a woman. The latter was a
remarkable-looking person. She was about forty, as it appeared; her
complexion was sallow, her features pointed, her eyes large and sunken,
and the latter were very expressive, proving that the eagle-nosed woman
was bright, alert and cunning. She wore a discontented look upon her
face as she eyed the man who had entered her presence, and while Oscar
peeped and listened he heard her say:

"I am tired of this."

"Tired of what?"

"Do you want to know?"

"Yes, I do."

"I'll tell you. I am tired of living in these rooms; tired of going
hungry; tired of wearing old clothes; tired of slaving for you--a
miserable fake."

"Hold on, Sarah, don't talk to me that way."

"Yes, I will talk to you that way. When I met you, I had plenty of
money. You pretended to love me and I was fool enough to accept your
love. I let you have money. I had a good, comfortable home, and now
where am I? You have squandered every penny on the races. You don't know
how to gamble, and yet you gamble away every cent you get. You do not
come home when you have a stake and say, 'Here, my dear, is a hundred or
two for you.' No, no, you come in and dole me out a few stamps and say,
'Make yourself comfortable.' In fact, when you have a good stake you do
not come home at all, if this miserable place can be called a home. Tom,
I'll stand it no longer; you and I will separate."

"Hold on, Sarah, do not talk that way."

"Yes, I will talk that way, and I will act. I can make plenty of money.
No need for me to stay here and play wife to a man who only cares for
himself and who hasn't the courage to start in and make a good haul and
give me the comforts I've been accustomed to enjoy; and as you can't do
it I'll start out and win them for myself, and I will not furnish you
money to gamble while I starve here in these rooms without food, fire or
clothing. I tell you I am through."

The man Tom was thoughtful a moment and then said:

"Sarah, all you say is true, but I've had no money."

"And you never will have."

"Yes, I will."

"Never."

"Why do you say so?"

"You haven't the courage; you are a coward."

"Hold, Sarah, I took a big chance this very afternoon to make a big
stake. I showed all the courage, but got the worst of it. I ran up
against a cyclone disguised as a gentle sea breeze, but I am going to
have a big stake, and all you need is just a little patience and you
shall have an elegant home, horses and carriag