Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-31

| faxed their hold, and the planter sanl to his seat again.
 With wondering anxiety the woman scanned each face. then timidly ap preached the gamester: William. mas ter, speak to me-What is it?"
 groan was the only response; ther roughly Finch spoke: We played unti he lost everything he had-but you Then, we'll, then he staked-and los, again."
 The woman stood rigid. Over hel eyes a horrid comprehension grew darkening them like film shutting out the light.
 Finch grasped her with half scowl half leer on his cruel face. One mans meat is another mans pizen, you know, my girl"
 With shriek she turned from him to sink at the feet of her master. Not me? You have not sold mel" and she murmured broken words of anguish groveling on the floor, her head on his knee.
 | We are intruding, senor.'
 It was the third player who spoke a tall. heavy -browed Spaniard, his massive head covered with black curls on which was carelessly tilted a wide- brimmed hat This he pulled lower, as if to hide the womanish pity in his eyes.
 Let us go," he said, "this is not the first time men have fought for a woman" and he turned away.
 Winslow was tempted to follow both from personal unwillingness to witness the narrowing scene, and from innate respect for the sanctity of sorrow. But just then he met the agonized gaze of the octoroon. All a woman's, soul flashed from the eyes of this helpless chattel. .ts Rapidly his mind searched every avenue of escape for her. There was a way-he would try It.
 Will you tarry moment?" and he closed the door as he spoke, "l have . suggestion to make
 There was compelling power in his quiet words which made the crushed man raise his head with sudden hun gry hope in the bloodshot eyes. The woman staggered to her feet. Capt Finch rewarded the speaker with . glare of malignant questioning.
 Winslow continued: If. as under stand, this gentleman has lost, and the woman was the stake upon his side, then, according to the laws of gambling l believe, there are laws of gambling the woman is yours" He indicated the winner by q polite tbow.H Then may I inquire the amount staked against herr" he. added.
 A pause followed this abrupt ques- tion.
 The planter, whose courage grad ually rose with his springing hope, muttered: "One hundred dollars"
 "One hundred dollars? A pitiful sum! You gave frighfful odds. But of course you felt sure of winning" Winslow added, with suave sarcasm. Then turning to the captain. he pro ceeded: Tt appears. then. that the woman is yours. but she is evidently an unwilling prize. Does not this fact considerably iessen her value? Sup pose we play again, she the stake on your side-this mine"
 He drew a small sack from his pock- ct, and laid it upon the table. No sound followed the clink of metal, put woman's shuddering sigh. Under gloomy brows her old master stared at the new. The latter stood for a moment, a frown of baffied rage distorting his sinister face.
 "She was fairly staked, and fairly won," he declared. "The odds are not my business, and d-d if I'm to be bamboozled out of the profit of a fair game!"
 But what profit is there in an un- willing slave? You might sell her, to be sure. but that would not be sports manlike, and" here Winslow stepped nearer with insinuating clink of money: Come, you are no Shylock to stick to the letter of the bond; come!" and he slowly counted out s10O which he slid to the table. The sack he replaced in his pocket.
 All eyes were upon the boatman as his hungry glance sought the glittering pile. All the lust of the cards was on him. Winslow had counted upon this, and upon the gamblers faith in sue cess.
 ''Done," cried the captain. and with the scraping of chairs and a shufle of cards. the game was on. In breathless silence the spectators huddled about the players-the one | frowning. his close-cropped head held rigid in the thick. short neck. his eyes gleaming like small coals out of a red ! veined face.
 The other vas paler than usual, but placid. self contained. The Spaniard looked on with an amused. cynical smile. That this east ern gallant. vith the bow of a Chester. | field. and the air of a student, should break a lance with 30 hardy an op- ponent. aroused feelings of simira- tiOn and pity.
 The woman erept nearer. her heart in her eyes.
 Two or three loungers strolled in, and there Was an interested ring about the players
 Afeu more turns of the cards. and both men pushed back their chairs - the game was over,