The Ordway new era., 1908-09-25

700 francs, think"
How do you get on with them
| asked, being aware from observation
that he had grown bit careless OF
late. Jack Drummond was tired OF
these perpetual losses.
"The fact is. old fellow" he an
swered. their faces have brought me
Internally bad fortune, and I'm utterly
sick of the whole affair. Tomorrow
they are going to draw out the re
mainder of the half a million, anf
we're going for the tables with the
maximum-win or lose"
You're desperate" I laughed, add
ing: Save enough for the viatique."
Now. that's cruel" he said. with n
grim smile. We'll. I'll try and arrange
so that they won't have to give note
of-hand to Bornier to enable them to re
turn to London. Goodnight" and,
rising. he went jauntily out. Care
and losses alike sat lightly on the
shoulders of that born sportsman.
Next day l saw all three sitting at
the center OF the first left.hand table
the one where SO many huge coups
during the past five or six years. 1t is
table particularly In favor with the
professional gambler, for the wheel
seems to run with greater regularity
there than at the others, and 1t Is
therefore known to the habitues as
the lucky corner" At this table one
afternoon zero turned up six times In
succession. followed by the number
six, which also came six times In sue.
cession. the most curious run which
has ever been known during the years
the rooms have been open. On that
afternoon a fortunate gambler won
1000 francs on those IL turns OF the
cylinder.
Play had already opened an hour
before entered. Drummond was sit.
ting between the pair. and. as | stood
watching. ! saw that Mabel had be.
meath her hand her stout leather wal.
let already bulging with notes they
had won. Before Drummond was a
formidable pile OF notes OF equal value
each for 900 francs, and at every
invitation to play he staked six notes.
constituting the maximum. upon the red
or the black. the pair" on the impair" !"
Time after time he won the re-.
spectacle sum of 5000 francs. his orig
inal stake always remaining on the
table. although he changed its position
from time to time. After nearly half
an hour he bent and consulted Helen's
card. whereon she was keeping reg.
lister OF the game. then placed $50
ftpy l-f,. 81, -
and similar amount on II.
Rein ne va plus" cried the crou.
pier sharply. a moment later adding:
'Dix-sept! Noir, impair ct manque!"
Drummond smiled. The girls bent
and whispered to each other. and the
croupier handed to Mabel a bundle OF
500-franc notes. which she tried to
push into her already filled wallet but
could not.
VIII you remain playing?" l heard
Helen say to the captain. I'VE are
going over to the Credit Lyonnais to
bank this before they close. We shan't
be more than ten minutes"
How much have we won today"
he inquired
One hundred and eighty-nine thou.
sand francs" she answered. glancing
at her book, as her sister and herself
rose and left the table.
Their seats were quickly occupied
by two men. and Drummond. who still
had before him a pile of notes for
about 10000 francs. continued playing
with the maximum upon the red or
black. losing once or twice, but very
often winning. He certainly had un.
usual luck. for when one is desperate.
as the two sisters were, one is seldom
able to make a coup.
About an hour had elapsed. l was
busy in my room writing n report
when an attendant entered breathless-
ly with scared face summoning me to
the office of NJ. Bornier, the director
general. where, to my surprise. found
Drummond standing before him, pale
and agitated, together with the chef
de partie and two of the croupiers.
Upon the directors table lay a pile Of
1,00O-franc notes.
1t appeared that ten minutes before
the croupier, in handling one Of the
notes which Drummond had lost, was
attracted by the strange harshness Of
the paper. and examined 1t, only to
find It spurious, but SO well done as al
most to defy detection. Play was
instantly stopped. and, by the orders
of the chef de partie, the captain was
conducted to NJ. Bornier. In reply to
his interrogation, he explained that
the notes were those given him that
morning by the elder Miss Treherne.
and 1t was possible that she had been
imposed upon. Such, however, was
certainly not the case, for messages
sent to the Metropole and to the
Credit Lyonnais brought back disap-
pointing information. At the hotel
nothing had been seen of them since
ten O'Clock that morning, and at the