The Washington critic., 1890-02-03
henvv sleep u vac now dark; lighs s
etresmed from tho open windows of

henvv eleep " wac now dark: ligh's
etresmed from tho open windows of
the gambling .fuulus, tne VOICES OF tue /
tie stir and hum of the play (
ers and iinginr of money were dis. /
tinctly heard in the streets without /
have already told YOU | am no gam
bier. not from scruple, but choice.
Nevertheless, used often to stroll up
to the Cursaal for an hour Of an even
ing, when the play was Mt the highest,
TO look on and chat with chance ne
ouaintances Mechanically, | now as
cended the stairs. ON the landiug
place found myself face to face with
n man with whom was slightly iuti-
mate, and who, few evenings before
had not seen him since. and he nov re-
turned me the piece OF gold. Fry
your luck with IT, said hc there is
run against the bank to night, ev ry.
body wins, and NJ. Blame looks blue.
And he pointed TO one of the prbpri-
ctors of the tables, who, however, wore
tolerably tranquil air knowing well
that what was carried away one II ght
would come back with compound in
terest the next. The play was heavy ut
Il rouge et-nOir table, u Russian and
two Frenchmen--the latter of whom,
judging from their appearance, aud
from the complicated array of calcula-
tions on the table before them, were
professional gamblers - extracted, Mt
nearly every coup, notes or roulcaus of
gold from the grated boxes In front of
the bankers. ] drank glass of water,
for my lips were dry and hot, and,
placing myself as near the table as the
crowd Of players and spectators per
mitted, watched the game. My hand
was in my pocket, the forty franc piece
still between its fingers. But, in spite
of the advice Of him who had paid it
me. felt no disposition TO risk the
coin; not that feared to lose it, for as
my only one it was useless? but because,
as tell you, never had the slightest
love of gambling or expectation to
win.
"A pause occurred in the game. The
cards had run out, and the bankers
were subiecting them TO those compli
Gated and ostentatious shuffiings in
tended to convince the players of the
fairness Of their dealings. During this
operation the previous silence was OK
changed far eager gossip. The game,
IL appeared, had come out that night in
peculiar manner, very favorable 10
those who had had the address and
rerve to avail themselves of it. There
had been alternate long runs upon red
and black.
Mile Hon,S do Diou' exclaimed
hoarse, cracked voice just below me,
What a series Of black! Twenty-Five
and only three red! Aud to be unable
to take advantage Of it'
II looked down and recognized the
gray moustache, wrinked features and
snuffy. black coat with a ribbon of the
Legion of Honor, of an old French
colonel whom you may have seen limp
! ing in and out of the Cursaal, and who
ranks among the antiquities Of HON
burg. He served under Napoleon, WAS
shelved at the peace, and has lived
since then on a moderate annuity. Of
which One-fiflh procures him the barest
necessities of existence, whilst the other
! four parts are annually absorbed in the
vortex of rouge et-noir. When gam
! ling houses were legal at Paris, le
colonel rape, the tllreadbare colonel, as
he was called, was one Of the most
punctual attendants at Frascati's and
the Palais Royal. When they wers
| abolished, he commbnced wandering
existence amongst the German baths,
and finally settled down at Iomburg,
giving 1t the preferedce, as the only
! place where he could follow his darling
! pursuit alike in winter and summer.
From the opening to the close of the
| play he is seen seated at the table, a
number of cards ruled in red and black
columns, on the green cloth before
him, in which he pricks with pins the
progress Of the game, That evening
he had been unfortunate and had
emptied his pocket, but nevertheless
continued punctur;nr cards with laud-
able perseverance, of course discover
ing, like every penniless gambler, had
he money to stake he should inlallibly
make fortune; predicting what color
would come out. and indulgiag, whcr
he proved true prophet, in little
subdued blasphemy because he was un-
able to profit by his acuteness.
Extraordinary run, to be surel
repeated the veteran dicer. Twenty
two black and only three red! There'l
be series of red, now; / feel there
will, and when l don't play myself
I'm always right. | bet this deal be
gins with seven red. Who bets +;
hundred francs to fifty it does not?'
Nobody accepted this sporting
offer, or placed upon the color whicl
the colonel's prophetic soul foresav
was TO come out. The cards were nov
shutfled and cut for dealing. The hel
relapsed into silence.
"'FditeS le jen, MesseieurS," was re
peated in the harsh, business like tone
Of the presiding demon.
"'Red wins, croaked the colonel
Seven times at the least