Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-10
AS DEEP AS
THE SEA

| the honest mind. He shut his eyes for an in
| slant, and when he opened them he saw that
| his fellow gambler was watching him with his
eyes half closed and an enigmatical and furtive
| smile Did this Caliban have some under.
standing. of what was at stake in his heart
| and soul?
| PLAY" Rawley said sharply. and was him
| self again.
| For hour after hour there was scarcely a
sound save the rattle of the dice, and an occa-
| sonal exclamation from the old man he
| threw double six. AS dusk fell, the door had
been shut and lighted lantern was hung over
their heads.
Fortune had 1uctuated. Once the old mans
pile had diminished to two notes, then the luck
had changed and his pile grew larger, then fell
| again; but as the hands on the clock on the
| wall above the blue medicine bottles reached
quarter to eleven it increased steadily throw
after throw.
Now the players fever was in Rawley's eyes.
His face was deadly PALE but his hand threw
| seem. All at once at eight minutes to eleven
| the luck turned in his favor, and his pile
mounted again. Time after time he threw
double skies. 1t was almost uncanny. He
| seemed to see the dice in the box, and his hand
| threw them out with the precision of machine.
| Long afterward he had this vivid illusion that
| he could see the dice in the box. AS the clock
was about to strike eleven he had before him
three thousand eight hundred dollars. 1t was
| his throw.
1.-TWO hundred he said in whisper and
| threw. He won.
With gasp of relief he got upon his feet,
the money in his hand. He stepped backward,
| from the table, then staggered, and a faintness
| passed over him. He had sat so long without
moving that his legs swayed under him. There
was pail of water with dipper in it on the
bench. He caught the dipper full of water.
drank it empty, and let it fall in the pail again
| with a clatter
DAN" he said abstractedly-" Dan. you're
all safe now!
| Then he seemed to wake as from dream and
looked at the old man at the table. He was
| leaning on it with both hands and staring at
| Rawey like some animal jaded and worn from
| pursuit. Rawley walked back to the table and
| laid down two thousand dollars.
81 wanted only two thousand" he said, and
put the other two in his pocket.
| The evil eyes gloated, the long fingers
clutched the pile and swept it into great in
side pocket Then the shaggy head went for
| ward. You said it was for Dan,' he said
Dan Welldon?"
| Rawley hesitated. What is that to your"
| With a sudden impulse the old impostor
lurched round, opened box, drew out roll
and threw it on the table. Its got to be
known sometime he said, &" and you'll be my
lawyer when I'm put into the ground. You're
clever all right enough. They call a
quack. Malpractice, bah! There's my diplo-
ma; James Clifton Welldon-that's all right.
Rawley was petrifed. He knew the forgotten
story of James Clifton Weldon, the specialist
turned gambler, who had almost ruined his
own brother, the father of Dan and Diana. at
cards and dice, and had then ruined himself
and disappeared. Here, where his brother had
died, he had come years ago, and practised
medicine quack. =
Oh there's plenty of proof. if it's wanted
he said I've got it here" He tapped the
box behind him. Why did do it? Because
it's my way, and you're going to marry my
niece, and'll have it all some day, the price of
malpractice and all. But not till I've finished
with it, not unless you win from me at dice or
cards. But, mol" something human came into
the old, degenerate face. mo more gambling
for the man that's to marry her-to marry
Diana! There's wonder and beauty He
chuckled to himself. She'll be rich when I've
done with it, You're a lucky man. Aye.
you re lucky!'
Rawiey was about to tell the old man what
the two thousand dollars for, but fresh
wave of repugnance passed over him, and.
hastily drinking another dipperful of water. he
opened the door. He looked back. The old
man was crouching forward, tapping milk from
the great bowl, his beard dripping. In disgust
Rawley swung round again. The fresh, clear
air caught his face.
Thank God!' he said with gasp of relief
and stepped out into the night, closing the
door behind him.