The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-03

4 NARROW ESCAPE.


! say that in my time | have done IL great
many, one of which nearly resulted in nv
being prevented from ever relating the fol
lowing story
Paris, as Albert Smith used to say. is a
. rather jolly place-rather funny" but it
has its serious side There are the grand
Rues and majestic Boulevartls: but there
are also the wretched alleys and outside
sac: the noble palaces, and the ruinous
crowded houses, each perfect warren
the acts in the sunshine of broad dav, and
the deeds of darkness.
:" Take care of YOURSELF was the last
laughing address of my friends, as | took
my ticket at London Bridge Staton-an
address as laughingly replied to and that
same evening. with Il companion, | was
strolling down the Boulevard DIES Italiens.
smoking cigar, and enjoying The novel
sights around; the newsvender's kiosk !:
the tall. white stone houses with their
bright Venetian shutters: the handsome
shops, with their costly contents: the CAV
throng ofprOmenaders the numberless lit
tie marble-toppcdtable land cool way in
which people sat out of doors to sip a." cafe
Doir, eau saucree, or " vim de Bordeaux
Here was a couple playing dominoes
there quartette. evidently tradesfolk with
moderator-lamp, seated at table outside
their shop door. happily engaged at II
French version of short whist. Now the
rointed-moustached tight coated. cooked
matted 'sergent de-viile," with his long thin
sword, would take one : attention now one
Vf the many shahby-uniformed, but active,
oat-like sunbrowned soldiers, one and ii
carrying their arms Then the white cap
of Sister of Mercy, or the starch plaits of
4 Il.
Everywhere there was something new To
take the attention, while not the least evil
dent was the love OF our neighbor for dis
play, rs shown in gilded ratings, bright
hues, and, above all, in flowers clustering
round 50 many windows No gas flaming
:eavy-looking public houses here, but elc-
CANT marble and velvet furnished cafes, re-
splendent with mirror, white and gold
and overlooked by a presiding deity in the
shape of dame de compton, throned
amidst fruit flowers and wine. coffee urns
and confectionery, herself very model of
the latest Paris fashion.
j slept that night in confusion of ideas.
sfrangest of which was belief that Paris
was IL sort of fairy land. where all was per-
feet and | woke the next morning to
capital hotel breakfast of long bread, cafe
au lait, ;eufs fraiS, and Il string band, re-
calling home, outside the window, with
the strains of the Lancers' Quadrilles"
Then came a round of sight -seeng-cathe-
dral, church, picture gallery, bridge, foun-
tain, palace, opera, theatre and review.
We lunchedand dined ala Franchise. and
pretended to like the French potage and
their wines We played billiards at the
cafes. smoked bad cigars, made ourselves
III, tired ourselves out, and all the while
avowed that we were III the very height of
enjoyment.
AT the end ola fortnight, Paris did not
seem half so bright place and. certainly,
no better than London One day | spent
upon the sofa reading the Times and Gal
sgHdnt; and that same evening my COM
panion actually limited at it being almost
time to think of going back home. But
1T the liable d'hote' we encountered IA
young fellow -countrymen who put us
through a sort of catechism upon our say
ing that we were about tired of the place,
ending by telling us that we had seen moth
ing yet, and promising to initiate us into a
little more Partisan life and manners.
We assented To his acting as guide: and
nc certainly did initiate us-or rather give
Us lessen-ParSian life and manners
one which proved quite sufficient to satisfy
me and two days after, | was congratula-
ting mySelfupOn being safely at home
IL was about 10 O'Clock at night, that af-
ter spending an hour or two amid the cafe
chantants in the Champs Elysees, our new
friend led Us up and down several streets,
till he paused at what seemed to be a pri-
vate house
:" You ought not to go back" he said,
without seeing gambling house
Oh, / don't know" | said hesitatine :
/ don't much care for that"
You need not either of YOU play" was
the reply. Wen just 90 in for half an
hour, and then have look at something
else"
And then we entered well-lit passage,
a door closed behind us, shutting us in like
flies in trap, and well-dressed waiter
IIshered us into brilliantly lighted saloon,
wherein We're collected some twenty we'll
dressed men, seated and standing round a
centre-table covered with Il green cloth,
while another waiter handed round coffee,
ices and champagne.
Don't refuse the refreshments" wills
pered our guide. 1t would look strange
They are all free-found by the proprietor,
who recOups himself out of his visitors
losses"
| nodded and paI.ook of some cham
payne, as did my companions; when,
eager to see all that was going on, we
walked up to the rouge let noire table, and
looked on
The stakes were not very high, because
il was so early in the evening, so our guide
said men winning and losing various
small sums with the utmost nOnchalance.
In effect the game seemed then tame and
uninteresting and thoroughly wanting i'm
l.af1 of w if.h / ha1 off
read There were half cries of croupier and
tailleur and the faint click and chinck of
frame and five-f franc pieces as they were
raked together; but there were no fierce
aspect, no knit-brOws, or sweat bedewed
forehead; all was calm and gentlemanly
and ] was wondering how long it would
be ere my companions were ready to go,
when our new friend took a fiye franc
piece out of his pocket, staked it and saw
it melt away Another shared its fate, and
another, and another.
Always my luck" he said, coolly, as
he turned to me. Lost a louis that's as
far as | shall go. All the disease has
proved infectious | see your friend has
taken it,
/ turned, with surprise, at his words for
I had not missed my old school fellow
Rivers. a quiet, steady, thoughtful man.
whom / should have thought the last to
have stalled "a shilling at a game of chance
but, sure enough, there he was, placing his
money first on one color, then on the other
and as / drew near his elbow, 1t seemed
always changing at the right time; for he
invariably won.
If had before found the proceedings
tame, they were now most exciting the
game seemed entirely different since my
friend had commenced playing, and
watched each stake, and listened to eacl
cry of Rouge" or Noir," with an eager
ness that could only have pitied in an
other.
II almost seemed as though my ffiend''