Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-12-23

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smc.hcrcd cry rector himself,
He bent forward gazing with a tense
and Mortified curiosity.
Five times, ten times, the cards had
changed hands, and with every deal
Harry lost. The gold disks had slip
ped steadily across the table. But he
had seemed to be looking beyond the
ebb and flow of the jettons and the
pale face opposite him that gloated
over its yellow pile. Though that pile
grew larger and larger, Harry's face
had never changed. Hugh's was the
shaking hand when he discarded, the
convulsed features when he scanned.
his draw, the desperate anxiety when
for moment fortune seemed to wa
yer. He had never in his life had such
luck! He swept his winnings into his
pockets with a discordant laugh as he
noted that of the contents Of the
opened bag Harry had but one double
eagle remaining.
Harry paused an instant. He snap
ped the little gold cross he wore from
Its silken tether and set 1t upright by
him on the table.
His hand Won, and the next, and the
next Hugh boarded his gold; he
staked the red wafers-each one a day.
He had won almost thousand dollars.
but the second bag had not vet been
opened. and the vampire intoxication
was running molten hot in his veins
The untouched bag drew him as the
magnet mountain drew the adventur
GUS Sindbad--lie could have snatched
it In his eagerness.
But the luck had changed. His red
counters diminished, melted. He would
soon have to draw on his real win.
nings. Cold beads of sweat broke on
his forehead.
Neither saw the face pressed against
the aperture. Neither guessed the wild
and terrible thoughts that were raging
through the mind of the solitary
watcher as he peered and peered.
Scarce knowing what he did. lie clos
ed the panel softly and ran across the
| chapel lawn. On the pavement outside
he met man approaching 1t was the
bishop. The excited evangelist did no,
know the nan. but his eye caught the
ministerial dress. the plain. sturdy pi-
ETY. of the face. In his zeal he saw IN
instrument to his hand. He grasped
the bishops arm.
"Quicli! Quick" he gasped. There's
devil work doing in there! Come and
see!" Flo fairly pulled him INSIDE the
gate.
The puzzled bishop saw the intense
excitement Of the others demeanor
He saw the faint glow in the corner o.
the rose window. Were there tllieve!
after the altar plate?
| He shook off the eager hand that wa.
drawing him toward the window
mot there. Come this way" he sait
and hurried toward the porch. Fl,
tried the chapel door, 1t was fast. HI
had key to this in his pocket. He in
serted 1t with caution, opened the dool
noiselessly and went In, the stree
preacher at his heels.
What the bishop saw was photo
graphed instantaneously on his MIND
in fiery, indelible colors. 1t ate into his
soul like hot iron into quivering flesh
soaring itself upon his memory The
evangelist of the pave had been horri
| fed, shocked to word and action; the
bishop was frozen, inarticulatc, i'm
| paled. For any evil in Hugh Stiles liz
was prepared-since the forgery. But
Hugh's companion now was the man
whom he himself had ordained and
anointed by the laying on OF hands
with the clrism of his holy ministry
An irrepressible exclamation burst
from his lips.
With the sound both men Mt the ia
BILE started TO their feet. Hugh. with
single glance behind him, uttering a
wild laugh, leapel the railing. dashed
through the study and vanished into
the night. Harry. as though suddenly
turned to stone, stood staring ut the
accusatofy figure. with the eager form
of the evangelist behind it. tiIi
To the bishop 1t seemed the attitude
of guilt detected.
What was Harry Sandcrsoa thinking
as under that speecAless regard lie
mechanically gathered the scattered
cards and lifted the little cross ana the
unopened bag of double eagles from.