River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-11-30


painfully thin, with scanty gray hair
falling almost to his shoulders, keen,
piercing eyes, and a hard, yulturine
profile dressed in blue frock.coat
deliberately braided, and with the rib.
bon of some order at the button-hole,
but worn absolutely threadbare, and.
| buttoned up close TO the chin, showing
not vestige of linen. Shabby almost
to the last degree, yet scrupulously
neat and clean, and with something of
faded aristocracy about him, the
Chevalier, once seen, was not readily
to be forgotten. TO what country he
belonged was not at loss to discover.
His name seemed to indicate Russian
or Polish origin, but his features gave
no clue to his nationality, and his fea-
lures was a Polyglot of nearly every
European tongue. French, however,
predominating. After few sentences
of casual conversation, Ferret re-
marked
"Chevalier, my friend is very anx-
ious to see something of your dexter
ity with the cards. viii you oblige
him ;"
'Mais certainement Wiz re great.
! est pleasure. viii do mon petit pos
sible. But NJ. Lancashire will give me
his word of honor, fol de gentilhomme,
Eat he will not make no bad use of my
lecon."
'Sir - | exclaimed Indignantly
but Ferrett interpesed with smile.
"You mistake, my dear sir. The
Chevalier has not the least objection
to your making a personal profit by his
instructions. What he refers to as a
bad use would be your exposing his
secrets to others"
"0h - | exclaimed, relieved, but
still more than half indignant; she
need have no fear on that score" AS
| spoke | caught Ferret's eye, and was
so tickled by the quaintness of the
idea that was to pledge my sword of
honor" (heaven save the mark y to use
the information was about to obtain
for swindling purposes only, that
could not control my risible faculties,
but was compelled to give way 20 a
hearty laugh. The Chevalier looked
extremely scandaliZed at my levi.y !;
and it took all Ferret's tact, and the
assurance that he would answer for
me as himself, to restore our friend s
equanimity. Being at last pacifed, he
produced from his breast pocket a
couple of packs of cards.
Gallons u he said. "a Quel jeu
Vat is Eat you want to know L'ecarte,
| le piquet, lie baccarrat, lie lansquenet.
lie birlibibi-vat you call 'three-card
trick'-les petits paquets-how you
call him, blind hooke z Vat you want
learn teach you 2"
The majority of the games mentioned
| scarcely knew by name-"Ecarte,"
said-and forthwith the Chevalier,
taking Ferret as his adversary, played
| few games by way of specimen.
There was no apparent effort, no
suggestion of slight of hand, the Che
valier's long, lissom fingers seemed
scarcely to touch the cards and yet,
whether he dealt, or whether Ferret
dealt, the result was the same. All
| the winning cards found their way in
to the Chevalier's hand all the losing
ones into FerTet's. After having suf-
| ticiently excited our wonderment, the
Chevalier proceeded to explain the
methods by which this result was pro-
dnced, methods not less astonishing
by their ingenious simplicity than by
the marvellous deXterity displayed in
| their use. After having exhausted
the subject of ecarte, orr professor
| gave a similar demonstration in refer
ence to piquet. Baccarat, faro, and
rouge ct noir were in turn discussed,
leaving Ine fully convinced that the
| only safe way to avoid losing at either
of these games is never to play at
them; and lastly, tho Chevalier struck
blow at my most cherished convic-
| tiOnS, by showing that our good old
| English game of whist is, in bad hands,
| just as susceptible of foul play as any
other. Time had sped so fast during
the development of these mysteries
| that we were far into the small hours
| before the Chevalier took his leave.
presented him with couple of guineas
which he accepted with the delicate
nonchalant air of fashionable physi-
clan receiving his fee, murmuring,
Pour acheter des cigares, monsieur,
! pour echeter DIES cigares. Sc vouS re-
mercie beaucoup. sail have re great
plaisir of give you anozer lecon, what
time you please. Sleep you well, mes
| sieurS.
And, with many bows, he departed.
A few minutes later | also took my
ltdNt, ieildl hllit, W ICliCb'
81 have to thank you for lesson of
prudence by which | shall certainly
profit. But one thing / cannot under
stad. How is it that with such extrod-
mary powers, and being, as / may
fairly assume, not overburdened with
scrupulousness, the Chevalier Is in
such poverty as his appearance would
lead one to believe Z"
Simply because he has reached the
point which all his friends arrive at
sooner or later, of being to well known.
'The pitcher goes often too the WE'LL
Won know the proverb. The Chevalier,
with all his dexterity, has been found
ont too often. He has lost the entree of
the public salons, and is now driven to
the highways and the byways in search
| of pigeons for his net. Once in way
he meets with plump young bird,
and then for a season he feasts on
champagne and truflles; but for the
most part he Is in the condition in
which you have seen him. Take my
word for it, rogues rarely die rich.
Yon know the old joke that the man
who first declared honesty was the
best policy must have tried the other
thing. | really shouldn't be surprised
if it was founded on fact. You may
depend upon it no one feels the truth
of the maxim more keenly than an
elderly swindler. The mischief is that
he finds 1t out too late
CHAPTER II.
Two days later | was seated in a
Pullman car en- route for England.
had not intended starting quite so
soon, but special circumstances had