The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1910-01-05

fed to the solitude of forest; but
here he was resistlessly impelled to
that other solitude-a crowd. The ne
cessity of being gay with his beautiful
bride and of concealing every trace OF
his terror and remorse taxed his re-
sources to their utmost limit, and in
his nervousness he kept Pepeeta NOV
ing with him all day long. At it's close
she was completely exhausted; and re-
tired early to her stateroom. Freed
from her company and craving relief
from thought, David made his way
straight to the gambling tables where
the nightly games were in full swing.
In the months which they had spent
together the quack had indoctrinated
David into all the best-known secrets
of this vice, and besides this, had fa-
miliarized him with the use of q GER
tain hold out" of his own invention,
with which he had achieved incredi-
BILE results and which was new to the
fraternity of the river. Having watch
ed the players for a long time, David
convinced himself that he could en-
ploy this trick successfully, and took
his place at the table.
| David felt his way along with
GOODNESS that astonished himself, and
his very first experiment with the deli
cate apparatus concealed in his sleeve
was such brilliant triumph that he
saw It was undetected. With
strengthened confidence, he made the
stakes larger and larger, and his WIN
nings increased so rapidly as to make
him the center of attention. The crowd
| swarmed round the table. The specta-
tors became breathless. The gamblers
were first astonished, then bewildered.
| AS their nerve failed them, David's as
surance increased, and when day broke
ten thousand dollars lay upon the ta-
BILE before him as the result of his
skillful and desperate efforts.
Their loss astonished and enraged
the gamblers to such a degree that
with a preconcerted signal they sprang
at their opponent, determined to re-
gain their money by violence. The
move was not unexpected. nor wa Ne
unprepared. He fought as he had
played, and so won the sympathies of
the bystanders than in an instant
there was a general melee in which he
was helped to escape with tho ~-',-
nings.
He was the hero of the trip. and a
career had opened before him. Satel-
lites began to circle around him and
to solicit his friendship and natro-~ -
When he disembarked at New Orleans
he had already entered into a part
nership with one of the most notable
members Of the gambling frater-'''-
and purchased an interest - ere OF
those palaces" where games of chance
attracted and destroyed their thou
. sands.
The newspapers made the C-y
throngs of that gayest of all oit'c- ia
miliar with the incidents Of Dav,S's
advent He and Peneeta became the
talk of the town. Thev rented fash
ionable house. and swung out into the
current of the mad life of the metropo-
lis of the South.
For a little while this o--'io-nent
and glory softened the pain in. the
heart of the man who believed himself
to be a murderer and encouraged hin
to hope that it might eventually pass
, away. He played recklessly but sue.
cessfully. for he was a transient favor.
ite Of the tickle goddess. When gam.
. bling lost it's power to drown the voic,
! of conscience, there was the race, tn,
! play and the wine cup To each o
them appealing in turn, he went whirl
ing madly around the or4n- circles o
|, the great maelstrom in which so man,
: brilliant youths were swallowed IL
. those ante-bellum days.
For two years David and Pepeet.
i, lived together in New Orleans The,
were years full of import, and of trou
BILE. A baby came to them, fingered
few weeks, and then died. David pur
sued the occupation he had chosen
with the vicissitudes of fortune usual
ly attending the votaries of games O
!, chance, and the moral and spiritua
deterioration which they Invariably de
velop.
Pepeeta altered strangely. Her bloom
. disappeared and an expression of sad
ness became habitual on her face. Sh
> was surrounded by luxuries of ever
kind, but they did not give her peace
, With an ambition which never flagge
I. she sought Improvement and at
= tained II to a remarkable degree. En-
dowed with an inherited aptitude 70
culture, she read and studied book.
observed and initiated elegant man
Q ners. and rapidly absorbed the bes
d elements of such higher life as. sh
a had access to, until her natural beaut
r and charm were wonderfully enhanced
: Yet she was not happy. for her lif
n with David had brought her nothin
r but surprise and disappointment
: something had come between them, sh
y knew not what.
"Dey des growed apaht." said tn
: old negro nanny" who was wit
d them during those two years. Seem
n ed to des tech each other like mahble
s at q single point. stade of sneltin to
n gedder lax two drops OF watah runnir
= down a window pane. Mars Davi,
he done went he own way. drinkir
/. and gamblin'; he LAX madman whe
: he baby die. He seem skeered whe
: he see Miss Pepeeta She look at hir
Q wild her big black eyes full of wonde
. and s'prise. stretch out her III ham
and when he run away. or struck he
q she des go out to the III baby's grav,
II creeping along lax shadder throug
l. the gyahden. soft lax and still. Da
n she des set down all alone and sig
d lax de breeze In he old pine tre
: Some days she gone away all alon
y and de brack folks say she wanner q