The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-12-12

from people who had lost their money
and demanded its return with fierce
threats, pitiful supplications and warn
ings Of intended suicide, place, date and
hour carefully specified, SO there could
be no mistake, and more than one at
tempt was made upon his LIFE But the
eQuanimity of Francois Blanc was equal
to all adventures. Threats, prayers.
temptations, left him untouched. This
man Of ice, self possessed, cold. indiffer-
emit to the ruin Of the thousands Of vic
Tins Of his will, had a fad or q fancy.
It was for raising red and white roses,
and while the mad throngs We're futter-
ing in frenzy around the tables in his
halls at Homburg, Wiesbaden and Monte
Carlo he, hoe or trowel in hand, would
be training and transplanting his roses,
solicitous over an opening bud or de-
ploring the ravages Of an insect, or
again, refusing all invitations, he would
sit down with his wife to dinner Of
boiled turnips and bacon, washed down
with glass Of vichy water and milk.
This was the town and these the scenes
constantly occurring there.
Now for my adventure. In 1870, Just
before the warcloud burst, covering all
that part Of the world, I was stopping
for some weeks at the Hotel Nassau. It
stands In the main street, opposite the
park gate leading to the Casino. All the
world went to Wiesbaden to be amused.
However fashionable frivoity and vice
may be elsewhere, here 1t was strictly
10 vi ND IN k0
and sobriety would - to stamp ones
self heathen and barbarian, all I'M
versed In the glorious flower wreathed
Primrose Way Of our orb.
The daily routine for the throng be-
gan with coffee in bed at p. M; then
dressing gowns were donned, and the
baths in the underground floors of the
hotel were sought and bath had in the
hot mineral waters which were con-
Quoted to all the hotels direct from the
hot springs Of the town Half an hour
in the bath, then light breakfast, pre-
paratory to sallying out for an hour on
the Spaziergang around the quellen
to drink the water, listen to the band,
see and be seen, but, above all, to gos-
sip and tell lies. At II a. m. the gam
bling began in the Casino, and with a
rush the seats around the tables would
be filed Then speedily there would be
rows behind rows Of eager players or
spectators, and what a sight it all was
to the cool headed observer!
At the time of which speak many
were my idle days, in which I was free
to seek pleasure. I used to find much
enjoyment in frequenting the Casino to
watch the people and to play the role of
'looker on in Vienna" which, by the
way, is star role and therefore rather
agreeable. One evening while watching
the rouge ct noir noticed a lady just
in front of me, magnifcently dressed in
all save that there was an entire absence
Of jewelry. She was literally dressed to
kill, and, although near 30, yet to the
casual observer she seemed no more than
40 or even less She was we'll pre-
served woman Of the world and was
known as the Countess de Winzerole.
This was tho adventures who had mar
ried Van Tromp some two years before.
What a career had been that of this
woman!
She had been mistress from first to
last Of a dozen men, noblemen, dipbo-
mats, soldiers, but being an inveterate
gambler one after another saw, with
dismay, the cash, estates, diamonds,
carriages, costly furs and laces he show
cred upon her all go whirIng into the
ever open nav Of the Casino or in the
drawing room games of the bonton in
Paris or Petersburg. One brave youth,
an officer in the Prussian guards, had,
in his infatuation for the countess, and
impregnable, as he thought, against
bankruptcy by reason Of his great for
tune. tried to satisfy her cravings for
splendor Of encourage and her infatua-
ton for gambling The result was that
one day the crack Of pistol shot was
heard in the countess chamber, and the
servants rushing in found the young
bankrupt dead. lying across the bed,
with bullet through the heart. The
next day horde of clamorous creditors
besieged the house, where the countess
calmly told them she had sent for her
bankers and ON the morrow they would
be paid That night his comrades buried
their dead friend with military honors.
At midnight the oorteee passed the ho
tel, and all eyes watched the lovely
countess robed in white as she appeared,
her bosom heaving with emotion, while
she waved q farewell to her dead lover.
Ten minutes Later she fed through the
back door and over the garden wall,
falling into the arms Of another lover
waiting there. He himself did not go
the way Of No. 4, but half Of his for
tune did, 90 one morning, leaving a po-
lite note Of farewell, he, taking for com
panion the dressing maid Of his mis-
tress, embarked for America .
At the time I met her the countess
reputation was too we'll known and her
beauty too much fallen off for her to
make any more grand catches. A local
banker at Wiesbaden became very friend
II. Howeve-, the friendship lost all its
warmth when the bankers stout wife
one day caught them together, and hav-
ing already provided herself with q