Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1903-04-18

scarcely any one know left"
Rouval was not very delighted al
this decision. He was in the habit
OF going to the club every evening
and spending some hours at the
card tables, and it had become So
fixed a habit with him that he felt
restless and dissatisfied anywhere
else. He would like to ask De Sau-
muir to take a hand with him, but
under the circumstances he scarcely
dared to. He kept casting furtive
glances at the little table in the cor
! ner of the room, and at length De
Saumur, who had noticed his
friends uneasiness and who from
experience guessed the cause, sug-
! gested himself that they should
just have round OF. two at cards
to see how much he had forgotten
in ten years.
"But | thought you had quite
given up playing forever and ever, "
objected his friend.
eyes, as a regular habit I have,
but it is quite another thing to have
a game quietly here like this"
Rouval was only too delighted
and pulled the card table out with
alacrity.
De Saumur played at first care
lessly.
He had only proposed it out of
consideration to his friend, and he
felt rather bored. Rouval kept win
ming and appeared SO contented
with himself and had such tri-
umphant manner that De Saumur
found himself getting interested
and excited in spite Of himself. The
more he lost the more persistent he
became. 1t was. as though the old
passion Of former days which for
ten years had been kept in control
by his strong will had completely
got the mastery of him. At first
the stakes had been insignificant,
but as he continued to lose he be-
came more and more desperate, I'M
til at last the amount was getting
so serious that Rouval did not wish
to continue.
"But as / have been the loser so
far" said De Saumur, ''you cannot
refuse to 60 on surely~
is not for my own sake, but I
don't like it, Gilbert. You are here
at my house, and you are playing
desperate stakes"
"Well, that's my own lookout.
IT'S your turn to cut.
Day was beginning to break, and
the two men were still seated at the
card table. They had played all
night, and now their eyes were fiery
with excitement, and their hands
trembled as they handled the cards.
At last Gilbert de Saumur ex-
claimed: 'TThere! I cannot go on
any morep
Rouval looked at him anxiously,
thinking that he was i'll, but he con-
tinued:
''No; I've come to an end; that's
all. / cannot 60 on because you
have won nearly every cent | pos
sess. I'll give you a check on my
banker for it, and that settles it."
A dead silence followed these
words. What was to be done? The
play had been strictly fair, and Rou
val had won it fairly.
'EMy dear fellow" said Rouval as
De Saumur finished writing out the
check, 81 cannot take it all. Keep
for yourself"
Il have 94O left, Z replied De Sau-
muir coldly. ''That will be enough |
to get back where | came from.
Work is better for me than fortune.
| have proved that twice. Thought
now l was cured, but it appears I
was mistaken. suppose now | shall
never see Paris again. Goodby,
Rouval."
And he got up and, opening the
door, took his hat from the peg in !
the hall and went downstairs, fol-
lowed by Rouval, who accompanied
him to the hall door and who, when |
he had closed it after his friend, |
went back to his smoking den and
paced up and down the room until q
It was broad daylight.
every odd," was the verdict at
The club the next evening. SNot
quite the thing to take everything |
5he poor fellow had worked ten I
years for and so send him back to
exile"