The herald. (Big Stone City, Dak. [S.D.]) 1883-1890, 1889-05-17
WOMAN GAMBLERS At MONTE CARLO.
Types NJ Players Who Crowd Around the
Tables and Risk Their Money.

DO you see that little whitc-haired
woman at the trante-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 neighborse 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 rs 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 GEN.
tre OF the room, at whom the Group
iers look disapprovingly. as If afraid
she will 'break the ba nix, must now
have - piece Of the hangman's rope
around her neck, although it is said
that last year she lost f8,OOO: but she
is rich, and IL does not matter as much
to her rs to the girl beyond, who risks
her all and loses, and then with look
sad to see upon so young aface search
es vainly in her purse for another five
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 mad
ness in her brain, and il she cannot
borrow she will perhaps pawn some Of
her jewelrv or dress and come again
tomorrow. hoping to do better than
to-day. Were she a man she might at
last, when irretrievably ruined, possi-
| bly, kill herself. But she is a woman,
and rs such holds her lifo more sacred.
Down at the end of the table is wo-
man SO old or blind or both that she
does not know when she has lost or
won. and has to be prompcd by her
friend. who tells her where to put her
money and when TO take it up. Pitia.
BILE spectacle of womanhood, with
blesred eyes and shaking hands, which
scarce can hold the gold sho is squan-
dering so wantonly!
/ But to me she is not SO pitiable rs that
fair young English girl whom | watch
ed for week and by whom l stood
when she made her first venture with
q tivc-franc piece and lost! But there
were more in her purse. and with the
|
them down one after another until she
had lost. while could not help think.
ing that 1t would have been far bet.
ter for her il every drop Of the ball
had been against her. She was Sc
pretty and sweet to look at, aud appar.
emily SO fresh and innocent, that felt
irresistibly drawn toward her, and
watched day after day as she became
more and more accustomed to the un.
healthy moral atmosphere she was
breathing. 1t seemed to take the
freshness 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 piticd her. fol-
I knew that no girl could sit at the
gambling table. side by side and
shoulder to shoulder with some Of the
and leave the place as pure ~ she
entered.
Beside her was her mother, with 4
face more like n madonna than gam.
bier 1T Monte Carlo. And there they
were, day after day. and night after
night, and when Sunday came there
was not in church more devout wor-
shipper than that young girl whom for
days II o'clock in the morning aud IL
o'clock ut night had found ut the gam
ing table. aud, saddcst Of all, heard
she was there again on Sunday after
noon. almost before the prayer she had
said in the morning had died upon her
lips. At Monte Carlo there is no Sun
day SO far ns the Casino is concerned.
The concerts. which are free. and tho
play go on AS usual The trains come
loaded from Nice and Mcntone. and
the tables are just rs crowded with
anxious, feversh, excited people rs il
there were no God and no command
ment to keep his Sabbath holy
Springfield Republican.