Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1871 — Throwing Dice—$11,000 Against a Lady’s Hand. [ARTICLE]

Throwing Dice—$11,000 Against a Lady’s Hand.

There lived on street, in an unpretending establishment surrounded by trees md flowers, a young lady who was celebrated for her beauty and accomplishments. She was a blonde, with blue eyes, white teeth and a heavenly smile; had the prettiest hand and foot that ever were seen; and was tall, lithe and elegant. Her wit was delicate, ptointed and sparkling, and her mind as superior as lierlpterson was lovely. The town was at her feet, and her suitors were as importunate, if not as many as Penelope's, like whom (she was continually woed and yet nevetvwon. In the midst of her success camfr-tne war, the end of which found her family impoverished, .and herself reduce/ to want for the necessaries of life. But she was still the same proud, imperious mistress of hearts as before, and she refused in quick succession the many offers of marriage that were now made to her. She had not thought of matrimony as a resource, but had other and different prospects in view. She proposed, in fact, to teach a school.

A fellow townsman, a gentleman of wealth and position, and a bachelor, had long been a silent worshipper at her shrine. He had houses and lands, estates in the country and lots ini the city, stocks, interests and investments wherever they would pay; and his private establishment on —— street was simply palatial. Seeing how the case stood with her whom he loved with his whole soul, he resolved after many communings and much reflection, to ask her to be his wife. “ Sir,” she said, in answer to his proposal, “ I do not love you, and I cannq,t many you.” “Think the matter oyer, my dear,” said he, “ and in one week from to-day give me your answer.” Upon his return on the day set, she said to him: \ , “ Sir, you have wealth, and lam poor; \ you live in a palace, and I, as you see, in a cottage; you are desirous of’ having mv hand, and I would like very much to be'rich. I will make yqj| a proposition, I will throw the dice with you—my hand against a hundred thousand dollars! Is it a bargain?” “Itis,” said he. And thereupon they pledged to each other their words to bide the hazard. It was arranged that but three persons should be let into the secret; that each should select a friend, and that the two selected friends were to choose the third. Miss named the Hon. Mr. , a prominent member of the bar, as her friend; Mr. chose the Eev, Mr. , pastor of the fashionable church on street, as his; and these two made choice of Dr. , an eminent professor in the medical college, as the friend of both, parties. By these gentlemen the preliminaries were arranged, and the prograifim© was this: The doctor was to give a party at his house ,on a certain specified Friday moniing, at which were to be present all the begt people in Louisville ; the Hon. Mr. was tb have a license in blank, ready to bs mied at a moment’s warning, ana was to

hold Mr. ’• check for #100,000; and the Rev. Mr. waa to be in waiting to perforin the marriage ceremony, if Called on so to do. The dice were to l>c thrown In’lhe lion. Mr. ’a study, whence the quintet were to proccctf to the party, where, if Miss lost, they were to celebrate the wedding, and if she won, they were to mingle with, the guests without remark. At precisely 9 o’clock on the evcfitful evening, the players and their friends met in the Tion. Mr. ’» study. By agreement of the parties themselves, they were to throw poker dice, and to cut cards for the first throw. The gentleman cut a queen and the lady a Jack, and now came the tug of war. He waa cool, calm and pale; she was slalucaquc, imperious and collected. His lips were compressed , hers were formed into an extended arc, spanning the whole mouth and Completing the bow. The twain sat on opposite sides of a small table, and the umpire overlooking them. The dice box being set before him, Mr. placed his fingers over the top, add with the thumb clasping the side, he gave It a shake and threw two fours and two deuces. Putting aside the fbure, lie threw anothsr four. Then, throwing the two remaining dice, he threw two fives. He had thrown, therefore, a full—three fours and two fives.

And now came Miss 's turn. It was a thrilling moment, and the rustle of her silk dress in the stillness of the room sounded like the tree tops in the wind. She liegan by drawing off her right glove, cxgtosing a hand of exquisite lieauty and delicacy, on the forefinger of which sparkled a diamond. Then taking up the box quickly, site gave it a long shake in the air, and turning it down upon the table, she threw —nothing! A cloud there l upon passed over her luce, and the arc of her lips assumed a still more bow like curvature. But, nothing daunted, she at once retook the box and threw ngain—this time turning up four deuces, and the fifth dice cockcf Terrible mischance. Miserable luck! Again she threw, and threw three devices and two trays. Putting all the dice back into the box, she had left hut one other and last throw, upon which now rested her only chance. For the first time since she sat down she spoke, asking for a glass of water. Having drank a tumblerful, she sat a moment pressing together her eyebrows between her thumb and forefinger, and then, all of .a sudden, she snatched up the dice box and shook it vehemently, and threw—three fours and two sixes, and won. And did she take the money ? you ask me. I answer most emphatically—she did. —Louisville Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.