Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-14

trees, and, wandering among these and
climbing terrace after terrace, we soon found
ourselves in front OF the Casino. We en-
tered the Office of the Administration, and
after handing in our cards and being care
fully scrutinized by great man with rib
bon in his button hole, to satisfy himself that
we were fit and proper persons to frequent
these sacred precincts, we each received a
card giving us the right of entrance to the
Strangers Club of Monaco for the rest OF
the day. It bore at the foot these words,
s'This card may be Withdrawn" no doubt
meaning that if the great man discovered
that if we were not persons OF unblemished
character he might swoop down upon US with
his guardians Of the public morals, and drag
us forth as unfit society for such select cir
Gle. 1t is true that when we got inside we
saw many people who certainly did not
seem to be any better than they ought to be,
but appearances are deceptive. Our cards
were not Withdrawn, and both of us cherish
them to this day as proofs that at least once
in our lives our characters were above sus-
plcion.
So here we were in the very tenn
ple of Mammon behind the
veil, so to speak, and in full view of priests
and worshipers, as one might call the crou-
piers and gamblers. There they sat, round
table after table-sat and stood, for there
were two or three standing for every one
who had a seat, so eager are they. Young
girls with flushed faces, and old bags with
bony, claw-like fingers, gloating over their
piles; players who looked stoically indiffer-
ent whether winning or losing, others whose
faces betrayed every emotion. Some there
were who n ever staked more than fve-franc
pieces, while others would only condescend
to gold and notes, few using nothing but
the beautiful big gold coins of 100 francs
each, called ''plaques."
wandered through the gorgeous rooms,
stopping at one table after another to
watch the game, and many a queer sight
we saw. While we were looking on at one
OF the roulette tables a smartly-dressed
young Frenchwoman stepped forward Just
as the ball began rolling. Suddenly she
turned to a companion, and heard her say.
"Quick, Jeanne, lend me louis-the II
will come out" The louis was handed to
her and placed on the seventeenth square
lust as the croupier called out, "Rien ne va
plus" and in another moment he drawled
out, "Dix-sept. Noir, Impaire ct Manque."
Out OF the 81 spaces in the wheel, the little
ivory ball had actually chosen No. II to
drop into, and 700 francs were promptly
handed to the little lady. At another table
I watched Frenchman put a 5-franc piece
again and again on 20. don't know how
many times he had lost, but at last the ball
stopped in his space, and Monsieur beamed
with satisfaction as he gathered up 175
francs, leaving his stake on the twenty-ftth
square. An American girl sitting next
him, and who generally laid five or six
pieces on different squares without any ap-
parent method, seemed to me to include the |
twenty-fifth in her next distribution of fa- |
vors to fortune, and, strange to say, out |
came the 25 again. One hundred and |
francs were thrown to the |
Frenchman for the one piece, and second !
175 francs followed ior the other, but no one |
lifted the money.
'To whom is the mass?" cried the
croupier.
"Isn't it yours?" said to the fair Amer
can.
'Of course it's mine," and she put forth !,
her hand to the little pile.
But Mr.. Frenehman was too many for
her. "How stupid 7 am" he exclaimed,
ito forget my own systemP'-andh be grabbed
the money and swept it into his own heap,
explaining volubly that he always doubled
his stake on the same number when he won.
In vain she protested, and when tried to
,ay good word for her, the croupier told
ne that "she had for habit to claim the
stakes of other people-though for that mat