The Gambler.

Southland Times, Issue 14788, 3 November 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Gambler.

Ia •> room of a Gibraltar hotel 9at Beryl Falkiner, looking white and anxious. A few yard* away a ooi a young man — he was hardly more than a boy, in an officers unL form. They were the only occupants of the room, and a glance at their faces revealed that they were brother and sißter. The boy was gazing with a set expression at an open letter he held in his hand. He was deadly pale. 'Every penny of my money will have to go to cave the honour of the firm,' he read oat. 'Oh, it's awfal 1 do you grasp what it means to yon, Beryl V 'Not so muoh to me as to you, Ted, dear !' she laid btavely. 'I shall be able to be a governess or something, but you— yon will have to give up the regiment — Btll out !' The bay sank into a chair and burnd his face in his hands. His sister went to him and twined her arm about him. 'We must think,' she said softly, 'that it means more to the dear old father than any one else. We sha'l have to t-y and do our best ta put things straight for him. I know it will be hard leaving the regiment, but — 'It's not that !' he burst out. 'Wnat then, Ted dear ?' the eaid anxiously. He raised his head and turned a white face to her. 'How c*n I teli you ?' hs cried brokenly. 'I've been a fool— worse than a fool. I'm heavily ia debt, Bjryl, and it's a debt of honour.' She glanced tremblingly at him. 'I've gambled and lest*,' he continued gloomily. There's a maa here who likes high •takes — and he holds a batch of my 1.0. CJ's. Of course, I never dreamed of this horrible thing happening. I cabled to the governor last night, thinking the only result ofmy folly would ba that he'd bams mo for my extravagance.' 'How much do you owe this man ?' she asked. He rested his head on his hands again; his young face was twisted and drawn. 'Five hundred pound". It's a debt of honour, and id cau'e be paid,' he repeated between his teeth. 'Five hundred pounds !' she said, with a little gasp. 'He let you— a mere boy, play until yon owed him that !' 'He did not know but what I could afford. it.' A bngle rang ont from the far end of the town. Yonng Falkiner sprang to his feeb. 'I have to go,' he said hoarsely. 'I'll come and tee yon again after lunch. ' A little later the tame morning Captain Crosbie Drysdale was strolling in the Alameda gardens. He was a good-looking man of abont thirty. He climbed the piths leisurely, apparently deep in thought. Presently his eyes fell oa the figure of a girl who was Bitting a few yards higher up. He recognised her immediately, and a sudden gleam came into his eye]. 'Too hot for oar old friend Mr i C e afield ?' he asked with a laugh, dropping into the ■eat beside her. 'When is your visit up ?' Beryl made no reply. He glanced at her and saw tbab her faoe was turned towards Enropa. He noticed that ehe was very pale, and that her eyelashes were wet with tears. •I am very sorry,' he said, in a low, sympathetic voice. 'It' — he paused hesitatingly —'if I can be of any use V She turned her head and their eyes met. She bad only known him a week, yet a kind of mutual understanding had sprung up between them. Somehow he seemed different) from most of the men she had mat. 'I should like to help, if I could,' he said ■lowly. She shook her head. •No one* oan help,' she eaid, with a lit) Is catch in her voice. There is nothing to hi done; wa are rained !' He said nothing. A sudden desire to teli him her trouble crept over her. He seemed to guess what was in her thoughtr. 'Perhaps if yon toll me—' he began in a tone of persuasion. The story came to him gradually. Her father was engaged in commerce — the head of a firm of good position. He was getting old, and bad allowed his junior partner to attend to mo it of the business. Then one day theorash came. It transpired that, unknown to Mr Falkiner, his junior partner had been specu'ating wildly — had lost, and in desperation bad appropriated money belonging to the firm's clients. Finally, he had absconded, leaving Mr Falkiner to weather tbe storm as best he could. Drysdale listened to the tale, his eye 3 staring out to set. He hit his lips as he realised what it all meant to the girl at his •Ide. 'I am sorry— more than sorry, 9 he said, ia • jerky tone at the finish. It seemed terribly lime, but they were the only words hi could find. 'Bat that isn't) the worst,' she said, with a little sob. 'Leaving the regiment would not be so muoh in itself to Ted, but he mast leave it in debt. He tells me he' has been gambling, and owes a large sum of money to one of the officer*. He can't pay, and the disgrace will break his heart !' (The man at her side clenched his teeth ; he did not speak, however. Tbe girl turned to him suddenly and touched his arm ; her eyes were flashing. This cruel gambling !' she cried. ' What do you think of a man who lets a mere boy like Ted play with him nntil he owes him some hundreds of pounds ? What do you think of him V she repeated excitedly. 'I think him a blaokguard,' said Drysdale ■lowly, between his teeth. 'I feel as if I hate that man,' she said, lowering her voioe, 'more than anyone else in the world. 1 Dryadale was still looking oat to sea. There was a onriont Hgbt in his eyes. •You would never forgive him ?' he asked evenly. 'I loathe a gambler, and he did his beat to make Ted one. (He has ruined our happiness. No, I would never forgive him !' she ■aid deliberately. There was a slight noise a few yards away. They looked up and saw Mrs Cresfield approaching them. Drysdale rose to his feeb. He gazed at Beryl intently; he was very * white, and his lips were pressed tightly together. 'Yon are quite right,' he said in a low tone ; 'he Bhould not be forgiven !' Then he stepped forward and spoke to Mrs Cresfield. A few momenta later he took bis departure. Ac strode down to the lower road, and hailing a carriage was quickly rattled back to his quarters. He shut himself in his room, and for soma time paced up and down restlessly. Then suddenly an idea seized him. A few minutes hard thinking and it was in tangible form. He took up his bat again, and making hiß way out, drove swiftly down to the Telegraph Office. There be despatched a long cable to England, and the man to whom it waa addressed was his solicitor. Early next morning Beryl was walking with her brother. They had wandered down to Ragged Staff, and etood watching the bay. In the di»t»noe a little steamer of about 200 tons could be eeen churning its way out of port. •That's the Gibel Miisa !' said Ted suddenly. 'Drysda'e's on board. He suddenly applied for a fortnight's leave, aad has gone boar hunting in Morocco. I csoldu'o see him, so bad to leave a letter exp'ainirg things.' 'Explaining what ?' asked Beryl quickly. Her brother gave a little hard laugh. 'Ob, he happens to be the nun I owe the money to — that's all !' he said bitterly. He walked a few steps away from her to get a better view of the vessel. Bhe remained perfectly still. Then, as the meaning of the thing came horns to her, she went very white, aad a little moan of pain broke from hif lips. Some six months later, Dryadale'a leave came round, and he found himself iv London again. It waa the seaaon, and had he felt inclined be could have had the gayest of times, lor be was a bachelor known to be extremely wealthy, and accordingly much tought after. Bat he found the ordinary amusements a bore. He was still thinking of the alight • trembling figure with flashing eyes who had j sat by his side at Almeda. She was always ; in his mind, and be wondered what would ; happen if they were to meet again. . Then one night he went to a dance given by aa old fiiend of bis. He bad never cared

