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:•SAMUEL WRIGHT, Editor and Proprietor.
VOLUAIE XXIX, NUMBKR 51.1
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glitttinit,s4
Head of my Profession
[CONCLVDED.] —CI:LIFTER Jr.
At Brussels, the game began. There
were hundreds of wealthy Englishmen
there, and there were the usual number of
sharks of all nations assembled to prey
upon them. I was well received, and was,
I believe, set down in many a private
memorandum as a pigeon easy to be
Plucked. Crannel managed his affairs with
consummate address. Ile gave the signal
for me to lose almost constantly, day after
day, even when I knew that he hail heavy
bets depending on my play, and though he i
had to pay my own losses as well ns his.
I could not understand it, and one night,
after a repetition of the enigma, begged
tin explanation. Ile then informed me that
the supposed loses he had endured were to
confederates—the real ones being my own
small stakes—and that I should see the re
milt of this policy very soon. Ire was right
in his prophecy. The confederates, who
seemed to have won so much, excited the
cupidity of others, and they having staked
large sums, the signals suddenly changed.
and I had to win. By what appeared the
wildest and most fatuous play, I won game
after game, which the mostsuspicious could
only attribute to accident or the most un
heard of luck. The losers doubled their
stakes, and lust again—and now, in lieu of
feigned thousands lost, the solid thousand,
poured in. So artfully did my patron control
his greed, resigning even large sums when
it was policy to du so, that no symptom of
mistrust appeared; and fur several week,
he went on reaping the golden harvest.
Suddenly lie announced his intention of
starting for Berlin, and requested me to give
my valet the necesary orders, to call in my
accounts and settle them, fur we should de
part in twenty-four hours. I could not un
derstand the reason, as he had certainly
netted some thousands where we were, and
might have easily doubled his gain. I was
unwilling to move further, for I had formed
some most agreeable acquaintances, and
was already beginning to feel so much at
home in the character I personated as to
forget the realities of my lot. I told him
what were my feelings.
"That," said he, coolly, "is the reason why
we quit. Had you kept yourself more
aloof, and formed no such close intimicies.
we might have done well here for :soothe]
tiesnth; but you have forp.tten yourself, and
imagine that you are something besides my
sers an t."
It was true—l hnd forgotten, and the re
proof MIR just; but I hated him for making
it, and was prof,amdly indignant at seeing
that, spite of the gains I had brought him.
he regarded me as a mere tool. I held my
pence, howorer, complied with his orders.
-and the next day was on the road toßerlin,
whither he followed me in a few.days.
At Berlin, my valet, who was a creature
of Crannel's, engaged a suite of apart
ments under the Lindens, where'we awaited
his coming, Ile came in due course, and
the game 'mai renewal under similar
eiroutnstance., and resulting in similar
gains to my proprietor. We stayed in the
Prussian catdtal over two months, during
-which time I was received in the best soci
ety, where, however, I could no longer feel
,at home, from the consciousness that I was
.debarred from private friendships. Here
my first quarter's salary became duo, and
Crannel paid me the £75 in terms of the
contract, taking a receipt for the same. It
may seem odd to the reader, who knows
that a few months before I was contentedly
:working for journeyman's wages, that I
ffelt.intensely dissatisfied with my pay; but
;be who knows anything of the phenomena
.of a gamester's mind, .will readily believe
•that such was the case. In truth, I looked
: upon Crannol as a plundering scoundrel
wbo had entrapped me in his meshes, and
was robbing me wholesale of the fruits of
,my own talents. I conceived that had at
„least an equal right with himself to my win
nings, and I began daily to hate the sight of
his long, stolid visage, and the piercing eye,
from whose glance I could never be rid.
' I need not recount the history of our
wanderings nod our well-timed visits to the
various gambling centres of the European
.kingdoms. Be it enough to say that I was
the tool of this Old Man of the Mountain
for two years; during which time be bad
made large periodical remittances to hie
London banker. At the cad of that period
we sailed from Naples for Marseilles, and
entered France.
