El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-31
THE RANSOM
BY Geo. Canterre.

ID AoUL DE BRESAC was pacing
* restlessly up and down the foo
of his room and was evidentl!
very much distressed when his friend
| Paul Duverney, came in to see him.
What is the matter, old boy?" Yol
| certainly look as if you were ready Il
| do anything
/ Raoul stopped, gave his friend tn.
tips of his fingers to shake, and drew
deep sigh.
Are you sick. or has the lovely
Mile. Suzanne"
'Sit down Paul. The whole thing 1,
that 1 have been a blamed fool
How did you find that out?'
You know that for some time
have been mixed up with count de
Bougival and his set, who are rather
fast, to put it mildly. Ny worst fault
is that L can never say no, and so
when they suggested that We play, ]
sat down TO the tables with them and
the last two nights lost about 10000
francs, for which they hold my notes .
You must have had rather bad
luck
Yesterday 1 wrote my father and
made clea. 1Iezst of IL I promised
never to touch a card again if he
helped me out this tfme's
And he refused?"
Yes. He reminded me that he had
paid my debts several times before
but that he considered gambling for
high stakes a crime and neither could
nor would help me. told him it was
debt of honor, but he said 1t was
the most dishonorab1e way of making
or losing money that he knew.
AT last he said the very best thing
1 could do would be to give up all
my present friends and suggested l
should travel for year or so and he
would then make me an allowance of
250 francs a week"
What did you say"
What could say. L had no choice.
I will not go to the money lenders,
so I will have to persuade the BOYS
to wait until I am able to honor my
notes.
Now listen, Raoul Suppose we
travel a little. I will go with you and
we will walk together through
Swift erland and Italy
You are a brick Paul Let US start
this week"
Three months had gone since Raoul
de Bresac left, during which time he
had written the old count every week
and told him all his little adventures.
Then suddenly no more letters came
OF late the old count had often asked
himself if he had not been too hard
on the boy. Raoul was after all a
very good- boy, whose worst vice was
his lack of will power. He was GER
tainly no gambler by nature.
This feeling grew stronger when no
letters came. and when the countess
daily begged him to forgive and for
get, he finally decided to call Raou1
back as soon as he got his address.
A few days later the address came,
but in a letter that ran:
Most Illustrious Signor:
Your excellency's son has shown
us the honor TO take up his residence
at our humble home and has given US
your address that we may tell you he
is in the best of health. He now
wishes TO leave us, but before we can
allow him to do so your excellency
must first send US 1000 francs in
gold to make up for the loss of his
pleasant company. Any attempt to no !
tify the gendarme will result in seri |
Gus harm to your excellency's son.
giuseppe"
Giuseppe. The most bloodthirsty |
and cruel of all modern brigands, on |
whose head the italian government had |
offered an enormous prize
Countess de NBresac implored the |
count to send the money Immediately, |
and she was seconded by her three I
young daughters who were very fond |
of1- their brother and who. offered NOT |
to buy single hat or dress for the