The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-03-16
WOMEN GAMBLERS At MONTE CARLO.
Types Of Players who Crowd Around
tho Tables and Risk Their Money.

Types Of Players who Crowd Around
tho Tables and Risk Their Money.
Do you see that little, white-haired
woman at the "trente-et-quarante'
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
neighbors? She wears the biggest
diamonds in the room and plays
the most recklessly, undaunted by
evil eyes or any other eyes. She
is a Duchess, who last year lost
1900 francs in one night. This
wear 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 from any
of her friends.
That lady at the table near the
center of the room, at whom the
crouriers look disapprovingly, as if
afraid she will 'break the bank, J"
must now have piece of the hang
mans rope around her neck, al
though it is said that last year she
lost $4,000; but she is rich, and it
does not matter SO much to her as
to the girl beyond, who risks her
all and loses, and then with look
sad to see upon so young a face
searches vainly in her purse for
another 5-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 jew
elry or dress and come again to-
morrow, hoping to do better than
to-day. Were she man she might
at last, when irretrievably ruined,
possibly kill herself. But she is a
woman, and as such holds her life
more sacred. Down at the end of
the table is 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
scarcely can hold the gold she is
squandering SO wantonly!
But to me she is not so pitiable as
that fair young English girl whom
l watched for week and by whom
stood when she made her first
venture with a 5-franc piece and
lost! But there were more in her
purse, and with the exclamation,
a must win" !" she struck fortu-
nate number and got back all she
had lost, while l 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 limo,
cent, that l felt irresistibly drawn
toward her, and watched day after
day as she became more and more
accustomed to the place, and, alas,
more accustomed to the unhealthy
moral atmosphere she was breath
ing. It seemed to take the fresh,
ness from her face, which became
flushed and red with excitement,
while her eyes lost their shy, modest
look, and met the eyes of those
around her unhesitatingly. How
pitied her, for l knew that no girl
could sit at a gambling table, side
by side and shaulder to shoulder
with some of the worst men and
women in the world, and leave the
place as pure as she entered.
| Beside her was her mother, with
face more like Madonna than a
gambler at Mote Carlo. And there
they were, day after day and nigh,
after night, losing and winning and
losing, and when Sunday came there
was not in church a more devout
worshiper than that young girl who
for days II O'Clock in the morning
and II o'clock at night had found
at the gaming table, and, saddes1
of all, heard she was there again
on Sunday afternoon, almost before
the prayer she had said in the morn
ing had died upon her lips. Al
Monte Carlo there is no Sunday sc
far as the Casino is concerned. The
concerts, which are free, and the
play go on as usual. The train:
come loaded from Nice and Men
tone, and the tables are just az
crowded with anxious, feverish, ex
cited people as if there were no Coo
and no commandment to keep His
Sabbath holy.-Springfeld Rep.
Nustaches Fashionable for Women.