Though Crannel must, almost from the
;commencement of our connection, have been
quite aware of my feelings regarding . him,
he had never thought fit to- manifest any
consciousness that such was the case. He
had scrupulously performed his part of the
contract—paying my salary to the day,
and defraying all the expenses of the expe
dition. On my part I had given him no
cause of complaint, feeling too well that I
was in his power; bat that I thoroughly
hated and detested him, he kuew as well as
possible. Perhaps it was with some idea of
appeasing my hatred that he informed me,
as we were approaching the French capital,
that it was his intention to double my salary
this third year, if I answered his expecta
tions.
S 1 50
"And chat are they?" 1 asked curtly
"Increased caution and self.rectraint," be
said. "Paris is the grand field of operations.
I should have taken you there at once, bad
you been seven years older; the two years
experience you have had elsewhere should
have taught you the value of reserve. If
you have learned that, we shall do well; if
nut, we shall soon be blown, and success
will be doubtful.
I knew what he meant, and, for my own
sake, I treasured the hint, though I made
some ungracious reply.
At Paris, my valet, according to his in
structions, took apartments in the Champs
Elysees, and hired me a handsome brough
am. Instead of first frequenting the
gambling-rooms, I allowed myself to be en
ticed thither by others. I pretended to
know only the English game, and for some
time would play no other. Then I grew
frantic for the French game, and learned
that. and played it with all the airs of a
novice, losing generally, and winning by
accident when my patron gave the signal.
flu had now several confederates, his crea
tures, who played into his hands, and shared
his gains, which at times were beyond all
precedere. When my salary became due
he doubled it according to his promise,
without any expression of gratitude on my
part, and the absence of which did not ap
pear to surprise him in the least.
The position I had assumed in Paris en
abled me to keep aloof from the gambling
crowd, and materially helped him in carry
ing out his plans. An act of imprudence
of mine, however, at the time, almo-t en
tirely defeated them, and altered the corn
plesion of his schemes.
One morning, while lounging along the
Boulevards, nod peering into the shops for
some new fashions—l had become an arrant
top by this time—l stumbled suddenly up
on my old Bath friend and quondam school
fellow Ned B—. He was overjoyed be
yond expression to see me, and, as it very
-von appeared, not without reason. I saw,
the moment our greeting was over, that he
was strii,ing with the blue-devils, and get
ring the worst of the strife, and I naturally
inquired what was the nature of his grin•
Vance.
Ile replied with a green and an ejacula
tion of thankfulness at having fallen in
with me. Then seizing me by the arm, he
lugged me off into a pr:rot? ~` ”?.13 of a
neighboring, mtaminet, and, bolting the
boor, began his tale of woe. The burden
,f the whose was, that he hot fallen into
the hands of a cunning pr.,fessor of cur
craft, whoa ho had mistaken for a pigeon,
and, who. according to the stereotyped sys
tem. had led him on by first allowing him
to win—h ul tamed the tables on him at
the critical moment, and had on the night
iast past pl -tittered him to the tune of four
bundled sterling, promising him his Te
veHge at the next meeting. B—'s eyes
were opened now that it was too late, and
his money nearly all gone. He saw his
master in the wily Austrian, and was con
vinced that if he played again, it would be
lint to increase his loses. He was at his
wits' end when ho met tee. I was the only
man who could help him. Would I take
his place that night—engage the Austrian,
and win back the money?
I prnfessed my readiness to do what I
eould, but I doubted whether his antago
nist would be vrillinz to piny with a stran
ger for such sums 118 B— had lost.
"There is no fear of that," said B--,
we can lead him into it easy enough. Will
you come?"
I could not refuse, rand therefore I de
spatched a note to Crannel, informing him
that I had met an old friend, and should
not be home till late. Early in the evening
B— drove me across the water to an es
tablishment near the Rallis du Luxembourg,
where we were admitted to a private room
and commenced playing together. At the
hour appointed the Austrian came in and
took a seat. He was a young fellow, about
my own age, and not likely soon to penetrate
the artifices in which I was now such an
adept. Having lost a couple of games to
B—, I handed him a note in payment, and
declined playing again, on the gmund that
be was too strong for me, adding, that I
would play a game or two with the stranger
if agreeable. The Austrian arose and ex
pressed his willingness, if B— would
defer their engagements for a while. This
was, of course. arranged, and we began to
play. We began at eight in the evening,
and left off about dawn; we began playing
the silliest game imaginable on both sides,
I and left off like finished masters of the el
ence, skilled in all the difficult refinements
of which it is susceptible. I knew before I
bad played an hour, the whole strength
of my adversary, while he remained igno
ranter mine almost to the close of the match.
