St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-03-11

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 gentleman of military appearance
| is standing near table. He stakes a
louis, and whether he gains or wheth-
or he loses, the sum which he risks
never varies = it is always a louis.
Across the table a 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 de-
votes herself to making innumerable
calculations. She reckons how many
times each number has come out dur
ing the day, she strikes an average.
and thus settles the number on which
next day she will risk the money at heT
command. At another table two play
ers of a 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
contraction betrays the feelings which
are agitating his heart. He digeSts
equally well all fortunes vagaries, and
when the roulette carries off the sheat
of bank notes which is before him, the
digestion of this loss does not appear
to give him the slightest discomfort
hence his name of "strOng stomach"
| had been in the gambling saloon
| for some moments when / noticed a
young couple enter. The woman was
| French, the man spoke English, but
with a strong American accent. Doubt
| less they were newly married couple
who had come to Monte Carlo for their
| honeymoon. 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 9 perhaps it will
bring us luck 2"
"Just as you like" answers her hus-
band, and they placed e5 on the num-
Der g.
| 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 up her glass
es to get a better view. The ball re-
wolves for long time, but eventually
slackens its pace, passes slowly by the
numbers 80, 1, 20, IA, 81, and finally
stops at number 9.
The crOupier takes $3.50 in gold, and
noisily sounding the coins, places them
before the young woman, who smiling
ly takes rake, and heaps up little
mountain of gold.
'Tf instead of 95," says the husband
''we had risked 41OO, we should have
gained small fortune, f36OO, and we
might have abandoned the idea of liv-
ing on board our vessel"
"Let US risk El00, as we have won
it. 1t was on January 18th that you
were so nearly drowned at sea with
your father and mother let us put
{ 100 an number H."
The EI00 are placed on No. II. The
ball revolves, and quite gently, as
though guided 10y in invisible hand,
stops at number IL.
"Every one for himself!" exclaims
the husband, gathering i'll the huge
packet of notes which the crOupier
passes him. at is | who risked the
El00; the winnings should belong to
me-"
~ thought that between us tive all
was in common" said his companion,
timidly.
"At play-nO. | repeat, every one
for himself"
"Our winnings are considerable" ven
tured the lady. "Let us leave the
the room, and go back to Marseilles,
where your vessel awaits yOu."
"YOu are mad don't you see that |
have a run of luck l? l mean to. break
the bank"
In fact, the young American, excited
by his extraordinary success, begins to
play wildly. But, alas the little ivory
ball seems to have become capriciOus.
One bank note follows another, and
the "run of luck" does not appear to
return. In very short time all his
winnings have been lost, and more
than once our player has plunged his
hand into his pockets to draw out mon
ey which was not intended to be risk
ed 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 exhausted his last
franc piece does he determine to
tear himself from the table, at which
he has left the half of his fortune. This
fortune which he has st,-the saw
ings which his father had accumulated
mere idle pOcket-mOney. This money
was to be devoted to pay for the fitting
out of a merchant vessel of which he
was about to take the command. What
should he dc. now? How could he get
out of the difficulty? How would he
retrieve his compromised position
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
Uidtique, that is to say, the exact
sum necessary for him and his wife to
return to Marseilles. Furnished with
this UiGtigue, both take train thither.
How sad is their journey! What
honeymoon What contrast to their
journey of a few days since, when with
ii clear conscience peaceful mind the
two young people thought only of love
and the enjOyments of life In a few
days both have aged many years, and
have riveted to their feet one of those
cOnvicts' cannon balls which can never
be cast off. AS soon as he reaches
MarseiIles the young American goes to
his banker, and with much difficulty
succeeds in borrowing the sum which
he needs; but thenceforward his ship
is no longer his own. This fine, CO.
quettish craft, of which for the first
time he was about to take the 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 of MOnhetOut, and on board of
which he had hoped, like his father,
to pass long glorious career, now be-
longs to his creditors. Doubtless, ac
cOrding to the old custom of the sea,
he Is still ssmaSter ON his own shin af- |