Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-09-23
THE BAR0N'S SCHEME.

Baron Won Richntz was a member OF
the Baccarat club Ia the Rue Raymond de
Toulouse of Paris. lie was a somewhat
remarkable man. A member OF one OF the
great but impecunious families OF Saxony,
he had, some live years before, been caught
young. and married By a brilliant com.
plexioncd. though not very rich. American
girl. For year or two they had been con
tent TO live IN his dull native town, with
Its round Of first rate operas. but third rate
everything else.
At the Anglo American club the baron
hnd evinced n certain aptitude for ecarte,
poker aud picquet, and so uniform had been
his success at these games that IL WAS not
long before he began TO yearn for fresh
fields and pastures new, where he could
play for higher stakes than were obtainablc
In "A second rate German town and a third
rate Anglo American society His wife,
too, impressed hv his success, aud not un,
willing To rger returns, encour
aged him In his ambition, with the result
that IA move was made to Paris, and he
became "a member OF the famous Baccarat
club.
From the moment of his arrival, eight
years before our story runs, fortune had
smiled upon the young adventurer. But
his WIS, perhaps, not 50 much that she
owed him any special kindness ',s that he
left no stone unturned TO assist the iickle
goddess in declaring In his favor This
yo ing man WAS not gambler by nature.
that Is to say, he never risked his money
where bc considered the odds were against
him. In all games OF chance combined
with skill he knew that skill must tell ia
the long run. He never overestimated his
own play or uuderestimated that OF an AL.
IL t...N Il =
aud AN unwearied brain always had the
odds in their favor. and. gambling as he
did merely as matter OF business, he
strictly took advantage OF these aud other
palp1ble verities.
On ilrSt becoming a member OF the club,
he had confined himself to playing in the
small hours OF the morning. All the high.
est play was between . and o'clock, and
these hours he had lir% avoided on princi
pie. After | o'clock he had noticed that
play became Stacker, Hnd that those play
ers who still stud on were either over
excited with wine or beginning 10 tire; and
by O'Clock In tine morning there were, as
rule, but fcw jadad or half intoxicated
members; fair game, he considered, for
young mnu OF regular habits, aud who
took a sufliciency OF sleep.
Now, as he said to his wife he was In
Paris on business, and pleasure and con.
venirnce must give way to that, aud she,
being n practical young woman, cheerfnlly
acquiesced. The consequence was that
this enterprising young couple kept very
curious hours indeed. They went to bed
regularly ut 4 o'clock in the afternoon. and
rot up rs regularly 1T midnight. Won
Rachnitz then dressed himself faultlessly
IN evening costume. kissed his dear little
wife, who wished him good success. aud
turned into the club as fresh as paint And
this plan for some time succeeded excel
lently well. Indeed the Frau Barouin,
who was not quite as ambitious as her
husband. WAS beginning TO look forward
TO the retirement on n very fair compe.
tency In the near future
Bat this was by no means Van Rach.
nitz's Idea. A comfortable competency
did not appear half tempting enough
to him. He swore in bis heart that he
would stick to business until he was o
really wealthy man. His success was un.
doubtedly great with the comparatively
small fry, but his practice In the small
hours OF the morning was only to he the
prelude To greater things In the real gam.
bling hours of the club. He only waited
his opportunity 70 rake In. as he believed
himself capable of doing, the thousands
which changed Hands before o'clock. in
place OF thu hundreds which lie gathered
In all too slowly after that hour In vain
his wife Used all her efforts to induce him
to be content with the snffieiency he bad
already amassed lie paid her no heed.
but bade her wait patiently and he would
make her a rich woman.
Thus II WAS that. about three years be
fore certain Raoui Fieischer obtained
membership ia the club, Won Rachntz had
become one of the o TO o'clock hAbitues
As In his earlier ventures, his luck from
the first proved phenomenal, and this WAS
the more astonishing, as here he was pi,ted
against the finest and coolest players iD
the world. However. OF course. bad for
tune WAS sure to come at iast--at least, so
all the knowing ones said.
BY this time Won Rachnitx had amnssed
n large sum OF money-larger. indeed, than
amy OF his associates imagined. He and his
wife were living very smartly in a small
way, and were, by degrees, making good
their position In the very best ssciety. He
was very popular with the leading mem
bers OF the club. among whom were the
cream OF the male Partisan aristocracy.
My dear" said the baroness one day. II
wish you would give up play"
II wish | could. my love. ! would give
It up tomorrow II | saw my way 20 do so"
Il can't see what Is to prevent YOU, II you
wish It's simply tempting Providence 70
trust to your luck any longer"
You ARE perfectly right in what you
say, but you must remember that the ma
jority OF the members of the Baccarat club
don't look ON gaming as business. aud II
II was for moment imagined that
played only for the money | make. we
should lose ground terribly in society"
~ don't see why"
"Yon do not, and yet I've told you often
enough that a man who has played sue
cesstully Is always expected to 20 on
giving his fellow members an opportunity
Tor revenge. ! should 20 down tremen
dousiy in their estimation II | suddenly
stopped playing without assigning any
rsaSon. You DONE know how suspicious
people become Of a man who gives up play
before play gives up him. don't SEQ how
IN 10 abandon IL altogether uuiesa wo