"NO ENTERTAINMENT IS SO CLIEAP AS READING, NOR ANY PLEASURE SO LASTING."
OOLUM.BIA, PENNSYLVANIA, SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 16, 18'59.
It was not till my friend had won back all
his money that I began to throw off my
disguise. I then piqued my adversary, by
criticising his play, and so soured his tem
per that he played worse. When -all was
over he was cleaned out to the last franc,
and B— and I had a thousand francs
each of clear gain. We parted in the glim
mer of the morning; B— giving him his
card, and offering him his revenge whenever
ho chose to claim it.
When I reached home, I found Crannel
there awaiting me. I saw that he was in a
savage mood; and, to irrit tte hint still fur
ther, I made a boast of what I had been
about. Ilia mortification was evidently ex
treme, but he only bit his lips and said lit
tle. As he doubtless foresaw, my exploit
got wind, and the result was that ere long
my assumed disguise peeled off of itself,
and I was known, in the gaming circles at
least, fur what I was. Crannel, of course,
had to alter his policy, and content him elf
with the new state of things. Still, as his
fiat determined every game I played his
gains were very considerable. For my part
I liked my new position far better; and for
the first time, really enjoyed the excite
ments of a gambler's life. I was now
backed against the first players in Paris;
and when the signal was to win, I did so
in such brilliant style that ray renown soon
spread abroad, and I became the wonder of
the gambling circles.
About the middle of August there arose a
rumor of a new star in the billiard world.
This was a young Russian, who was said
to have reaped the highest honors in St.
Petersburg, and to have beaten every open.
neat who had ventured to meet him. As
usual, the most exagerated reports were
circulated regarding him; and he must
have been a magician, work;ng by enchant
ments, if half that was said were true. It
was inevitable that I should be pitted
against him. Everybody talked of this
constunation, and wits eager to bring it
about. Crannel did nut mat t any objection
and my admirers making up a considerable
purse, the affair was settled. The match
was to come off in the Palais Royal by day
light, on the Sunday. I had never seen my
opponent upoto the hour of our meeting;
and when, with Crannel, who had bet liber
ally on my side, I repaired to the spot,
what was my my astonishment in recogniz
in the renowned Russian ray once shirtless
antagonist, Pat Meagher, whom, as a lad, I
had defeated at Bath. It is true he looked
the Russian well in a pair of dark whiskers
and the Cossack moustache: and he talked
Russian most glibly with a friend who ac
companied. Still, there was the unmistak
able Irish face, and the undeniable brogue
flavored his Slavonic speech. I was glad
to see that he did not recognize me; but I
was determined to see him out and have a
private conference, if possible. In strip
ping for the match, after we had shaken
hands, he dropped a card from his vest
, pocket; in a moment I had secreted it un
observed, and the contest began.
But fur my previous knowledge of Meng
!her's play, and the points in which his
strength lay, I might probably have been
beaten, and that summarily. As it wus,
the contest was a succession of wary spar
rings, in which nothing brilliant was dune
or attempted. had a drawn match been
possible. in billiards, this would have been
drawn. It ended in my winning, through
the failure of an almost impossible stroke,
which, at the last crisis, my adversary was
compelled to attempt, and which left the
game in my bands.
I was immensely plenQed with this victory,
on more accounts than one. I had not only
gained reputation, but I had convinced my
self that the quasi Russian, was incapable
the lung run, of holding his own against tne
I had drawn him out, and taken his mea
sure, and felt mpelf his master. Crannel
who never 'hissed anything, had seen as
much, and would doubtless make good cap
ital out of his discernment; while, on the
other hand, the partizans of the Russian
were confident in his superior play, which,
they swore, an accident only had defeated.
