The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-11-05
UNMASKED CARD-SHARPER.

They were discussing the latest scan
dal. Ayoung man ofgood connections
had been ANONYMOUSLY expelled from
club. Playing in collision with a
professional gambler, he had cheated
at cards and in Il few months he had
won a considerable sum.
"And has he killed HIMSELF" asked
some one.
"Bahn' replied another. "Do men
kill themselves for so little nowadays?
1t was different in the good old times. !"
I'm the good old times, as you call
them," said old General Roy, "those
who adopted the card-sharper's pro-
fession killed themselves no more
than do those of the present time.
A few exceptions there may have been
among those who We're detected at the
outset But if the first attempt sue
ceeded, they did as they do to-day,
they quickly accustom themselves to
their degradation. All, it is so easy.
When respect for his own name we will
not restrain n man at the first step,
it is entirely dead within him, and even
a scandal will not revive it. By the
way, can tell you of a curious case in
point, where the hero blew out his
brains, but it was not a suicide. Listen:
LIT was some fifty years ago. The
press of that time was not the terrible
gossip that it is to-day, and sensation
al news never passed certain bounds.
There were not fewer scandals, but the
scandals were less known. in fact, l
think there were rather more. Not
that we are more virtuous, but the
fear OF publicity is certainly great
check.
.'Among the elegant young fellows,
the gilded youth of those days, who
furnished the greater part OF the scan
daious gossip by their eccentrici-
ties and duels, was a young gentle
man attached to the kings household.
! shall call him the Vicente Roland.
The name was not an illustrlous one;
in fact, the vicomte was the fruit OF
one of those mixed marriages introduce
ed by Napoleon l. General Comte Ro-
land, whose heavy cavalry charges are
matters of history, had married the
daughter OF the Marquis de Bransac, a
member OF one of the wealthiest and
most powerful families OF France. His
son was then about twenty-six years
of age He had i.at the robust, plebl-
an beauty of his father, Who had been
one of the handsomest men in the ar
nv. His was rather the delicate and
distinguished grace ofhis mother, whose
idol he was. Having loved her hus-
bond passionately the countess was
now wrapped up in his son:
'The extravaganza life led by the son
had caused quarrel between the par
ents, The countess lived in the Bran
sac Hotel, one OF the finest in the Fau-
bourg Saint Germa;a, while the general
secluding himself in a little chateau in
the forest of Senart, passed his time
in the pleasures of the chase. They
say he had ill-treated his wife, but it
was utterly untrue. The fact is that
there had been bstWeen the general and
his wife, two terrible sessles,
s'The first was caused by aA idea
which took possession of the countess,
She found this name Roland too
plebeian for her son, and tormented
her husband to obtain tho kings au-
thority to add to it that OF De Bran,
sac. The general theoretically refus-
ed.
"sMy name has sufficed for me- said
he for me who have made it famous.
1t will do for this fine gentleman, my
son, Ii he does not find it brilliant
enough, let him try to add to its
lustre.'
''The second scehe was brought
about by the vicomte abducting O ball
let dancer, and by duel and debt
which were the consequences of this
little affair. The general brought the
son before his mother and roughly re-
proved him for his folly. Instead Of
supporting her husband, the countess
made excuses for her son. Women al
+ ways are indulgent toward the man in
a. love scrape.
"As the general told his son that his
fortune was not sufficient to maintain
such scandalous absurdities, the
, countess unhappily interjectsd:
"Oh, 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 hotel and went to his chateau; at
the end of week hefamily notary in
formed the countess that her entire
personal fortune was at her disposal.
The separation was complete, and the
: generallived alone On the fifteen thous-
and francs which constituted the rev.
enue he received from his own for
tune.
"The 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 clone saved her
from her sons extrayagan0es,
"All at once it became known that
the vicomte Roland no longer belonged
to the kings household, and that he
lad handed in his resignation as
lieutenant in a cavalry regiment. That
is what was given out, but rumors OF a
different character were afioAt. The
countess no longer appeared in public,
) but confined herself to her hotel. In
a few weeks she seemed ten years older.
1.-THE vicomte, after q voyage OF
some weeks in Italy, returned 70 Paris,
took apartments in the Rue de la
Chaussee d'Antin, and lived the life OF
an idler on the pension Of a thousand
francs month allowed him by his
mother. 1t would belittle to-day; but
at that time it enabled q man to make
quite figure in the fashionable world
He passed his time between love ad-
ventures, the theatres, and the green
table. Then little by little hts &c.
eance and eccentricities began to be
talked about. Clubs were not as Zen.
tiful as they are nov, but the gilded
youth and the gamesters had few o.
them where lovers Of the green cloth
could amuse themselves.
zone evening when the Vicomts Ro-
land. after having won q considerable
sum from one of his friends, offered
him his revenge, his opponent rose