The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-15
sDaiiy. tExcept sunday. 5 Sunday

a Maj. Kennedy, of the British army,
and had Just one week to spare. He
was on his way out to Bombay to join
his regiment, and had just missed one
steamer at Marseilles for the purpose
of seeing a bit of the French Riviera,
particularly Nice and Monte Carlo.
Mania Struck Hard.
"Of course, 1 showed him around:
but his English virtue was rather
squeamish about entering the Casino.
Why, man. said to him, the Casino
is Monte Carlo
cone night I persuaded him to go
in, however, and after that he went
quite frequently to concerts and other
ceremonials in that most magnificent
of palaces.
Look here, Kennedy 1 said one
day, Monte Carlo seems to have
done well with fetes and concerts.
l think you ought to lose something
on the tables
He wouldn't for a long time, but
at last reluctantly consented to lose
| five louis. He staked 'en plein' and
| lost three louis, one after another
| the chances, of course,abeing 80 to
against him. He turned to me halt
| impatiently and said: Let's get il
| over quickly and with that he threw
his two remaining louis, zen plein,' on
No. rs. Rein ne va plus cried the
official at the head of the table. lie
jeu est fasit,' sang another croupier.
The ball spun and promptly fell into
compartment No 26. No one was more
astonished than Maj. Kennedy when
the rake shot toward him his
own stake, plus "a louis (over $3.50.
Casino Is Monte Carlo.
THAT was the beginning of the big
Oac wiz
known. Nor have ever seen anything
like the way that sober Britisher got
bitten with the gambling mania. He
staked and staked and staked, dou-
bling his stake each time, losing hardly
at all, but plunging in an amateurish
manner that made the old stagers that
fringed the tables hold their breath.
"Well, sir, Maj. Kennedy had to be
dragged away from that roulette table
a little after midnight, the possessor of
$4,000 His eyes shone, his speech was
thick like that of an intoxicated man.
-" 1 can't lose he kept repeating;
the thing is a dead certainty, and any
one may win if he stakes on my sys-
tenn. Alas, how often had heard that
story!
Next morning / accompanied the
major to the Casino, again at his re-
quest He called me his mascot and
lduS illnSly odtd tA0A AlC 1OhlAAA VIII
without me. / sat with him all day,
literally struck dumb with the most
astonishing run of luck, fortune-call
1t what you WILL have even seen.
That night the major arose the pos
SCISSOR of 100000 altogether. His ex-
element was pitiable.
Come and sleep with me, Montalt,"
he said hoarsely. MY valise and port
manteaux are stuffed to bursting with
al = cd hi a
slept in his room by the side of pair
of loaded revolvers.
stu Keeps Winning.
Next day the Major was at 1t again.
BY this time his notorety had spread
over the French and Italian Rivieras,
from Toulon to Spezzia, and adventur-
ers came thronging from all parts.
As we crossed the palm and flower
gardens into the Casino we were be-
sieged by curious crowds-some of
them business-like enough, however,
and highly anxious TO stake on the
same system as my fortunate major.
"On the third day Kennedy arose
with the enormous sum Of 100000 or
1000, 900 francs. Talk about breaking
the bank! Time after time the table
had to be replenished with funds from
the great vaults, yet the suave and
impossible croupiers kept literally
showing out whole fortunes at a time
ION the fourth or fifth day I said
Look here. Kennedy, I'm neglecting
all my own work; ! really can't be
with you to-day He was loath to
part from me, but that day went to
the Casino alone. Next morning he
came and told me that his luck had
changed; that he had that day lost
S25 900.
Il ought to have told you before that
our frend-not indeed counting his
chickens before they were Matched,
but with the money actually In his
possession-had planned out his future
career which was so vastly changed
by his brief visit and the losing Of
one ship on his way out 10 India. He
had telegraphed az great length 10 a
big firm in London. instructing them
10 buy for him one Of those magnih-
cent country places so dear 10 the
heart Of the Englishman Of middle
age. He had also sent in his papers,
as the military man has q, 70 the War
Office, and was, Of course, about 20