The evening world., 1913-07-12

known him for years. Champagne.
cigars and dainty salads were served
free from little tables on wheels that
were pushed BY colored servants among
the players
The rooms were gorgeous In velvets
and silks. and Hector stepped upon car
pets and rugs two inches deep He gazed
upon roulette wheels for the first time
In his life. drank OF the champagne and
smoked excellent cigars-free.
Some time during the evening Mr..
Briggs disappeared and was soen no
more. and one hour after Hector en-
tered the palace Of chance he retraced
his steps down the long stairway with
. numb feeling at his heart and .
pocketbook distinguished by complete
and utter emptiness.
His two hundred dollars was gonei
,, The gambling house men now pos
sessed the two hundred that had come
triumphantly from Cassopolls. They
could have taken Hector's roll away
from him in the first fifteen minutes
Of play had haste been necessary. for
the wheel was acutely crooked.
Stunned. and with his brain totally
paralyzed by the calamity. Hector
stumbled from the brightly lighted room.
He leaned against a friendly banister
and realized the awful truth-that he
had been skinned alive-nesoed-bam
boozled-stung-.burne to q crtnkling
cinder!
ears, mingled with the clatter OF falling
chips. There was no one to pay him
attention now that his money had gone
from him. and he stood alone on the
stairway In sublime misery.
oh" he moaned aloud. What shall
I do? am ruined! I viii never dare
lift my head. I shall never be able to
return to Cassopolis and face the leers.
I thought that I had learned the ways
and wiles OF this great city. but am
an innocent sheep. My life 10 blasted
at one blow. and my future Is gone"
He turned and stared about him
dumbly. Mechanically. and scarcely
knowing what he was about. he walked
up the stairway. passed the swinging.
leather-bound doors behind which lay
his two hundred dollars. and sesins
| another stair. he ascended II to the top.
Then. being a young man and full OF
unutterable woe. he sat himself down
upon tho rich carpet and wept coplously.
With his desolated countenance In his
hands. the tears trickled down and
formed little pools on the expensive
footing,
Hector wished ne was back In Cas-
sopoiis with some one to comfort him
In this terrifying moment He ionsed
for the handclasp OF the postmaster.
t,,s 0heerfu panorama afforded by
Hicks's red barns. and the country
buckboards driving in to church on
| Sunday
Then he dried his futile tears and
summoned his numbed faculties At
his back was an IRON ladder. the top of
which rested against the ceiling scuttle,
| and as Hector gaxed upon It with cad
eyes a sudden and terrific commotion
| startled him.
From the depths, far below. came q
roaring sound. followed by the crash
OF falling glass, the overturning Of tables
and the banging OF iron doors.
To Hector. sitting there. the sounds
meant nothing definite. but to those
| fearless spirits about the gaming tables
any violent noise IL but one thing-ths
sound OF the door smashing police. the
| oncoming Of the raiders In uniform.
A close investigation on the part Of
the men at the green cloth would have
revealed nothing particularly alarming
beyond a gas explosion.
A subterranean pipe had hiied a eel
lar with gas. which had gone of with
a bang. ssixins upon an inactive fur