The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-06-28

racks, for excitement at first, finally
10 exc out q scant and disgraceful liv-
ing.
This spring I happened to win
considerable amount a. Frisco ano
good woman, whom / met there, per-
suaded me TO try and begin new, a !
better life. calculated that TO do so,
l must have money and resolved to 60
to Monte Carlo, to win fortune. II
luck smiled upon me, 1 would re-
turn and begin al over III the Gotten
business.
a week ago set foot in this earth
ly paradise, and had no sooner done so
when, for some reason OF other, my
mind and heart became flooded with
"reminiscences OF Marietta. I thought
OF her all the time, saw her every
where. Every fresh red mouth seem,
ed to be Marietta in every dark,
flash eye recognized Marietta'S.
Yesterday, late in the afternoon,
as was going up the Casino steps, l
thought saw her, lovely vision, on
the arm OF one Of those international
6anoies with which Monte Carlo IS
running over. I felt sure it was her,
my poor, beloved, deludea wife. She
smiled. she c2Quected, she oehaveo
ou5rageouSly. I heard her laugh
ali. it was Marietta laugh. She passed
a remark within my hearing. SO Ma
1ietta used to talk.
Il felt that must not risk my al!
while excited AID for half an hour or
longer wandered about a!nleSsly in
the gardens. There was good breeze
from the bay and the salt air finally
restored my equilibrium. [ 7entured
to the Casino. Try black, an in.
ner voice advised. Black lost. I forced
it. 'Noir perd. announced the rou
lette manipulation five OK six times in
succession. The gold in my pocket
was getting low. I was just think
ing OF quitting when heard BEHIND
me the trou-frou OF silken skirts,
when I perceived Marietva's laugh,
her voice. And I gathered up all /
possessed in the world and put it on
black.
Noir perdn T was beggar in a
strange country. with nothing to looS
forward to but death. Quietly, re-
signedly I walked out to take my
medicine. AS soon as I found hall.
way secluded spot, I would end it all.
Once I thought I had discovered a
place Of safety, but a carabinieri,
making the rounds, cuased me to move
op, and not knowing the roads / found
myself, after a while, in the neigh
borhood OF the Casino again. l was
about to sit down for a moments
rest, when I espied an elegantly
dressed woman on a nearby bench.
She had the sylphlike, yet luxurious
figure OF my Marietta, she had Ma,
rietta's eyes, her hair, I saw it all in
the blazing arc light, And AS [ faced
her, she instinctively recognized me.
Mother OF my dead Maud I
whispered hoarsely, 50 found you at
last
"'Don's make scene, she re-
turned; let's 20 where it's quiet and
talk it over l took her to the out
skirts Of the park, from where the pa
troll had just driven me. 1t was safe
| new.
And there I talked to her like a
father, like a lover and father, Ia
every way I tried 70 move her cold
heart for our dead Mauo's sake. But
the minute she saw that [ was soften
ing, her diabolicaI spirit returned.
! She called me crazy, mad. She said
such as herself, beautiful. young tai
ented was not Tor such as I, old griz-
zied, welded to life in the semi desert.
And then the devil took hold OF me,
too: I reached for my revolver. Ma
rietta tried to call for help but, losing
all self control, I took hold OF her by
the neck. She struggled, pushed her
bejeweled fan into my face. Her re-
sistance ceased, before I realized what
was doing I held a dead woman in
my arms.
THE fright, the horror OF my mis-
deed nearly killed me on the spot.
why didn't I use that revolver an
hour ago?' Imoaned, then wouldn't
have this crime added to my list OF
deadly sins.
But now; voices in the distance:
they stimulated the instinct Of the
SELF. preservation and I dragged the
body further into the bushes. Then
as I bent over Marietta to take last
look at her, I noticed the red pocket
book hanging on her arm. a SOU
venir,' thought, they shall bury it
with me- I cut the strings and,
prompted by jealous curiosity, pressed
the lock. 1 expected to find love let
ters, mems visiting cards; I saw a
crisp thousand francs note. And my
thoughts Of suicide we're gone all at
once, the craze OF gamble, gamblers
madness seized me.
Play red, red,' whispered the
voice OF passion. This rocketbook is
your talisman, rouge means fortune
to gou.'
81 raised my hand to my feverish
temple and, withdrawing it, found it
red with blood from the wound Ma
rietta had inflicted upon me with her
fan. More red, it was inevitabl, that
should win, Istilled the blood, clean
ed my cheek and walked to the Casino
with buoyant steps. Eoterini, l re-
gsrded myself in one OF the high mir
rors. Nothing in my appearance re.
called the adventures OF a few min
utes ago, recalled ny crime.
with the feelings OF a winner l
walked up to one OF the Trente at
Quaraute tables 500 On rouge [ Won.
I left original and winnings on the
same card. Rouge again. won. I