No doubt he'll consider it
joke. He'll pat me or the back. and
thlt'll be the end Of it, l caught up
with him. AS soon as I was by his side
said to him In low, suppliant tones,
Colonel. colonel'-But could not utter
another word. He stopped, gazed at me
as he had done at the card table, and his
look again penetrated me-burned into
my very soul. Then l understood that l
was lost, dshonored In his estimation.
felt that no matter what l might have
said In extenuation of my crime he would
consider it simply a lie, so l hung my
head, kept silence, and he went away.
EOlN lIlut nave hSNSI loNSu lhy
profession, although / was the most not
ed among my comrades.
mo matter where l went, whether in
quarters or at drills or in the houses
where we had our reunions, felt that
look OF the colonel-that silent look
which always seemed to say, Lieutenant
Malten. you're n THEIR
"In course Of time was made cap
l.. 1 o. -~,{%
whom ! used to cheat at cards. Then
came Sadowa. which. you know, put an
end to my military career. And so you
have my story. may have spun it out
little too long. for which / apologize, but.
gentlemen. you must play without me-
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