Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-11-09
fFrom the Russian of Alexander Sergievitch Pouch
kine.1
THREE, SEVEN, ACE

"What did you bet on the red all the
EVENING""
eyes, rarely change my play"
stYou are the most impressive gambler
Lave ever seen.
"What do you think of Hermann,
then, for sef-control? He never in his
life touched a card or made bet, and
yet he will watch us play till morning,
such is his love of it. !"
s'True, said Hermann; GO it interests
me, but I never play"
This conversation took place at the
quarters of Naroumof, lieutenant OF
hussars. It was late. Play had been
heavy, and rotations deep.
"Ah, WE'LL" cried Tomski, "Hermann
is in the engineer corps, and therefore
economical is all. But, for a
curiosity, jusG look at my grandmother,
the Countess Fedotovna. She is rich,
she is woman, and she is eighty years
old-yet she never plays p
"It is indeed strange;" said Narou-
moff; "but what is the reason ?"
"Listen, and / will tell you. You
must know that sixty years ago she was
at Paris, and created q furore by he,
beautY-they called her the Muscovite
Venus. Those were the good old days,
just before the fall of the monarchy in
'99, when every one, ladies and all
played at faro. One evening she lost a
large sum to the Comte de Provence,
the kings brother. On her return she
took off her patches, disheveled her hair.
and, thus tragically prepared, informed
her husband of her I'LL luck. My defunct
grandfather (peace to his ashes) was a
species of financial secretary to his wife.
He feared only her and the devil-the
last the least. But when she confded
to him the amount she had lost, he al
most rose to the ceiling, flew into terri
BILE passion, and refused to pay a single
franc. NY grandmother acted like a
woman of spirit-she slapped his face,
and passed the night in another room.
The next day, however, she returned to
the attack. Tears this time; but it was
useless. Her long-suffering husband
declared that she had already wasted
half million, and it might as well end
one time as another.
Fortunately for her, an idea occurred
by which she did not fail to profit.
There was at that time in Paris certain
strange individual who was known by
the name of the Comte de Saint German.
You have doubtless heard of him. He
was looked upon as the Wandering Jew,
and was reputed to possess the secret OF
the philosopher stone and of the elixir
of life as well. Despite the mystery sur
rounding him, he was much sought after
and was universally liked. Well, she
wrote to him requesting him to grant hel
an interview. The old gentleman hast
ened to her house, and found her plunged
IN despair. She related to him her mis-
fortune, the cruelty of her husband, and
begged him to assist her. After reflect
ing few moments, Saint German re-
Piled:
Madam, / can easily lend you the
money you require, but [ well know you
will have no peace until you repay me.
/ do not wish to extricate you from one
dilemma only to plunge you into an
other. There Is bat one course open to
you-you must win the money back
again.
"'But, my dear count, said my grand.
mother, I've already told you that
haven't franc.
"You do not need money! hereplied
listen And then he confded to her q
secret for which any one of you, gentle
men, would give ten years Of his life. .
ALI the young officers listened with in
tense interest. Tomski paused amoment,
lit his cigar, and continued:
"That evening she went to the queens
game at Versailles. The Comte de Pro-
vence was banker, the game faro. She
told him some feminine fib or other fol
not having yet paid her debt, and then
began to play. She staked large sum
on her first card-she won; she doubled
it on the nex-she won; the third time
again she doubled it-again she won.'
"Pshaw !-pure luck p cried one Of
the officers.
GA fable" said Herman.
"But," said Naroumoff, " if you have
a grandmother who possesses such Sc.
crets, my dear fellow, why don't you in
duce her to confde in you?"
"That is the devil of it," replied
Tomski. "She had three sons beside
my father-desperate gamblers all OF
them. Not one of them ever succeeded
in gaining the privilege they so ardently
desired. But you remember my uncle,
Count Ivan Hitch? He was favorite OF
the old lady. Well, one day he lost to
Zaritch 100000 roubles. He was re-
duced to beggary. The old countess
took pity upon him, and, after exacting
a pledge upon his honor that he would
never play again, she told him the mystic
series of cards. He sought Zaritch, and
demanded his revenge. His first bet
was 30, 900 roubles; his second-but it is
five o'clock, gentlemen. and time to