Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-06-11
Woman S Faee
FLORENCE WARDEN

with the distinct utterance of the we'll
educated, some with the brogue and
the burr of farmers and cattle-dealers,
but almost all showing, either by open
and eager excitement, or by the equal
ly unmistakable self-restraint be-
trayed by Strengthened lips and steadi-
lly-glowing eyes, the absorption of the
genuine gambler.
So marked was this, that at the en-
trance of the newcomers scarcely a
man at the tables looked up. A few
among the onlookers, especially one or
two of the over-dressed and bold-faced
women who hung about, but got, while
the play went on, but little attention,
glanced at them curiously, or watched
them with hungry interest while Lord
Kildonan glanced keenly round the
room with wooden face, of which no
muscle quivered. He turned to Arma-
thwaite, and putting his arm through
that of the young man, asked, in a
low tone, which to an outsider would
have seemed one of Indifference:
you must come to the help Of my
poor old eyes. Do you see anyone you
know here? The truth-if you please"
Armathwaite looked round, shaking
with apprehension. Then, after
securing every corner with a searching
glance, he said with a long-drawn
breath of so much relief that his en-
phatic tone made some even among
the gamblers look up at him.
NO"
Lord Kildonan's face never changed.
Without releasing the young mans
arm, and with a courteous reply to
one of the women, who offered to find
a table for them, he crossed the room
to a doorway, before which hung a
thick curtain. Raising this, they
passed through together.
The apartment they now entered was
much larger than the first In addition
to small tables in two of the corners,
1t contained one long table, upon
which the deepest interest of the as
sembly was evidently concentrated.
The players, in two long lines of cold
ly keen or restlessly eager faces, sat
on either side, and staked their money,
won or lost, in almost unbroken ST.
lence. The game was baccarat, and
the stakes were for the most part high,
as the newcomers could see by
glance at the little piles of gold and
notes that chinked and rustled on the
table. A constantly-shifting but quiet
crowd moved about, taking their places
at the table or watching the play, with
steady and almost silent interest If
young man, in lively after-dinner
mood. began to disturb with unwel-
come hilarity the absorbed attention
OF the players. he would be led off
with little delay to a third room, in
which, by the sounds of vacuous and
discordant laughter and the popping
of champagne corks, which came upon
the ears with loud burst when the
communicating door was open, il
might be judged that less austerity
prevailed.
Slowly and steadily, examining the
players on the opposite side face by
face. Lord Kildonan. his hand leaning
a little more heavily on Armathwaite's
as moment by moment passed and yet
he made no discovery, worked his way
through the crowd always little in
the background until they had nearly
completed the circuit of the table.
| There were but few women among the
! players. Armathwaite's eyes noted
each one with passionate hope that
there might be none among them
whom he could recognize On the first
side of the table that they scanned
there was no face, mans or womans.
that he knew. As they drew slowly
to the opposite side of the room he
scarcely dared to look. The first
hasty scrutiny treasured him. An
! old woman, lean-faced. hideous, with
faded eyes that saw nothing fair or
good; a stout woman. whose age was
not clear; and third. insignificantly
dressed. who wore mttens and had no
other saliant point about her, were the
only exceptions to the row of male
players. The two younger women
wore short wells, thick enough to hide
the upper part of the face pretty COM
pletely. Unutterably relieved, Arma,
thwaite let Lord Kildonan lead him
on, beginning at last to feel with some
certainty that they had happily got
on the wrong tack, when suddenly
he felt the elder mans grip tighten ON
his arm. He locked up quickly. and
felt as if he had been turned to ice.
Following the direction of the old
mans ewes, he saw Crosmont. his face
set and hvid with sullen anxiety and
despair, standing among the onlookers
on the opposite side of the room.
! watching, not the cards. but the in
northumberland woman. She was
sitting next but one to the dealer. stalk.
ing her money, watching the game.
with the stolid steadiness of an old
hand. Through the thickness of her
veil, as Armathwaite watched. he saw
two steel-bright eyes flash like SHARKS
of light; underneath the thick black
edge he saw two coral-red lips tightly
set. In spite of his suspicious. in