The sun., 1909-02-28
ICTERLING AT HIS
- LOWEST STAGE
He Takes a Long Chance at Stud
Poker and Swears Off
Gambling Forever.

'Now wonder said young Sterling
| 10 himself. If il would be possible for me
! to eat eleven hundred dollars worth Of
ham and so get even with the house. y
He smiled, in spite OF his discontinue.
as he looked at the sumptuous supper
spread for him and the other suckers in
Redney Black Is back parlor and thought
OF the desperate effort OF the busted
Kentucky Cunnel in the time honored
story TO square his losses at the faro
table.
II was more than 81 100 that young
Sterling had lost, and it was much more
than the loss Of the money that troubled
him as he had never been troubled before
in his swift quarter Of century. What
need now 10 recall the details OF the loss
or the various steps along the road to
ruin which he had taken 80 blithey and
carelessly2 Yet. unavailing as he knew
it was. he thought OF them all with bitter
regret and sharp self-accusation as he
smok ed one OF Black S perfectos and slipped
a glass Of Blacks wine.
That game of billiards with a stranger
who happened along the night that Ster-
ling's friend failed to keep his appoint
ment. The half contsmptuous liking
he had formed for the cheap sport who
beat him so easily with the cue whenever
a bet was on the game. and who lost 80
gracefully when no money was staked
but whose fippant slang had an easy grace
that almost insured the tolerance OF a
careless victim. The curiosity that had
impelled him TO accept an invitation to
visit the gambling hell. The indifferent
stalking Of spare pocket money at the
faro table. The excitement Of his vary
ing luck and the gradual growth Of the
gambling fever that led him back again
and again. The fierce resolve to reooup
after his losses had grown so heavy as
10 embarrass him. The blindness Of the
fury that possessed him finally. and the
ultimate realization of the absolute ruin
he had brought upon himself.
All these were plain enough to him now
that it was too late TO retrace a single
step, and he cursed himself. clear eyed
at last. for the inexcusable folly that had
landed him at the very bottom among
the countless other victims Of the habit
that had mastered him so easily and so
absolutely.
The situation as he viewed it was simple
and was also hopeless. His own money
was all gone-some 5000. on which ne
had counted for support while he should
establish himself in the practice which
he had begun Immediately after gradu-
alton.
That was not SO bad. Even as a PEN
nilsss beginner he might yet succeed
in the law as others had done before him.
But his sisters little patrimony, all that
stood between her and penury when she
should also graduate. had been invested
with his. under his control. and this too
had gone to swell Redney Blacks gains.
1t is a miracle Of evil" said young
Sterling 10 himself as he set his glass
aside with a sudden resolve THAT at least
there vas one vice which he would never
allow to master him, for he would never
taste alcohol again.
a miracle truly he continued for
in three months |. the high minded,
of the ideals. have become the desperate
ganester. the outcast ruined in resource
and in reputation. Possibly ruined in
still worse sense. Shall | ever recover
the poise Of an honest man"
At the moment his glance fell on
mirror opposite 10 where he stood and as
he saw his full length image reflected
curious idea came to him
-Supposing | strip myself bare" he
thought, and see what manner of man |
really am. II is lime | should find out,
II | lie to myself now there can be no
hope for me hereafter
Then, self-absorbed and Indifferent 10
his surroundings, he proceeded 10 cast
aside habit after habit. looking for the
real man underneath. His love Of ease,
his procra stination. his craving for ex-
citement, his trivial curiosity. his facile
yielding to the suggestions OF his environ
ment, his passionate love Of pleasure in
any guise. his we'll nigh fatal disposition
to belittie the importance of Fundamental
Tuths-all these, one by one. he saW
distinctly. and put aside, looking to see
the skeleton Of the real man underneath,
Till at last he saw, or thought he saw, a
clean, upright. well intentioned individual,
with suffioent sinews but a sad lack of
development.
Long and earnestly lie looked, and at
length the conviction came that here was
man worth saving il there was any
way TO save him now that he had fallen
so low. Then he thought Of friends, one.
two OF three, who would help should he
call ON them, and he dismissed the thought
unhesltatingly.
THAT man must save himself he
thought. "else there is no salvation for
him. But how: Here he is. caught in
the DEVILS best game. already beaten
and beyond the reach of any ordinary
effort. Immediate rescue or none is the
alternative, for il he falls under the weight
of the load now on his shoulders he is not
likely TO rise
Then came the desperate thought.
II was the devils own game. but even
the devil might perhaps be beaten if one
could get q square deal
SAY, Block, waut q word with you,
he said, with fine assumption OF care
lessness. rs the veteran gambler was
passing him with careless nod of recog-
milton. then as he paused, looking sus-
piciously At the man whose plight he
recognized almost instnctiveiy. Ster-
ling continued: I've gone broke against
your game at last. Absolutely broke.
and IL means much more to me than the
loss OF the money"
SWell,' said Black. civilly enough but
differently, as the other paused, think
ing in what form to put the rest OF what
he he'd TO say Il don't sec how that af-
fects me. iou came here for nv money,
didn't you' Now you've lost yours. |
had no kick coming il you had won. !
don't see that you have any because |
happened to win"
II haven't any," said Sterling. so
promptly and heartily that the gambler
looked a bit surprised, though as suspi-
cious as ever.