Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-14
h;r.. hacsuse the man had NV 45 francs.

next opening 70 SuOWluR f4oboS0
and Monte Carlo spread like map far below
us, he was unkind enough to remind me that
there was the man who had my As francs.
ANY excuse was good enough during the
next six weeks, which we spent together IN
Italy, Sicily and Tunis, to conjure up the
man, whose having my 40 francs was
blamed if was economical. and whose evil
influence was grumbled at If 1 was lavish.
So it will be readily understood that little
by little the very words me man became
associated in nv mind with sort OF
monster croupier, nv natural enemy, to be
encountered and routed at the first possible
opportuuity. and beside whom Sir Noel
Paton's 'tMan with the muck-rake" looked
simply angelic.
I vowed vengeance, and plan of cam
paign slowly evolved itself in the shape of
system-ouite infaliible-by which not only
would the 45 francs be recovered, but the
man would be suitably punished for all he
had caused me to suffer. 1t needed 5000
francs of capital, so / turned the tables on
Twinnie, and never let day pass without
pressing him to join. No-no-always no
he really would like, but he could not.
Say you can if you like, but you will
notP' retorted at last.
mo, upon my word if 1 had
"Oh, bother time" said L. "That doesn't
matter. don't need YOU, It's your money I
want. You put 5000 francs into the bag,
and I'll do the same; you may 60 home and
enjoy yourself in the bosom of your family,
while shall do all the work, and send you
half the profit"
But Twinnie could not see it; he was quite
willing to lend me e120, and to take half of
the profit, but risk half OF the loss he would
not.
We were about to part at Algiers, and 1
began TO regret my vows OF vengeance, for
although 1 had screwed up my courage to
the extent of risking e120 hesitated about
9240 There might be some flaw in
NV system, infalllble and all though
it seemed. One hundred and
20 pounds could be saved by going on short
commons at our country quarters, and ab-
juring the world, the flesh and the devil
generally, all summer. But e240l that
meant long course of selfdenial. Vows
were foolish; had they not brought about
disasters ever since the DAYS of Jephthah?
One word ftly spoken at that time might
have turned me, ard made the solemn warn
ings of the following pages unnecessary.
But it did not come. The Vile de Rome
was slowly steaming away from Algiers jetty,
Twinnie leaning over the rail. 1 was feeling
very lonely, and a lump would persist in
rising in nv throat, when he called out a
final Goodbye! goodbye! Don't 60 back
to the Man"
1t was challenge, defiance, and the
effect was instantaneous. "Of course /
willp' l cried, "and you'll be sorry YOU
didn't join. Goodby. Bon voyage! and
the great ship moved swiftly out to sea. L
wrote at once to Paris for 5000 francs to be
sent to Barcelona, where l reckoned that
the money would arrive on the same dav as
myself. Then l went to Oran, across to
Carthagena, and so by Alicante and Va
lencia to Barcelona. Strive as liked, nv
mind would run on my system, and bv the
time reached Barcelona / was coming to
think 1t very far from infallible, so much so
that any good excuse for change of route
would have been welcome. I called at the
bank. No letter! 1 could not go without
money. Were the fates interfering in my
favor? 1t seemed so, and I almost felt re-
lieved. But another mail from Paris would
arrive in the afternoon, so I arranged that if
letter came they were to telephone to nv
hotel. II l received no news 1 would leave
next morning for home.
The afternoon passed very slowly some
how. Again and again asked the PORTER
if there was no word. Nothingl And all
the while an inward voice, very weak at
first, but growing louder, kept saying,
'You- system is quite sate-telegraph and
wait lor letter" No, would not do that;
, but when at last the dinner bell rang made
desperate appeal to the PORTER. Still moth
ing. Had the Paris mail arrived. Yes,
shre4Iours ago. Was he in all afternoon?
No, he had been out for half an hour, And
who attended to the telephone in his alb
auuce? "Telefono, Senorl no tenenos tele-
fono." What. no telephonei 1 hurried to
the bank. and once more the system seemed
very fallible indeed, when a letter with five
big red seals was handed to me, containing
six crisp new notes 1000 francs each
However, fate had decided-at least
so 1 said, blaming, as We usually do,
everything but ourselves when we leave the
right road-and next morning / quilted
Barcelona at o'clock.
Twenty-eight hours steady travelling by
express trains landed me at Monte Carlo
station shortly after 9 the following day.
The weather was glorious, and the place
which was lovely in January looked more
beautiful than ever In the early spring. A
bath and sharp walk up the hill, past
gardens glowing with flowers of every color,
soon made me feel as fresh as the morning.
On the way back ! saw window filled with
photographs, and entered the shop to ask
the price of an album of views OF the
Riviera.
Twenty francs"
Fresh from Funis, I couldn't think of
buying without bargaining, so / offered 60
francs for four albums But madame re-
piled that everything was 'prix fxe."
"All right, l said, 81 am going down to
the Casino; if 1 an lucky you will get your
so TraDcs; if not, unless you take 60 francs
now, my friends will get no albums"
"Ah, Monsieur! Pay the 80 francs! It
will be just so much less lost No one ever
comes back to me from the Casino.'
The system WINGED, but laughed and
said, You will see. Au revoir."
The bell was ringing for dejeuner as 1
entered the hotel, where 1 found a chair re-
served for me next most affable lady, the
wife of a retired general who sat on the
other side. He was confirmed invalid,
and she told me how dull it was for him.
the Casino being the only distraction for
which he cared.
HE goes down every day, and sometimes
wins, sometimes loses-generally loses, to
tell the truth. But he never takes
more than two napoleons with him, at least
so he saws, so it is comparatively harmless"
She told me of many strange sights she
had seen during her three months stay
manv a little romance in real life, and all
more or less connected with the gaming tables
but the constantly-recurring episode was
the appearance at breakfast of some bright
young couple, evidently on their honey
moon. She always felt motherly interest,
and would get into conversation with the
bride. After while she would say, "And
how are you going to spend the day?' oh,
we are going to the CasinoP Don't do that,
dear; don't do that; you are sure to lose your
money, and you will just spoil the one great
holiday of your lives But the answer was
ALWAYS something like No no never fear