The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1910-01-12

"piace your candle on the window s;n.
will wait until midnight, and II you
extinguish 1t then, shall accept your
decision as final and you will Be re-
sponsible for what follows. am q
desperate man. and life without you
has become intolerable."
Having thrust the letter under the
door. David fed hastily down the
stairway and into the street. where he
sentry on his beat. Never did con-
demned felon In cell watch for the
coming Of messenger of pardon with
more wildly beating heart than his as
he gazed at that window up in the
wall Of the gloomy tenement house.
Never did mariner on storm tossed
vessel keep his eye more resolutely
fixed on beams from a distant ligt-
house.
Finally. and after what seem un-
counted ages, the great cock struck
the hour of midnight One, two. three
-he stood like man rooted to the
ground-four, five, six-his heart beat
louder than the bell-seven, eight, nine
the blood seemed bursting through
Is temples-ten, eleven, twelve!-the
light went outl The universe seemed to
have been instantaneously swallowed
up in darkness. He could not see the
figure that crept to the window and
gazed down upon him from behind the
drapery Of the curtains. He did not
know that Pepeeta had fal1e- .---- her
knees in an agony deeper than his own.
and was gazing down at him through
streaming tears. In those few succeed
ing moments the sense of his personal
loss was displaced by a sudden and
overpowering sense Of his personal
guilt. The full consciousness of his sin
burst upon him. He saw the SELFISH
ness of his love and his wickedness in
light brighter than day.
What next?" he said aloud. as II
speaking to some one else. Receiving
no answer. he turned instinctively to-
ward his gambling house. and went
stumbling along through the deserted
streets. What Is a man, after all, but
stumbling machine? Progress is
| made by falling forward over obsta-
| cesl The poor stumbler tottered across
his own threshold into that brilliant
room where he had always received an
enthusiastic welcome, but which he had
| not visited since his sickness. If ever
a man needed kindness and encourage
ment 1t was he; but his sensitive spir-
| 1t instantly discovered that all was
| changed.
His superstitious companions had
not forgotten the broken glass, and
had heard Of his subsequent calami-
ties. With them the lucky alone were
the adorablel The gods of the temples
Of fortunes are easily and quickly de-
throned and the worshipers had al
ready prostrated themselves before
other shrines.
The coldness Of his greeting sent
chill to his already benumbed heart
and increased his desperation. He was
nervous, excited, depressed, and feel
ing the need of something to distract
his thought from his troubles, he sat
down and began to play; but from the
first deal he lost-lost steadily and
heavily. Within few short hours
he had staked his entire fortune and
lost it. 1t had gone as easily and as
quickly as 1t had come.
Il guess that is about ALL" he said.
pushing himself wearily back from the
table at which he had Just parted with
the title to his desolated home.
The sun was just rising The first
faint stir of life was perceptible in the
city streets; the green-gr grocers were
coming in with their fresh vegetables;
the Office boys were opening the doors
and putting away the shutters; there
was q bright. morning look on the
faces which peered into the haggard
countenance of the gambler as he
crept aimlessly along. but the fresh.
sweet light gave him neither bright
ness nor Joy. His heart was cold and
dead; he had not even formed a pur-
pose.
And so he drifted aimlessly until the
current that was setting toward the
levee caught him and bore him on
with It. The sight of a vessel lust
putting out to sea communicated to
his spirit its first definite impulse and
he ascended the gang plank without
even inquiring its destination.
In few moments the boat swun q
loose and turned Its prov down the
river The hustle of the embarkatton
distracted him. He watched the hur-
rying sailors. gazed at the piles of
merchandise, walked up and down the
deck, listened to the fresh breeze that
began to play upon the great, sonor-
GUS harp Of the shrouds and the masts.
and when at last the vessel glfded ont
into the waters Of the gulf he lay down
in hammock and fell into, long and
dreamless sleep.
Ito be continued.)