News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-03-18

|
the scene which the gaming saloon PIE
sents troubles the sight, saddens the
heart, and fills one with feeling Of
WEAKNESS and depression.
Picture to yourself a splendid saloon
brilliantly lighted by numerous chande-
liers; the walls are magnifcently deco,
rated, but the sole furniture of the room
consists of tables and chairs. On each
table may be seen a roulette wheel,
miniature rakes, and locked box.
Gradually the crowd enters, and the
gaming saloon is filed. Visitors of the
most varied types take their places
round the tables, the croupiers come in,
open the box, fill it with bank notes,
and pile up before them heaps of gold.
The play begins. This consists of throw
ing an ivory ball, which revolves in a
wheel-a species of round basin with
numbers, and which is itself whirling
in an opposite direction. There are
| thirty six numbers on the wheel without
counting zero, Each player stakes sum
of money upon number. The croupiers
pay thirty-six times the sum which Is
staked on the number at which the ball
stops. All the money risked on the
other numbers forms the gains of the
Casino.
A gentlemen of military appearance is
standing near table. He stakes louis,
and whether he gains or whether he
loses, the sum which he risks never
varies it is always a louis. Across the
table young woman is noting down
the winning numbers; for hours together
she is absorbed in this occupation, and
in the evening when she returns to her
hotel, she devotes herself to making
innumerable calculations. She reckons
how many times each number has come
out during the day, she strikes an
average, and thus settles the number on
which next day she will risk the money
at her command. At another table two
Players of different temperament face
each other. One is brutalized by play,
the other is impassive; he has what is
called ga strong stomach" Whether he
loses or whether he wins, his face always
remains the same. No nervous contrac-
! tion betrays the feelings which are
agitating his heart. He dlgests equally
well all fortunes vagaries, and when
| the roulette carries off the sheaf of bank
notes which is before him, the digestion
of this does not appear to give him the
slightest discomfort-henceh his name of
'fstrong stomach"
had been in the gambling saloon for
some moments when / noticed young
couple enter. The woman was French,
the man spoke English, but with a
strong American accent. Doubtless they
were a newly married couple who had
come to Monte Carlo for their honey
moon. Both took their places at table
and began to play.
"The 9th of December was our we'd
ding day." whispers the young woman
in her husbands ear. Suppose we
choose the number 8; perhaps it will
bring us luck2"
''Just as you like" answers her hus-
band, and they placed e5 on the num-
Der 8.
The ball is thrown, and whirls around
the wheel. The husband, with his
hands on the table, awaits the result
almost with indifference. The lady,
somewhat less cool, puts on her glasses
to get better view. The ball revolves
for a long time, but eventually slackens
its pace, passes slowly by the numbers
33, /, 20, IA, 81, and finally stops at
number 8.
The croupier takes e1sO in gold, and
noisily sounding the coins, places them
before the young woman, who smilingly
takes rake, and heaps up little
mountain of gold.
''If instead of e5," says the husband,
Eve had risked e100, we should have
gained small fortune, e3, 600, and we
might have abandoned the idea of living
on board our vessel"
''Let US risk e100, as we have won it.
1t was on January nth that you were so
nearly drowned at sea with your father
and mother: let US put e100 on number
H."
The e1OO arc placed on No. II. The
ball revolves. and quite gently, as
though guided by an invisible hand,
stops at number II.
''Every one for himselfi" exclaims
the husband, gathering in the huge
packet of notes which the croupier
passes him. 'It is l who risked the
e1OO; the winnings should belong to
me-"
81 thought that between US two all
was in common" said his companion,
timidly.
"At play-no. Irepeat, every one for
himself"
"Our winnings are considerable,
ventured the lady. 'Let us leave the
room, and go back to Marseilles, where
your vessel awaits you"
"You are mad; don't YOU see that l
have run of luck2 mean to break
the bank"
In fact, the young American, excited
by his extraordinary success, begins to
play wildly. But, alas the little ivory
balls seem to have become capricious.
One bank note follows another, and the
'run of luck'' does not appear to return.
In very short tine all his winnings
have been lost, and more than once our
player has plunged his hand into his
pocket to draw out money which was
not intended to be risked at play. The
more he loses, the more he plays, only
to lose again. All his money passes to
the croupiers, and only when he has ex-
hausted his last five franc piece does he
determine to tear himself from this
table, at which he has left the half of
his fortune. This fortune which he has
lost-the savings which his father had
accumulated by dint of labor and thrift
was not mere idle pocket-money. This
money was to be devoted to pay for the
| fitting out of merchant vessel of which
he was about to take command. What
should he do now2 How could he get
out of the difficulty9 How would he
retrieve his compromised position2 2
Only one resource remained to him
to go to Marseilles and to borrow the
money which he needed on the security
of his vessel.
The Casino authorities accord him a
uiatiqtte, that is to say, the exact sum
necessary for him and his wife to return
to Marseilles. Furnished with this UtG-
| tioue, both take train thither. How sad
/ is their iourneyl What honeymoon
What q contrast to their journey OF few
days since, when with Il clear conscience
and a peaceful mind the two young peo-
pie thought only of love and the ENJOY
ments of life! In few days both have
aged many years, and have rivited to
! their feet one of those cOnvicts' cannon
balls which can never be cast off. AS
soon as he reaches Marseilles the young
American goes to his banker, and with
much difficulty succeeds in borrowing
the sum which he needs; but thence
forward his ship is no longer his own.
This fine, coquettish craft, OF which Tor
the first time he was about to take com
mand, this ship the purchase of which
/ had absorbed all his fortune and that OF
his wife, this vessel on the stern OF
which shone in golden letters the name
Aoatyet0,t, and on board of which he
hoped. like his father, to pass long
/ lr;o,,e nornor now belonps to his