The morning after the match I rose early
and druvo in a fiaere to the address on
Meagher's card, which bore the inscription,
"Ivan Mearuwitz, lintel de in Pair, Rue
Itichlieu." It was one of those grim old
hotels where you knock and are let in by
nn invisible porter. A voice directed rue to
the second door "au guah•ieme," and on
sounding it with my knuckles, Pitt, who
was in bed, borled out "Entrez," and I
walked in. lle was flustered at seeing me,
and began stuttering apologies in three lan
guages at once.
"Is it possible," I said, "that you did not
know me yesterday Pet?"
"Bedad," said ho, "1^ must be possible,
I reckon, for I don't knowyou now for any
thing but the man that bate mo yesterday."
"Don't you recollect me at Bath fire
years ago?"
"Whew! botheration--if I hadn't a pre
esquintiment of something of the kind I'm
a Dutchman. That accounts for the milk
in the coe,mnuts. Oh, be the Vargin, but
it's meself that's glad to see ye anyhow."
"Well, and what have you been doing
these years?"
"Ochl won't I tell all about it? But not
here, not here, my friend. Faith, the divole
incarnate 'll be here in a jiffy, and he
must'nt see you. Do ye see that windy
yander wid the green venatians?" and Pat,
rising from his bed, pointod across the
coon.
"I see it—what then?"
"Cross the court, mount the tother stairs;
cud go into N. 15 on the third floor. 111
be wid ye in a twinklin'."
I did as he requested, feeling assured,
from his eagerness and excitement, that
some interesting revelation awaited me. In
less than ten minutes he made his appear
ance in an old dressing gown, and having
bolted the &ler of the closet, which was
but a receptacle fur lumber, seated himself
on a box and commenced a rather remarka
ble monologue. I shall not give it in detail
out of consideration fur the reader's pa
tience. The gist of it may be briefly ex
tracted, and wr.s to the following effect:—
Like myself, Pat Meagher had been picked
up by a speculating patron, and carried off
to St. Petersburg, where, according to his
own account. he had won a mint of money
for his owner, receiving but a miserable
stipend for himself, and ungentlemanly
treatment into the bargain. His tyrant
was one Murtier, a cashiered French officer.
Meagher assured me that he had won for
him a hundred thousand rubles at St. Pe
t:roburg, and as much inure at Moscow—
the villain cooly bagging the whole. Pat's
hatred to the man was almost demoniac,
and he seemed possessed with the idea that
he should be driven to murder hint before
their contract was expired, and which had
yet two years to run. My unction fur
Crannel, as the reader knows, was some
what of the same stamp; and by way of
consoling each:other,we mutually anathema
tised the villains who had them in their
grasp
But Meagher was not content with curs
ing his enemy; he had a plan which he
had long been revolving in his mind, and
which 11:s encounter with me would enable
hitt to curry out; he proposed at once, and
with an almost savage vehemence, that we
should turn the tables upon our tyrants, and,
as they :had so long done by us, enrich our
selves at their expense. The thing could
be easily done; we had only to get a clever
confederate of our own, and then, disre
garding the private signals of our patrons,
sell them at the best price we could, by
winning or losing to suit our own interests.
The scheme struck me as excellent, as well
from its simplicity as from the retributive
justice it involved, and I agreed to it ea-
gerly and nt once.
"Then be here to-morrow," said Pat, "by
seven in the morning; by that time I shall
have seen the right man, and. boded, we'll
work the oracle in the future on our own
account."
Soon after seven next morning, Meagher
and I were fleeing along the road to St.
Cloud, to the residence of U. Floritm, who
had entered into the scheme, and with whom
we were to concert measures fur putting it
into execution. M. Florian was a model
dandy of that era—of graceful figure, ex
quisite manners, aad fine accomplishments
—musician, artist, linguist, and gambler,
the idol of the sex, and the most careless,
agreeable, and good humored rattlepate in
the world. Ile received us in an elegant
saloon, hung with the masterly productions
of his cwn pencil, sung us an operatic air
to his own accompaniment, arranged our
little plan on the simplest grounds and the
most liberal terms, gave us his note of hand
fur a round . sum to fall due in a few weeks,
ordered up a grand dejeuner, and, that dis
cussed, drove us as far back as Auteuil in
his own carriage.