lesa now, and as be stood watohing the crowded roam a feeling of weariness crept over him, and he found himself wishing that | he had elected to spend his leave elsewhere , than in London. His hostess crossed the room to him. ' Yon mußt really let me introduce you to some nice people, Crosbie,' she said with I a senile. I He suffered himself to ba led to the other end of the room. Mrs Vavasour stopped in I front of a couple of girls who were sanding ■ ohatting together- She touched one on tha i arm, and she turned round. I Drysdale gave & slight start 1 , but instantly recover d himself. Standing before him was Beryl Falkiner. Her eyes met bis, and he saw her change colour. Mrs Vavasour hurriedly introduced them, then turned away to i devote her attention elsewhere. | Neither spoke for a moment. The music for the next dance started, and a youngster i c*me to claim Beryl. Drysdale pulled him- ;' self together, and made the stereotyped re- > quest. : She gave him her programme. He hastily i examined it, then scribbled something on it. | ' I have taken the next !' he said with a ' bow. I He ma 'c his way out to a corridor, and pushing i>pen a window stepped en to a bal- ! cony. The blood seemed to dance through ! his veins. He had met her again —was goiog | to dance with her ! What would she cay to ; him ? The question repeated itself endlessly to him as he stood watching the London | night, with its hundred fcwinkliDg lights, its I unceasing roar of traffic in his ears. He re-entered the ballroom and found her. A thrill went through him as he felt her arm | re ting oa hia. They tcok a few tares, and then their eyeßmefc and she smiled. 'I want to talk — to thank you !' she whis--1 pered. ; They stopoed diociag, and he led her out to the balcony. They did not speak for a se- ; coed. Then she turned and laid a hand ; lightly on his arm. 'I found it out a month ago !' she said, 'even though you meant it to be kept secret. There's not another man in the world would have done it !' 'It was nothing !' he replied. 'I am really the gainer. I merely took twenty thousand pounds of my money which was in consols, and invested it in your father's firm. I now I get four per cent instead of two and threeI quarters.' 'That is your way of putting it !' she exI chimed. 'You saved him from ruin and disI grace — enabled him to resume his old posi- | tion. How can I thank you ?' He gsz?d into her face. 'It was only reparation !' he said. 'Never in my life have I felt such a blackguard as I did that morning at Alameia ! Ever since the thought of a card has sickened me!' 'It was very hard — very cruel !' she murmured. He looked at her intently. He saw a swift wave of colour aweep over her cheek. Then her eyes slowly lifted and mc l ) his. Suddenly he bent forward and caught hold of her hand. 'I'm gambling again !' he cried. 'Gambling for love !' He looked entreatiogly at her. He saw her lips smilingly frame an answer. The gambler had won, Gilbert Dayle, in M.A.P.