Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-02-07
CHAPTER XIV.
RETROSPECTIVE.

RETROSPECTIVE.
Once upon a time there lived SOL
oier, gentleman born. a courtier. q
man OF fine senses, of high integrity.
OF tenderness. of courage; he pos
sessed splendid physical beauty. be-
Sides estates and a comfortable
revenue, or rather, he presided over
one. Above all this, he was the father
OF girl who worshiped him, and not
without reason. What mysterious
causes should set to work to ruin this
man, to thrust him from light into
darkness? What step led him to at
tempt to betray his country, even in
times of peace, to dishonor his name,
a name his honesty had placed high on
the rolls of glory? What defense can
he offer? Well, I shall undertake to
defend him; let yours be the verdict
Enforced idleness make a criminal
OF a poor man; 1t urges the man of
means to travel. Having seen his
native land, II was only natural that
my defendant should desire to see for
eign countries. So, accompanied by
his child, he went abroad, visited the
famous capitals, and was the guest
OF honor at his country's embassies
1t was q delightful period. Both were
as happy as fate ever allows a human
being to be. The father had received
his honorable discharge, and till re-
Gently had held a responsible position
in the war department. His knowledge
had proved of no small value to the
government, for he was born strate'
g!st, and his hobby was the coasI
defenses. He never beheld a plan tina
he did not reproduce 1t on the back OF
an envelope, on any handy scrap o.
paper. and then pore over 1T through
the night. He had committed to men,
DRY the smallest details, the ammuni-
ton supplies OF each fort, the number
or guns, the garrison, the pregnable
and impregnable sides. He knew the
resource of each, too, that is to say,
how quickly aid could be secured, the
nearest transportation routes, what
forage might be had. He had even
submitted plans for siege gun.
One day, in the course of their
travels, the father and daughter stopped
at Monte Carlo. Who hasn't heard
of that oSty of fever? Who that has
seen it can easily forget its gay harbor,
its beautiful walks, it's crowds, it's
music, its hotels, its white temple
of fortune. Now, my defendant had
hitherto ignored the principally OF
reached his ears did not progresses
him in it's favor. But his daughter
had friends there and she wanted to
see them. There would be dances on
the private yacht, and dinners, and
teas, and fireworks. On the third
night of his arrival he was joined by
the owner of the yacht, a millionaire
banker whose son was doing the hon
ors as host. / believe that there was
a musicale on board that night. and
as the banker was not particularly fond
of this sort Of entertainment. he in
weighed his soldier friend to accompany
him on a sightseeing trip. At mid
night they entered the temple of for
tune. At first the soldier demurred;
but the banker told him that he
hadn't seen Monte Carlo unless he saw
thO WHICH, 81 AZ, AouShih
they entered the halls.
The banker played a while, won
and lost, lost and won. The soldier
put his hand in his pocket and drew
forth a five-franc piece. He placed it
on a number. The angel in the pitch
robes is always lying in wait for man
to make his first bad step; so she
urged fortune to let this man win. 1t
is an unwritten law, high up on
Olympus, that the gods must give TO
the gods. only the prayers of the NOR
tails 60 unanswered.
So my defendant won. He laughed
like boy who had played marbles for
keeps and had taken away his OPP
ponent's agates His mind was perfect
ly innocent OF any wrong-doing. That
night he won 1000 francs. His
real first bad step was in hiding the
escapade from his daughter. The fol-
lowing night he won again. Then he
the lust of his forcbears shone forth
from his eyes. The venom of the SER
pent spread, the ember grew into a
flame. His daughter. legitimately en-
joying herself with the young people,
knew nothing nor dreamed. Indeed.
he never entered the temple till after
he had kissed her good night.
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