The reader may perhaps suspect that M.
'Florian Was little to bo relied on; if so, he
is mistaken. The honor that exists among
—ahem!—among gentlemen of certain pur
suits, is as spotless as the snow, and is rarely
violated? Pending the whole duration of
our threefold contract, Florian behaved with
the rectitude of a judge in ermine, and the
precision of a banker.
Affairs now began to take a different
course. The great billiard contest between
the Russian and the Englishman was re
newed almost nightly in the presence of the
first amateurs of the capital. Agreeably to
our plan, we both of us ignored the signals
of our patrons whenater Florian gave any
signals of his own, and thus turned the
whole current of success into his treasury.
Meanwhile, Florian played his game so
adroitly, that he was rarely seen to win
more than a trifle, and was seen as often to
lose. This state of affairs had not continued
long before Crannet began to look daggers
at me whenever we met in private, and at
length, not being able to refrain any longer,
taxed me with treachery. I denied the
charge, and insisted that he should pit me
against some other antagonist; I could not
be sure of the Russian, who was always de
veloping ewe° new strength. My patron
was evidently perplexed, and for a time be
refrained from betting, but watched me, as
I was well aware, all the closer. I had rea
son to suspect, moreover, that he had net
spies upon my path when I went abroad
though what was the extent of his discov
eries I never knew-
I saw Meagher but rarely in private, and
then only at the hours before the dawn,
when I could steal away from the observa
tion of my prying valet, whose grog I had
to dose more than once in order to prevent
his watchfulness. Our scheme answered
famously. We had divided five thousand
pounds with Florian in three months, and
vastly to the delight of Pat, most of it had
come out of Mortices pocket—and we were
at last on the road to carbine. I am of
oginion that if Crannei had not by this time
some certain knowledge of our secret con
federacy, he had at least so far verified his
suspicions at to feel conscious that the con
tract by which he nominally retained my
services was no longer of any advantage to
him. But this double game was fast ap
proaching to its end.
One night, Meagher's patron, Murtier,
who came to the cafe where we played with
the scowl of a fiend on his brow, and in a
state of furious excitement, as was always
the case when he drank freely, began to
vociferate violently and to bet heavily on
his protege. M. Florian, who was present,
immediately indicated that I was to win,
and accepted all Mortier's proffered bets, in
addition to those he had already made. It
chanced that he had scarcely accepted these
pledges, when one of those accidents, which
are always contingent on the board of green
cloth, and which the most experienced
players cannot always guard against, gave
Meagher such a decided avantage in the
game as should, and would, under ordinary
circumstances, have secured his winning it.
Mortier now redoubled his clamor, and of
fered very heavy odds, challenging the
whole room to accept them. Florian in
stantly did so, and they were accepted also
by Crannel to a very unusually large amount.
The game went on, and I recovered my lost
ground so far that, us it drew towards the
close, I had scored as many points as my
opponent, and two points snore scored by
either of us would win the game. It was
Meagher's turn to play, and his ball being
under the cushion, he gave a miss, which,
while it was the right ploy, was also good
policy for us, since, had any accident sent
one of the balls into the pocket, all would
have been over. It was now my turn, and
there was a winning hazard on the balls
which at any other time I could have made
with ease and cm minty. Up to this moment
of my life I had never known what it was
I to be nervous; but now a panic fit seized
Me' ' the cue trembled in my hand; if I did
not win, I knew that Florian would lose
more than all three of us could pay. I es
sayed to make the stroke; but there were
two hundred thousand francs depending
upon it; I felt the eye of Crannel upon me,
and every sinew in my frame vibrated.—
Calling for a glass of iced water, I drank it
off, and then, endeavoring to think of some.
thing else, hastily struck the stroke. The
red ball, instead et dropping into the pocket,
struck the small angle of the cushion, re
bounded, and kissed my own, the two then
stopping, ono on each side of the pocket,
with a space between them barely wide
enough fur a ball to pass through. There
were a hundred eyes looking on, but not a
lip moved, only a suppressed groan arose
fur an instant among my partisans.
