Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-03-03
WOMEN AT MONTE CARLO.
Types of Players Who Crowd Around the
Tables and Risk Their Money.

From nc SprMfNt.l htphp tllHt'
Do you see that little, white-haired
woman at the trente-et-quaTante 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 big
gest diamonds in the room and plays the
most recklessly, undaunted by evil eyes OF
any other eyes. She is Duchess, who
last year lost 1900 frances 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 centre OF
the room, a. whom the cIoupieIs look dis
approyiugly, as if afraid she will "break
the bank" must now have piece of the
hanpmsn's rope around her neck, although
it is said that last year she lost g 600; but
she is rich, and it dOes not matter as much
70 her az to the girl beyond, who rieks her
all and loses, and then with look sad TO
see upon so young face searches yainly IN
her purse for another fve-ffanc 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 car
not borrow she will perhaps pawn some Of
her welry or dress and come sgain to-
morrow, hoping to do better than today.
Were she a man she might at last, when
irretrievably ruined, possibly kill herself
Bat she is a woman, and as such holds her
life more sacred. Down at the end OF the
table is a woman so Old or blind or both
that che does not know when she has lost
or won, and has 10 be prompted by her
friend. who tells her where to put her
money and when TO take it up. Pitiable
spectacle of womanhOod, with bleared eyes
and shaking hands, which sesTce can hold
the gold she is squandering 20 wantOrly
But 70 me che is not so pitiable as that
fair young English girl whom I watched
for week and by whom l stood when she
made her first venture with five-tganc
piece and Lost 81 must win" She put
them down one after another until she
struck fortunate number and got back all
she had Lost, while / could not help think
ine it would have been bstter for her il
every drop Of the ball had been s. iinst
her. She vas so pretty and sweet TO look
at, ard apparently so fresh and innocent,
felt irreeistiby drawn toward her, and
watched her day after day az she
boone more and more accustomed to the
place, and, alas, more accustomed to the
unhealthy moral atmosphere she was
breathing. 1t seemed to take the fresh
ness from her face, which became huehed
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 knew that no girl
could sit at gambling table, side by side
and shoulder to shoulder 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 a Madonna than a gambler at
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 a
more devout wOrshipper than that young
girl whom for days ~ o'clock in the morn
ing and II o'clock at night had found al
the gaming table, and, ssddest of all,
heard she was there again on Sunday
afternoon, almost before the prayer had
said 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 90 on as usu-
al. The trains come loaded from Nice and
Mentone, and the tables are Just as crowd
ed with anxious, feverish, excited people
as if there were no God and no command
ment to keep His Sabbath holy.