The Yale expositor., 1908-04-24
THE DEUCE OF HEARTS
By A. M. PERKERSON
Copyright. BY Daily story Pub Coz

IN the ullOule Ol du edTlHy -snncihhS
room a girl, with brown shawl
thrown over her head mantilla fash
ion, was standing before table slowly
shutting a pack of greasy cards. The
ceiling of the room was yellow and
mouldy. and crossed here and there
by broad cracks. The floor was soggy.
In places it had rotted and broken
through. The butt of a tallow candle
was stuck near the rim of the table,
but it burned sputteringly and seemed
TO throw out as much shadow as light.
A man lay in one corner, tied hand
sides and rope was wound about his
legs to the knee.
You were beautiful when | saw you
in the sunlight" he said This
thieves hole makes poor setting and
takes the color out of your cheeks and
the sparkle from your eyes, but when
first saw you it seemed that the EN-
bodiment of all my ideals had stepped
before me. Not professional ideals,
but the hearts ideals. / didn't covet
your face to paint, but to love. Really
your eyes and cheeks got into my
blood; that's the reason | walked 50
blindly into this death trap. / would
have walked just as readily over j
precipice had you led the way.
But my minutes for holding ideals
and loving pretty eyes and cheeks are
not to be many, are they? 1t seems
strange that in little while / won't
be able to feel delight or any other
emotion, doesn't il? II | only had q
chance! But it wouldn't be fair,
would 1t, TO ask you to help me after
what I've said? You the embodiment
Of all my ideals! My frank confession
might exert undue influence, make me
take an unfair advantage of you, play
basely on the soft heart that must go
with that pretty face"
The man had been speaking in a
vein of wild irony, probably to keep
his courage up. Now and then he
raped out his words with sharp, sar,
castle infection. The girl kept her
eyes fixed on the cards. never raised
them. Suddenly the man drew quick
breath.
"Why not bundle everything to
gether and dump it on chances shoul
ders?" he said. Make the cards de
eide it all. Cut for yourself, then fol
me. Let the highest card win. II
lose you needn't move a finger ant
your amiable friends can come bacl
| CT oh lr,,ffa haf rihe
without my murmuring, but If fortune
favors me cut off these ropes and II
show you how man can fight for hi
life. See, you wash your hand OF it al
that way. If the cards play me ;
scurvy trick, why that's no fault o
yours"
He had begun in the same wild wa.
as before, but as he ran on he dropped
his hooking air and his tone becam
serious and eager. There was a Loo
of entreaty on his face when h
paused. For the first time the giT
turned to him. Her cheeks we're color
less, but her eyes were alive wit
light. Something in her expressio
made him breathe more sharply. II
looked at her silently for several mC
ments.
"Will your" His tone was passion
ately entreating.
The girl stopped shufiing the cards
knocked them together and laid theI
! face downward on the table. For
moment she looked at them SILENT.
This is for me-" she said She pickle
up stack of cards and looked at tn
bottom one, then turned 1t towards tn
man. 1t was the king of clubs. Ha
ing shuffied the cards, she placed thel
back on the table.
This is for you" she said, and CT
again. She looked at the bottom car
quietly, leaning forward. Withol
showing it to the man, she laid it BAG
on the table. 1T was the ace
hearts" she said.
Suddenly her apathy vanished ar
she became feverishly alive. Aft
STOPPING and blowing out the candl
she ran to the door and locked ii, lea
ing the key in the lock. A few It'll
strides brought her back to the ma
From her bodice she snatched thi
bladed, keen knife and deftly cut b
, bonds.
, AS he stood swinging his arms abo
to test their strength his eye caug
large beer stein in one corner. I
started eagerly towards IL, but at Il
I table paused and took from one
| the two stacks the bottom card, Il
one the girl had cut. His fingers hi
i Just grasped 1t when there came Il
sound of feet on the stairs leading
the room. Without looking at the ca
he thrust II into his pocket and spral
!. to the beer stein. IL was tall al
! heavy, embossed with nymphs al
satyrs, but dingy and Clipped aroul
the edges. Gripping 1t tightly he II
to the door.
The steps continued to descend 4
stairs. There were evidently two me
The knob of the door was turned. M