The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-06-27

"rhe days went by very slowly then.
HAD lost my interest In the plantation
and when the time came for the annual
trip to New Orleans to dispose of nv
cotton crop ] plunged with frightful
energy into the life Of dissipation
which had left on being married.
AS soon ms | returned 10 the fieIds.I
grew restless. There Is no need to re.
count all my visits tn the metropolis. ms
no new features developed except a
fondncss for the gaming table, whkrb
grew stronger and stronger. until | dis.
covered that all my available fund,
had gone and that heavy mortgages had
accumulated NJ my once prosperous,
but now sadly neglected. plantation,
AT last I decided to have n last try
at the gaming board, and ~ that were
not successful. to end my unhappy and
unfortunate life and seek rest In the
great unknown. Accordingly, I raised
~ much ~ possible ON all the operty
which was not encountered. When 1
reached New Orleans | had Just ten
dollars In the form ~ n ten.dollnr gold
! piece. besides $1,000 in bills Of large de.
nominations.
81 was to go Ia the club. the Able.
marie. nov extinct. where all the high
playing VAS being done. and risk all In
a mad venture to win back my honor
and my home. II unsuccessful. 1 de.
cided Ia put an end To my miserable III.
10 my room at the hotel.
81 was walking along by the high
stone wall which incloscs the park.
thinking 81 the young wife who had
blessed my life for such u short time.
when a most peculiar sound greeted my
ears. II was the cry III n mn In
grief. \ sobbing wall. and II seemed Ia
come from the opposite side "f tie
wall. ] rapidly went to the nearest en-.
trance To the park and hurried to the
spot from which I thought the sound
came. | had not gone far before I
heard the cry again. and Fastening,
saw n young girl leaning In an angle
~ the wall. sobbing NJ N her poor
heart would break.
"'Tcll me what the trouble II. little
one said; perhaps ! can help YOU
"Shc started NJ the sound 81 my voice
and looked mp NJ me with tear-fllcd
eyes. After u few moments NJ qucs'
tioninp. ! heard her touching little
story, which was told with Just enough
sobbing hcsitancl to convince me that
this was no impostcr.
"Shc had just left wha, had oncc
been her home in the country. 10 miles
out Of the city. Her father hnd died u
year before, and now her mother had
followed him. Now the girl. fricndlcss
and alone. had come to III, city to seek
her brother. who had left home for
New Orleans several years before and
had not been heard from since.
"My heart was touched by her simple
story. aud my hand went down In my
pocket and came In contact with the
ten'dnllnr gold piece, aud ! gave II to
her. telling her io he careful Of II. to
get herself n nights lodging. and to
meet me on the vcrnndn of the club
house In the morning. aud that. u |
were there. I would help her Ia find her
brother; knowing that | would not Ice
there II unsuccessful at the night
play, but also that n I were there |
would he well able to help her.
81 then left her and went IN my way
Ia the club and started To play with u
recklessness that paralyled my oppo.
ncnts. Bill after bill was thrown on
the board, and soon, before | realized
what II meant to me. only 500 remained
between me and-eterni,y.
81 breathlessly threw II m the table
As the ball ratified It's way about the
spinning wheel my mouth grew Dry and