OCR Text |
Show H it, Hj THE MUTE i ,; GAMBLER H L ' Hy JANE PINCKNEY DENNETT BBti. i ' I BBk (3 ,i r' II Copyright by American I'rers Ao- t J i ;M ciiition, ion. R j 'I'ue gamo was nt ltd height nt Monlc 1 ! j ; Cnr'o. 'I' lie miilti Inhlo was lined w II li B ' j , people tossing coins upon llio green Bf '" cloth Mint covered It. Cluster!) of Hfji' lights Illumined tlio scene. Tlicro BkJ I ' voie men nnd women, too, of rnrlous Bjft j nge, from tlio stripling to (bo septa- Bil ' ! j;onnrlnn. Ono old woman with whlto J j liuir sat with n paper In her hand cov BBJ J ' vied with niemuriindn consisting prln- (1 clpully of figure. It vvns n neliemo BBS ! that hIio hnd worked out or some ono BJ.l luid given her for suro winning. Sho J j ' '." Hcnrccly ever liet more tliun n franc nt Bf ' ;. otic time and usually lout. Tlicro K , Mcro men In evening drc-M nnd men B T whoso coats weto frayed nt tlio elbow, BBt I while heio mill tlicro n girl scarcely BBJ ' out of lier teens wiih betting with hot BBJ r checks mid glMeiilng eyes. BBJ r A Ind.v-Rho might novo been any BBJ 4ige between twenty-flvo nnd thirty- BBJ i fire in nn evening costutno of or- BBJ i -tilslto fnlirle nnd construcllon, enter- BBJ ' f tsl the room nnd, handing her wraps BBJ to nn attendant, wont to tlio main tn- BBJ , tile, whero roulette was being played. BBJ i () Heating herself, sho begun to play BBJ I i with silver flvo franc pieces. No BBJ I ound broko In upon tbo fulling of tlio BBJ ( coins on tlio tabic, tho monotonous nn- BBJ iiotinoemenlH of tho man who conduct- BBJ ed tho gnmo nr.d tho rattling of tbo BBJ ball. Ono having no Interest In It BBJ would wonder how so many pcoplo BBJ could bo no silently Intent upon so BBJ -unvaried n proceeding. BBJ I Presently the recent arrival began BBJ t' to toss gold napoloous on (he cloth In- BBJ ntcod of (lvo franc pieces. Indeed, her BBJ betting Increased till she became tho BBJ . ono person nt tho tnhlo who engaged BBJ I ( tho crowd of lookers-on. Somo of BBJ Ihnso who were standing behind her BBJ moved around to tho other side, whero BBJ i ' they faced her, Sho woro n hat with BBJ i a very wldo brim nnd adorned' with BBJ' largo black feathers, ono of which fell BBJ -over tho front nnd with the bilm BBJ completely shaded her brow. In nddl- BBJ tlon to this, n veil extending to tho BBJ i chin rendered It Impossible to (IN- pBa - tlngulsh her feature. BBa ' She played with varying fni tune At pBl first sho won. Then hIip tn-t mnro ! 'than she had gained. Next sho began BBa to win slowly, nud at n certain point, I Hfti I bnvlng giilixd n thousand francs, sho BPJ I left tho amount she h.id bet nnd her i PPJ winnings on the number sho had BPJ ' - cmcrcd. There wns (iillo a pile of j PPJ gold there, anil when the ball was , PPJ fitin nnd settle'l Into Its place the PPJ croupier coci"l the sluUe with nn- PPJ ' other pile live nines ns large. A spasm PPJ ", -wns seen to pass over the lady, nnd PH he quickly placed her hand nn tho ' PB ' l lnru nbout her thiont. ns If to pull It , PPJ ' , - away that hIio might breathe easier. ' PPJ ' Her ugei.s reiunlued nt bur ncckwenr. PPJ nnd she bent er the table till her PPJ i chest leaned ngnliist It. about to gather PPJ In her winnings as every ono supposed. PPJ Hut sho must have eliauged her mind, PPJ i for she temnlued In tho same position, PPJ .tier e)es. though they could not bo PPJ seen, apparently lled upon tho gold. PPJ The conductor, tailing It for granted PPJ that sho had determined to risk tho PPJ i whole nmoiint on the snnie number as PH ( before, mnele the usual announce- ' PPJ ments, the ball was spun nnd, after ' PPJ rolling nnd Jumping and hesitating nud ' PPJ backing nnd tilling, nt Inst settled Into PH Its pocket. Amid exclamations tho PPJ conductor announced tho uiimbci' that PPJ had won, and tho lady's heap of gold PH was added to by another live times Its PH size. Blio gavu no evidence of the ex- PH , cltcment natural to such winning. Sho PPj ' did not start; she did not m alto nn In- 1 voluntary change of position. "What wonderful self coutrol!" ox- mr . claimed one of those looking at her PPL p "Sho must bo an old hnnd at It!" re- PH, j marked another. Pptl "Urcnt hcuvensl" cried several ut PPJj j uncc. "She's going to risk It all ngnln." PH , Tho gamekeeper, who meanwhile PPJi . had been waiting for the lady to le- PB move her winnings, seeing no Intcii- PPJI 'tlon on her part' to do mi. reluctantly PB miade tho call for bets, tho iiinchlno PPjj -tv as whirled nnd nmtd 111 repressed BPV., -exclamations tho ball gave tho lady PE another pile live times ns great as th.it PK before her on the table. PHji Twice again the pile was Increased ' ' by the same arithmetical progression. PH, nnd tho bank was liroUen. PB At that moment a man entered tho BBiQ -room, advanced quickly to the labia BBS1 nnd touched tho lady on tho shoulder. BBk' She did not look to see who was call- BBm' lng her nttentlon Sho eat apparently BBT with her eyes glued to tho Immense ! golden pllo before her. "Clarissa," ho said In n ticmullng I , voice. h. Thero was no reply. BBSj! Tho crowd nbout tho tablo now bo- BBV gnn to grow anxious. There was BBWtf something In tho muto Qguro Hint In- BBVi. spired them with a kind of awe. Tho BBB : gnroo had ceased, and tho eyes of cv- 'i cry ono present were fixed on the pBB gambler or tho man standing look lug BBBJj down upon her, vainly endeavoring to BBVt crrcst her nttentlon. BBpt "Tako off her bat" BW "Lift her BBW 'There's something wrong with horr I BBS "Some one look nut for her pllo!" BBB Thee words that were spoken In BBf 'loud tones nud others that mndo a BBJ.-A confued murmur did not seem to bo BBMJI 'heard by the man standing over the BBjKj Jady. tie stood for n few moments BBBJ -ns If not daring to know tho truth. BBKri Then, gathering his resolution, ho BBF"j "toro o(T her hnl The woman swayed, BBBtj nnd her head sank upon tlio -table. BBBk He raised It end looked eagerly Into BBS! ' 'her f-ce BBS : "My ;sl. "tie's de.id'" BBBBW. ''mBBBBBBI |