It was now Meagher's turn to play, and
it was almost impossible for him to strike
either ball without winning the game, in
which case we were ruined. lle did not
seem at all disturbed, but lowered his cue
to play. I thought he would take the only
course open to him, and make a foul stroke:
instead of that Ito drove his ball sheer he
tween the other two, without touching either
them, and ran a "coo" in the pocks.t; thus
losing the game.
Affecting the utmost horror at whnt he
had done he dashed down his cue, and be
gan tearing his hair and blaspheming. I
of course knew that he bad done it on pus
, pose; but the thing was so difficult, so appa
rently impossible, that the spectators did
not suspect foul-play—none of them, with
the exception of Mortier, who having al
ready his suspicions aroused, Was now con
vinced of the justice of them, as well as en
raged to madness at the heavy losses he had
incurred. With a countenance livid with
fury, he rushed towards Meagher, and yell
' ing a desperate oath, dealt him a savage
blow on the face.
A horrid scene ensued. Tho Ir'shman
flew at the aggressor's thrBnt, and would
have strangled him on the spot but for the
interference of a dozen strong arms, which
tore him away. Frenzied beyond all con
trol of himself, he burst out with a torrent
of invective, abuse, and rabid curses, and
leaping on the table, called heaven and earth
to witness that be would not move thence
alive without the heart's blood of the vil
lain that had struck him. Monier at first
responded only by a sarcastic sneer, and
turned his back upon him. But the Irish
blood was not to be so appeased. Branding
his patron as currant and heaping on him
the foulest charges, Meagher continued to
denounce him as robber, assassin, traitor,
and forcat; and called on the company to
listen while he gave them the veritLble his
tory of the monster.
Mastic!, who had started at the word for
cat, again winced, and turning sharply
round, "Let us have weapons," he said;
"the fool shall have his wayl" Springing
on the table, he folded his arms, and awaited
the issue with a suppressed eagerness which
showed how deep should be his revenge.
Rapiers were brought: it was notified to
both the combatants that if ether of them
quitted the table ho would be instantly dis
armed, held to be defeated, nod incapable
of resuming the strife. Then M. Florian
draw a chalk-line across the centre of the
cloth—the weapons were deliveted to each,
and the duel began.
Meagher, to whom the delay had agorded
a moment for reflection, which he had wasted
in fuming and stamping, advanced boldly
to the encounter. Monier. who was the
Amster by nearly a bead, instead of oppos
ing him in the usual attitude, stood bent
$1,50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE; $2,00 IF NOT IN ADVANCE.
1 forward in a half-circle, with his rapier
point quivering above his head. Some
rapid passes took place, and Mortier was
seen to be bleeding from two slight wcnndc;
but he was cord and wary in proportion to
the peril—parried the deadly lunges of his
tall foe with unvarying certainty, and at
length springing forward within his guard,
instantly shortened his weapon, and thrust
it sheer through the breast of the poor Irish
man, who leaped with a wild c•y into the
(tie, and fell on the table a corpse.
Patalysed at the sight, I was gazing hor
ror-Ftruck at the lifeless body, when I felt
a hand grasping my shoulder; it was Cran
nel. "We must to ewer," lie said; "the
police will be here in a minute, end you
will gain nothing by their courtesies, you
may depend upon it."
That was the last gatne of billiards I ever
played to the profit of Louis Crannel,
at my request, paid me od the same night,
giving ma to understand that he knew I had
played him false, but that having taken
his measures accordingly, I had not injured
him; though I had intended to do so. I re-
proached him in my turn frith his systematic
and cold•biuoded rascality and selfishness—
and we parted.
M mier got a sentence of a year's impris
onment fur the duel, one month of which ho
actually suffered. Poor Meagher was buried
as a Russian officer, and was registered at
Pere le Chaise under the name of Mearo , ,vitz.
