The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-09-27
AN UNMASKED SHARPER.


A Young man of good connections had
been ignominiously expelled from club
Playing in collision with professional
gambler, he had cheated at cards and 10 a
few months had won considerable sum.
"And has he killed himself 7" asked
some one.
"Bahp' replied another. "Do men kill
themselves for SO little nowadays? 1t was
different in the good old times.
an the good old times, as you call
Them" said old General Roy, "thOse who
adopted the card sharper's profession kill
ed themselves no more than do those OF
the present time. A few exceptions there
NAV have been among those who were de-
tected at the outset. But if the first at
tempt succeeded, they did as they do to-
day' they quickly accustomed themselves to
their depreciation. All, it is so easy!
when respect for his own good name will
not restrain a man at the first step, 1t is
entirely dead within him, and even scan
dial will not revive it. By the way, can
tell YOU ola clWious case in point, where.
the hero blew out his brains, but it was
not suicide. No, strange as it may sound,
it was not suicide. Listen:
'It was some fifty years ago. The press
of that time was not the terrible gossip
that IL is to-day. and sensational news
never passed certain bounds. There were
not fewer scandals, but the scandals were
less known. In fact. think there were
rather more Not that we are more virtu-
GUS. but the fear of publicity is certainly
great check. ..fse-,. Is
'.Among the elegant young fellows the
gilded youth of those days, who furnished
the greater part of the scandalOus gossip
by their eccentricities and duels, was a
Young gentleman attached to the kings
household. l shall call him the Vicomte
Roland. The name was not an illustrious
one: 10 fact, the vicomte was the fruit of
one of those mixed marriages introduced
by Napoleon l. General Comte Roland,
whose heavy cavalry charges are matters
of history, had married the daughterof the
Marquis de Bransac, a member of one OF
3 the weaHhiest and most powerful families
&of France. His son was then about twenty
six years of age. He had not the robust,
plebian beauty of his father who had been
one of the bandsomest men in the army.
His was rather the delicate and dlstln.
guished grace of his mother, whose idol he
was. Having loved her husband passion
ately, the countess was now wrapped up
in her son.
"The extravagant life led by the son had
caused o. quarrel between the parents. The
countess lived in the Bransac Hotel, one of
the finest in the Fraubourg Saint German,
while the general, secluding himself in
little chateau in the forest of Senart, pass
ed his time in the pleasures OF the chase.
They say he had illLreated his wife, but il
was utterly untrue. The fact is that there
had been between the general and his wife
two terrible scenes.
"The first was caused by an idea which
took possession of the countess. She
found this name Roland too plebian for
her son. and tormented her husband 10
obtain. the kings authority TO add to it
that of De Bransac. The general eDer-
getically refused.
"sMy name has sufficed for me, said
he, for me who has made it famous. 1t
will do for this fine gentleman, my SON..
If he does not find it brilliant enough, let
him try to add 10 its lustre.
The second scene was brought about
by the vicomte abducting ballet dancer,
and by duel and debt which were the
consequences of this little affair. The
general brought the son before his mother
and roughly reproved him for his folly.
Instead of supporting her husband, the
countess made excuses for her son.
Women always are indulgent toward the
man in a love scrape.
"As the general told, his son that his for
tune was not sufficient to maintain such
scandaous absurdities, the countess un-
happily INTERCEPTED:
"sOh, the fortune of the De Bransacs
will amply suffice for him.
.'She had not calculated the effect of her
speech. An hour later the general left the
holel and went to his chateau. AT the
end of week the family notary informed
the countess that her entire personal for
tune was at her disposal. The separation
was complete, and tae general lived alone
on the fifteen thousand francs which con-
stituted the revenue he received from his
own fortune.
"Tbe son made ducks and brakes of her
fortune. At the end of six months the
countess was half ruined, and the energy
of the notary alone saved her from her
sons exsraYagances. ~As,sssS.
Cali at once it became known that the
Vicomte Roland no longer belonged to the
kings household, and that he had. handed
in his resignation as IN a cavalry
regiment. That is what was given out,
but rumors of a different chasacter were
afoat. The countess no longer appeared
in public, but confined herself TO her
hotel. In a few weeks she seemed ten
years older.
"The vicomte, after voyage of some
weeks in Italy, returned 10 Paris, took
apartments in the Rue de la Chaussee
d'Antin and lived the life of an idler on
the pension of thousand francs month
allowed him by lis mother 1t would be
little to-day, bet atihas time il enabled a
man to make quite figure in the fashion
able world. He passed the time between
love adventures, the theatres and the green
table. Then little by little bis elegance
and his eccentricities began to be talked
about. Clubs were not as plentiful as
they are now, but the gilded youth and
the gamesters had few Of them where
lovers of the green cloth could amuse
themselves.
Zone evening when the Vicomte Roland,
after having won considerable sum from
one of his friends, offered him his revenge,
his opponent rose, and, pushing away the
cards, looked at him in singular manner,
q. WE'LL no, Rolabd,' said he; what
with your luck with women and your luck
with cards, you have too much luck for
one man.
Roland, though somewhat choleric, de-
manded no explanation, ana Commenced
himself with laughing, I
"Some days after, the project OF police
announced himself to the general at bis
chateau. What passed between them | DC
not know. All that is known Of the affair
is that they returned together to Paris.
s'At eleven o'clock of the evening fol
lowing that interview, the vicomte was
seated at a table playing ecarte. He had
just won ten successive games fiom an
Epglishman, who, passing through Paris
on his way home, had been introduced at
the club by, one Of the members. Roland
had considerable sum before him The
loser had just risen, and before leaving the
The 'K spJh bowed thrice. .xhen. an elderly
the Fifth district without any netsDl
change, except that 1t is said that DR.. blr'
will not consent to be In tia race.
In the Sixth district there IL little que
work going on against the renomipatiep
Assemblyman Heck. It grows mainly GU