The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-01-26
WON BY
TELEPHONE
By JOHN GALLAGER. J2.
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

| were IN fdrlS. went 10 see tucN anu
! found only the mother Alan had gone
+, to Nice Monte Carlo is not far from
I Nice. and. understanding my friends
i proclivities. | felt sure that he had
i gone there TO indulge his cravings for
/ play.
| Mrs. Meredith was perfectly aware
! that her son was losing the family for
| tune at gambling. but with whom he
gambled or when or how was matter
that she knew nothing about. At one
| time when she was in New York and
he at Vienna he had telegraphed her.
Must have $1,000 or be discharged
His calls for money had been more and
more frequent. and with every call the
| amounts grew larger.
His mother didn't know enough
about the lay of the land in the Riviera
| to feel worried about her son. but |
feared that if he stuck to the gaming
tables long enough he might ruin him
self and her too. | came to sudden
| resolution to go down there. and if
| found Alan playing l would exercise
my influence with him to get him
away So the next day took train
| for the principality of Monaco.
arrived at my hotel in time only
for dinner. so instead of searching for
| Alan at his abiding place l concluded
| to go where. in case he was at Monte
| Carlo. / would be sure to find him
| the gambling pavilion. There were
not many people about the tables, and
| the place looked lonely. 1t struck me
| that those connected with the estab-
! lishment wore a look of gloom. But
soon people began to arrive, the game
was opened. and silence gave way to
| the hum of the busy ones about the
| table.
| was watching to see if Alan would
| come in when a servant asked me II
my name was Butler. On telling him
| that it was. he Informed me that was
wanted at the telephone. | went there
and on taking the receiver heard the
well known voice of Alan Meredith.
SIS that you, Frank?''
| "Yes"
I'm glad you came down. Take
! napoleon to the table, put it on the red
and leave it there till you get word
| from me to take it Off"
| iii do no such thing l came down
! knowing that you must be here, and
| propose to take you to Paris with me
! tomorrow" ,
! ! listened for a reply. but none came.
called but still no answer. Central
had doubtless shut me off. l waited
for awhile. thinking l would be rung
up again, but finally got tired and went
away | was disgruntled at not having
got Alan's hotel address. for there
| was now nothing for me to do but
hunt him up.
AS passed out | cast glance into
the gambling room. and | was curious
to know what would be the result if
carried out Alan's instructions.
thought that he might accuse me Of
| preventing his winning some money if
! failed to do as he had asked. 1t
/ would take me but a few minutes to
lose napoleon, and when / saw him
| again l could then tell him that had
done his bidding.
| went into the gambling room, ell
bowed lay way to q table and laid
napoleon on the red. | won. | left it
there and it won again. have forgot
4 ten how many times in succession |
won, but there was heap of gold on
the table for me when a servant came
| and whispered in my ear that Mr..
Meredith had telephoned l was to take
the money off the red and make a diff
| hot will,
don't know what it was that in
duced me to obey this order : detest-
ed gambling, yet ON this occasion l
was worked up to frenzy. l got sew
erai orders from Alan during the even
ing all by telephone. and somehow
felt that | would keep on winning
And so did till broke the bank.
scooped my winnings into light
orercoat i had brought with me and,
tieing my handkerchief about the
| gathered corners. set off for my hotel
1t is a wonder how I got there with
out being robbed, but / did. Placing
| my winnings in the hotel safe. I asked
the concierge to telephone to the other
hotels to ask at which one Of them
Alan Meredith was staying.
| Meredith he said isn't that the
name of the American who committed
suicide in his room this morning?"
| My heart stood still.
| did an American of that name take
his life today here?" I asked. horror
| stricken
Eyes. m'sieur. He lost heavily last
| night and this morning was found in
his room with bullet in his BRAIN"
1t was some time before was able
| to go further. When l had regained
| something of my equanimity went to
| the hotel. where / was informed the
suicide had taken place and learned,
| true enough. that my chum. Alan Mere
| dith, had taken his own life.
| But the horror of the occurrence was
intensified by the fact that had been
playing. or believed had been play
ing, under the instructions of dead
man. Had l been so playing? Was
not the whole matter dream? went
back to my hotel and called on the
proprietor to show me the gold had
won HQ nnopod tho co 20 ov6 fl,o,.o