Florian nod I divided hie effects between
us, and I had seven thousand francs fur my
, hare of l`lortier's losses, all of which were
ulthnntely paid. Ilow this sum and much
more which I had rained over the devil's
back was subsequently dissipated under
another part of his person, it boots not the
reader to know. Poverty, she ultimate Lit
of nearly all gamblers, has been mine for
many a weary year. With mature age came
dyspepsia and nervousness, and then all re
liance on my skill as a billiard-player ran
i,hed. Of all accomplishments this is the
one that requires the most perfect condition
of the physical faculties, and no man who
is conscious that he possesses either ner-
roux "}stem or ventral organs need expect
to excel in it.
My confessions may ti.ell end here.
From Dielteris household Words
The Haunted. Bed.
By LARK LEMON'.
"Why, Betty, if there isn't Mr, Pontsonby
at the door with his baggage. I'll be whip
ped:" cried the head waiter at the
hotel on the evening preceding the regatta.
"Mr. Punsunby, you don't say VJ: and
I'd given him up, and just put that weak
minded gent as come at ten o'clock in
Forty-two—Mr. Ponsonby's room as I call
it: and there's not a bed to be had in Cowes
for love or money."
"What's that's you say. Betty? Paid the
new corner, "not another bed but mine, eh?"
"That's it, sir," replied Betty: "I kept
it fur you till the last train; now ns that
has been in an hour, I gave you up, sir.
What will you do?"
"Awkward," exclaimed Punionby; "the
old cluck in the room will break its heart:
lout I 111113 t sleep on a sofa."
"Not on.: dkengaged, sir," said the
waiter.
"No, sir," added Betty - , "not ono, sir.
There are four small children put to bed in
a chest of drawers LOW in Twenty-four.
We let everything before we ;mild let
Forty.two."
"That's the gent that's gat your room,"
whispered John, us be ushered Mr. Ponson
by into the coffee-room-
The person alluded to was a very mild,
milky-looking young gentleman of twenty.
ore. His present posltion was evidently
a new one, for he was constantly employed
in pulling up his shirt collar and using his
toothpick.
"John," said Ponsenby, "I mast have a
bed. Bring me a broiled bone and a glass
of brandy and water, and put them on the
table next to the young gentleman, whilst
I speak to Betty."
What the nature of Mr. Ponsonby - 'e com
munication to Betty was I dent mean to
reveal; but she "laughed consumedly," and
was shortly afterwards seen entering No.
Forty-two with a warming pan, and then
returning without it.
The bone and brandy nr.d water were
duly served, and Mr. Pousonby, took his
place at the table. The mild gentleman
pulled his collar more frequently and plied
the toothpick with increased energy.
"Waiter," cried Ponsouby, "Here—take
this thing away."
"Capital bone, sir," sail John, sr:mewl:lnt
astonished.
"Don't tell me a capital bone!" exclaimed
Ponsonby. "The 'bus driver was com
plaining of the mortality among his horses.
Take it array."
The mild gentleman conked alarmed, and
pnnscd in the not of pulling up his left
cell nr.
"Wretahed house, this, sir," said Pon-
Eonhy, confidentially; "never come here if
I can avoid it, hot at regatta time glad to
get in anywhere."
"Te 4, sir," said the mild one.
"They served me a rascally trick once,
and I shall Laser f.)rget it. I wonder who
sleep% in that room to-night—poor devil:"
"May I inquire what the trick waa sir?"
`•Ohl certainly," said Ponsonhy, though
I hardly like to tell the story. is case you
should doubt my veracity." . .
• 'OW ei r—"
[WHOLE NUMBER 1,508.
"Well, it seems absurd to speak of haunt
ed chambers in the nineteenth century;"
and Ponconby paused. . .
"Not at all, sir," said the mild one, en-
couragiugly
"But that there is one the horse Z 12.72
reedy to swear;" exclaimed Poasoabs; "a
room 1,-;:th a large, old fa3bioued clack is
it."
"No. Forty-two!" zo..•:ord the rank: one;
'•that's my room!"
"Hush, fur "leaven's wide:" said Ponsou
by; "had I knot a that, I wouldn't
said u word fur the World."
"My dear sir, don't say that; pray go on,
eir. I'm not superstitious, neither am I
foolishly incredulous," and the mild ono
wiped his forehead, and emptied his tumb
ler at a gulp.
