, 1898-09-26
THE COOL GAMBLER
HOW HE BETS, WINS AND LOSES Ar
MONTE CARLO.

" sO ny III u esreNf tsiIIcN
Den at Misunderstanding FickI. For
tune as a Cold Bioodeh business Trans
action-A Lucky English Couple.
Not to see the gambling rooms at
Monte Carlo by night would be to miss
the grand show of the place. There are
not people enough in the town to make
up the crowds that press through the
big corridor and the atrium in the even
ing. They come in trains from all the
neighboring places-frOm Cannes. Nice.
San Reno. Mentone, sometimes from as
far as Genoa. People ride down from
Paris, 20 hours in the rapide, just for a
little "shy' at the tables. All outside
Is as bright as day, though chilly.
When | set out for the casino. | came
upon a young English couple standing
near the big fountain, discussing SOME.
thing with great earnestncss. They
were good looking, well dressed. with
something o . an air of n bridal couple.
What became of them at the m |
did not notice, and inside | stood for "A
few minutes watching the roulette Ia.
bles. Ten minutes later | went into the
trente ct quarantc room and met thum
just inside the big arcncd doorway
They We're on their way ont. Her rosy
cheeks were roster than before, and her
face was wrcathed in smiles. lie was
fairly radiant and looked every fit. 4" us
the LOndoners say. In one hand lie held
a great bundle Of French notes, all
stretched out at full length, jnsta as they
came from the tables. 1t took no great
shrewdness to sec that for ten minutes
they had been leading active, inGustri.
GUS lives and had rcapcd the reward of
industry and virtue and were getting
out of the place before they were tcmpt
ed to try again and lose.
One elderly gentleman was at the
moment doing the leading business in
that room and attracting the most ut
tention by risking ten 200 franc nrtrs
(S2, 000) at every dealing of the cards
He was particularly interesting To Inc.
because he was beyond doubt an Amrri-
can. He was n fine looking man, with
gray hair. iron gray beard, well trim.
med, n shrewd eye that watched every
move the dealer made, and of course in
the regulation black evening clothes
His face showed him to be IL man who
had made his money, not inherited it
l think that lumber was the foundation
Of his fortune i'll the northwest some
where. but long enough ago to give him
time to have the sawdust brushed out
of his clothes. for he was very smooth
and well groomcd. Not "a word was
said around the table, so there was nc
chance to hear what language he spoke
He was one of those mel who would
not look at all out of place leading Il
prayer meeting, but who might be de
pended upon for a ready revolver if he
caught the dealer at any foul play.
The notes came out of one of bis vest
pockets. but no CareIessly. There was /
none of the usual effort to lock as if
risking 50, 0H0 every three minutes was
all e%veryday affair with him He did
everything with caution, always DELHI
Grating over what square he should Law
his money upon, and sometimes chang
ing it to sOme other square after he had
laid it down. But whether he won or
lost he showed 10 emotion whatever.
He won oftener than he lost while ]
watched him, putting the winnings al
ways into the same vest pocket. At one
time the banker made a mistake in du-
plicating a pile of his notes that had
won, but this did not bring a word from
him. His eyes were open, and instead
of picking up the pile he merely pushed
it back toward the banker, which was
a sufficient hint for a recount. When
the mistake was corrected and the miss
ing note supplied, he added the pile to
the big lump in his pocket.
Like almost every player around the
trente ct quarante tables. he was there
strictly for business. 1t was not "a few
dollars laid on for the novelty of the
thing, but "a deliberate speculation in
the hope of winning. My experience of
gambling houses is fortunately rather
limited, but | have seen the big places
of Saratoga and Long Branch and one
or two in New York and some very
large mes i'll Cuba and Mexico. Never
have ! seen such a busincsslike air in
any gambling room as there is here.
You may not be wicked enough to know
that generally a great deal of smoking
and drinking and some eating go with
fashionable gambling, but that is the
case. The sideboard is almost as neCes.
sary as the tables, and George and Sam
bo and Henry are kept busy carrying
champagne and cocktails to the thirsty
players. This is pure business with
1.-The house., even where these things
are not charged for, for does not "a man
become the more reckless the more al
cohol he absorbs?
But there is none of that here. There
is no smoking in the rooms, and no
drinks are served at the tables. AS far
as l have seen, there is no place in the
casino building whore drinks can be
had, though possibly there may be some
coZy corners that ! have not discovered.
II is rs. mucG. Il -husineSs horse as a