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

ed up at the impassive face OF the
winner. The dealer pushed four
heaps Of gold over to him and
cried: snake your play, mes
danes ct messieurs."
cit is enough" whispered
Charles. "MOre than $500.
francs" The other did not even
glance at him. He made FIVE bets
on single numbers and lost.
oDO not tempt fate" said the
younger man in his ear. 'Let Us
be off," The player looked at
him as though annoyed.
"Will you playf" he asked.
ono, but
monsieur is interfering with
the play" interiected a polite
man with the bearing of a lord.
II was a floor manager. Charles
turned away with a gesture of des-
pair.
For a few minutes he sat on a
nearby divan. His nervousness
was palpable.
"That mailman, he will lose all!
yDieu, why did I not play MYSELF
And that money! | must stop
him."
He staggered back as he looked
in front Of the player. There
were two louis left of the pile.
Then he stiffened.
81 will await you, monsieur"
he said, and returned to the divan.
What subtle provision of nature
is it that makes the condemned man
to sleep through his last night on
earth3 Charles lay back on the
divan. BE was quite composed,
ready to face the death that he
knew was inevitable.
"Will she carei" he asked
himself. Certainly she would
care if he presented himself before
her and told her he had not the
means to discharge the bill at the
hotel. He thought it all over.
There was nobody who would care
very much except the sister who
teaching French in England-and
she would probably never know.
1t was tiresome, after all, this
struggle to keep up appearances,
and look after Madame lie Clere.
There was not even the assurance
that madam cared to be looked
after. There had been a time and
well, that was not worth think
ing of. He fell asleep while the
click of the ivory ball marked the
signal for the crOupier's cry.
A half hour afterwards the
other stood at the table, with a
great pile of gold before him.
There was a flicker of annoyance
in his face, a gesture OF disdainful
indifference as the dealer an
nOunced:
"The bank is closed, monsieur
has won the limit. Will mon
sieur have notes for the goldf"
The player pushed the gold over
and paid no attention to the
clamOrOus comment of the others,
who took the good luck of this
one man as a theft of their own
chances.
zone hundred and twenty-six
thousand frances" said the dealer,
pushing over the notes. He turned
away ~listlessly and his eyes fell on
the recumbent form of the other.
He walked over and looked down
on the sleeping face. His eyes
narrowed to a slit. One corner OF
his mouth was raised the least bit.
Zone hundred and twenUy-six
thousand francs,' he thought.
'NOt bad for one. Cleo lie Clere-
well, she might make two bites oil
a moiety. of it. I think-COme
wake up!" He touched the other,
Wholly awake instantly the
younger man looked up in the
face of the other. In its calm he
read his doom.
Nc word was spoken until they
had passed the spot where Charles
had picked up the gold piece lesl
than an hour before.
"You might have put it OF il
you had stopped when I wanted
you to-" he said. The other hes.
itated an instant. Perhaps there
was an idea in his mind that hC
could afford to divide. If there
was it was banished instantly.
"My friend" he said, "We were
not playing for a days respite y
With a despairing motion the
fair young man put the pistol tC
his mouth and fred.
"Charles was always so preeip.
itate,' he said to Madame lie ClerI
as he filed her glass with a con
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