Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-14
SCENES AT MONTE CARLO.
Two Types of Women Whose Money Is
Raked In by the CrOupiers.

Correspondence Springfield Republican.
Do you see that little, white-haired woman
at the trente-etquarante table, with piles of
gold and bank notes scattered around her in
such confusion that you wonder how she knows
which are hers and which her neighbor's2 She
wears the biggest diamonds in the room and
PLAYS the most recklessly. undaunted by evil
eyes or any other eyes. She is duchess. who
last year lost 1900 francs in one night. This
year she will lose as much or more. and next
year come again, and keep on coming as long
as she has any money left or can borrow any Of
her friends. That lady at the table near the
center OF the room, at whom the croupiers look
disapprovingly. as if afraid she will break the
Dank. must now have a piece of the hang
mans rope around her neck, although it is said
that last year she lost $4,000: but she is rich
and it does not matter as much to her az to the
girl beyond, who risks her all and loses, and
then with look sad 20 see upon so young a
face, searches vainly in her purse for another
iye-franc piece with which to try again. Will
she learn wisdom from her defeat of to-day?
Not at all. She has tasted the poison which is
working like madness in her brain, and if she
cannot borrow she will perhaps pawn some of
her jewelry or dress and come again tomorrow
hoping to do better than to-day. We're she a
man she might at last. when irretrievably
ruined possibly kill herself But she is a wo-
l.
Down at the end of the table is a woman so old
or blind. or both. that she does not know when
she has lost or won. and has to be prompted by
her friend who tells her where to put her
money and when to take it up. Pitiable spec
tacle of wOmanhoOd, with bleared eyes and
shaking hands, which scarce can hold the gold
she is squandering so wantonly.
But to me she is not pitiable as that fair
young English girl whom watched for a week
and by whom stood when she made her first
five fro, rY,i#.. Inct D,,%
there were more in her purse. and with the
exclamation, Il must win. she put them down
one after another until she struck "a fortunate
number and got back all she had lost, while
could not help thinking that it would have
been far better for her if every drop of the
ball had been against her. She was so pretty
and sweet to look at and apparently so fresh
and innocent that L felt irresistibly drawn to-
ward her. and watched day after day as she
became more and more accustomed to the
place. and, alas. more accustomed to the un-
healthy moral atmosphere she was breathing.
Ii seemed to take the freshness from her face.
which became flushed and red with excite
ment, while her eyes lost their shv. modest look
and met the eyes of those around her 1nhesitat-
ingly. How i pitied her. for knew that no girl
could sit at a gaming table. side by side and
shoulder to shoulder with some of the worst
men and women in the world. and leave the
place as pure as she entered it, Beside her
was her mother. with a face more like Madon-
ma than gambler ut Monte Carlo. And there
they Were. day after day. and night after night
losing and winning. winning and losing and
when Sunday came there was not in church
more devOut worshiper than that young girl
whom for DAYS II O'Clock i'll the morning and
IL o'clock at night had found at the gaming
table. and. saddest of all. / heard she was there
again on Sunday afternoon, almost before the
prayer she had saiS in the morning had died
upon her lips. At Monte Carlo there is no
sunday so far as the Casino is concerned.
The concerts. which are free. and the play go
on as usual. The trains come loaded from
Nice and Mentone, and the tables are Just as
crowded with anxio us feverish excited people.
as if there were no God and no commandment
to keep his Sabbath holy.