"Well, Ai you desire it, Twill narrate my
story," said Ponesnby. "It was esactly
three years ago this very day, that I and
my luggego found ourselves in No. Forty
two, the last room, (so the chambermaid
told unlet in the house."
"Exactly vat She told 1116--c. cocL•s•
tyke:" interrupted the mild one
"I woe tirel by my day's journey, and
went to bed cu4etly as the clock struck.
twelve. Though fatigued I felt no disposi
tion to sleep, so I placed my candle on the
bed step and began to real. I had about
five minutes, when suddenly I received
most violent blow in the stomach, and the
cluck struck a quarter, I started up; there .
was no one—nothing to account for the
phenomenon. At last I concluded it must
have been a fancy. I read on for another,
quarter of an hour, when I received two
blows of greater violence than the former
one. I jumped out of bed, resolved to se
cure, my :I , ?, i,t;la!it. No; thrxe was no ones
—the cluck chimed the half-hour."
"Another glace of brandy and wader!"
cried the mild one.
It was brought. mud Ponsonby proceed-
"I seized the bell-rope,_ but a sense of
shame would not let me proceed. I there
fore resolved to keep watch for a short time
As I sat up in the bed my eyes fell upon
the face of the old clock in the corner. I
could not help thinking that waa in some
way connected with the annoyance I had
suffered. As I looked, the minute-band
gradually approached the IX on the dial,
and the momeat it arrived there, I received
three distinct and particularly sharp raps
on the crown of my head. The clock
struck the three quarters. I was now con
rinsed that there was something wrong.—
What was I to do? If I disturbed the house
and told this story, I should be laughed at
and set down as drunk or dreaming. I re
solved to brave the worst. I got out of bed
and, gently opening the clock case, stopped
the vibration of the pendulum.
" 'Come, that must prevent the striking,'
thought I, and laid myself down with
Portz etbi g like a chuckle at my own bril-
/iancr ."
"A chuckle:" murmured the mild one
"I had not been in bed above five min
ntes," resumed Ponsonby, when I heard
the door of the clock•ease open slowly. I
I confess, a tremor--•"
should think so!"
"And I saw the pendulum throw a somer
sau'•t on the floor, a nd delib.?rately hop—hop
the bed. Ir paused for n
its round, brazen face
full upon me, acid—"
Ssinter gasped the mild one.
(eentintiet't Ponsoeby; not heeding
the int;;rruptier.,) 'Sir, I em very much
obliged to you for stopping my labors. Peo
ple think I never want any rest, but that I
can stand being perpcually :round up and
kept on the go. With your permission, I'll
get into bed;' and withcot . - ruing for an
answer, into bed is got."
"1 EllppCED," continued the pendulum,
"you are not nware that this is our room?"
"O' room!" said I.
"Yes; mine and the rest of the works.—
The man who made us died in this bed, and
loft it to us a legacy. You found something
rather unpleasant, didn't you:"
"Yes," I answered, "very unpleasant."
"Alt: that was the striking weight; he
alwas serves intruders that way when rore
are going. When we are not, and I 00010
to bed, he is quiet enough. But as lam
like to be sot going again in the morning,
and it's now nearly half-past one, I'll wish
you a good night."
"Good night, sir," I replied, quaking from
head to foot. So, thought I, whoever sleeps
in this bed must either submit to be thumped
black and blue, by the striking weight, or
accept of this horrible m3nater for a bed.
fellow. At this moment the pendalum.
suppose, fell asleep, for it commenced an
innocent 'tick-tick,' 'tiok-tick,' that rendered
all attempts at forgetfulness oa my port ion.
psnible."
"Another glass of brandy and water:"
cried the mild one.
"No, no," azid Pousonby, "I would ad•
visa you not. Have your ob.amber eu4/1/
and go to bad."
"Go to bod in bro. Portptwol" exclaimed
the mild one. "IZerer!"
"My dear fellow, =attars may have
changed since the poriod I have been talking
of. Go to your room, aad if anything oc•
curs it is easy to ring the bell. Come, I'll
see you to the door." And taking their
candles. the pair proceeded to Nth:Porty
two.
"here .re aro," said P.anaoaby; opptat
nizht."