The Detroit times., 1913-09-01

OF right to spend silver in treating
his friends, with that fat purse in his
pocket
No" spoke the stranger-Duples-
sis. he had said his name was. NO.
i have drunk enough. However, II
you feel sensitive at taking the small
sum OF money al my hands-it Is a
good game-Ia rams--let us play for
the franc which the bottle would cost.
Eth bien."
Francois certainly could not refuse
that: they played. and again he
gained. Again they played, this time
doubling the amount, and again Fran.
co.'s gained, and again and again, till
he felt ashamed in carrying away all
this money Of new acquaintance,
and at the same time cock-sureness
that SO lucky devil as Beaupre
might we'll lose little and stop at
the right amount. He insisted that
the game should go on. More wine
had been brought. The excitement
OF cards and excitement of wine met
in a heady mixture: Duplessis drank
little, though Francois urged 1t on
him. The luck began TO change; now
and then the stranger won, now and
the stranger, till at length Francois
was playing not with the desire to
lose. but with hope to gain back
something at least OF the consider
able sum which he had lost. Before
this he had gone into his pocket and
brought out that honorable nine hum
dred francs, and had thrown one louis
dor after another on the black table,
and lost one after another. Yet his
confidence was still strong-luck
would turn-this was his lucky day.
And now he would not regret carry
ing away the strangers money. He
began to feel fierce eagerness TO get
the better OF this antagonist become
SO formidable. And a horrible ner-
vousness was creeping over him at
the dim vision of q thought thought
kept resolutely on the confines Of his
consciousness, yet persistently push
ing forward-the thought that 1t
might be that he could not win the
money back.
With eyes excited and bright on
the table. with fingers swapping out
the cards boldly, that thought shook
him suddenly he jeered at 1t and
despised II. II was absurd. gro
tesQue. He was Francois Beaupre, q
rich peasant. respected and we'll
known citizen; moreover, OF good
judgment; and moreover still, lucky.
He had been lucky all his life; al
ways things had turned his way; the
trick was not going to fail him now.
"Double!" he shouted promptly as
he lost again.
And he lost again. The nine hun
dred francs we're gone; he gave a
note now. on his stock, and again he
lost. A deathly sickening sensation
had gripped him and was holding
him: the horrid thought had come
close and was looking him In the
face; he seemed to feel an appalling
hot breath from 1t. He tossed OF an
other glass OF wine and for moment
was dumb Then In fash he saw
what he must do: this was Of course
the last point before the luck turned
that was evident. II would make
fine tale how lie Francois had come
within one Of losing all he owned. but
even then his courage had not failed
him. He had drunk of his wine at
that crucial moment and called
once more In o stout voice.
and played-and won. Won back all
he had lost and more-so the tale
would run.
And 80 Francois set down the glass
empty, and for the last time cried
the fatal word--'Doible!'
In silence, with crowd of silent
men, who In some way had come to
know what was Happenings, standing
about them, the two played the last
round. And Frsncois lost.
In silence he signed the note which
gave to the stranger his house and
furniture and land, all that re- had
in the world. and stool mp and looked
about ut the faces gathered az II as
tonished. A long second he looked
at them: then ne bent and stared
from the low open window which
faced him, and the men, following his
ewes. saw with q manner OF shock
that they were focused on the dis
tant village Of vicques and on the
church standing separated at one end
OF II. and on the house next. his home.
with that he stood straight. and fell
throush the crowd without . word.
an dout Of the doorway. and plunged