Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-04


twenty minutes.
Yes. it is a tiresome habit explained
Mrs Tudor. but they all swarm out TO
gamble. Next time We too. Will CO. ana
l will take you into the baccarat room.
where you will see real play, and where
people lose thousands and thousands and
thousands
What sort of people?' inquired Hes
ter. opening her eyes to their WIDEST e&-
tent
"Oh. all sorts-French. Spanish. Russian
and English. 1 believe the old Spanlards
and the young English are the most IN
veterate of any l can show you young
fellow who has cleared $4,000 between
these rooms and Pau. and a Spanish
duchess who must have lost as much.
She is incorrigble. The Duchesse de San
her health but in reality to play bac-
carat-such an awful example 10 her
sons.'
do they accompany herr
Yes. the due never leaves SPAN. he
is a proud man, three times grandee.
with the bluest of blood in his veins; but
one of the sons accompanies his mother
every season.
docs he play tOO?"
with hearts only. He is celebrated
lady-killer. Paul de SaraZin.
Hester could hardly control her voice
to ask the next Question-oh, such Vltaf
question:.
do you know him."
ooh. yes. since he was in jackets. AL
ways naughty boy. but lrresistlbly
good looking. He is supposed to De here
on guard over his mother. Set thief to
catch thief
us he-is he-?" The question STUCK
in HeSter'S throat
"Oh he is wild. but not bad hearted.
He has been terribly spoiled by women
ever since he could smile-I won't even
say speak-fond of dancing and fencing
and practical jokes 1t is such a pity that
he has no career. l believe he was once
at an embassy, but his pranks We're found
to be insufferable. However to be the
heir of the Due de San Telmo is consid-
cred a sufficiently splendid career for any
young man..
do you visit his mother?' asked the
girl. with her eyes fixed on the drop
scene.
Very rarely-I don't approve of her;
but go to the receptions of the Duchesse
de Soriano: she is his aunt, the dues
sister. a really great lady, and very
stately and pious. She has a beautiful
villa. the Villa Flora. Her sister-in-law
has a much smaller establishment-the
Villa Andalousia; her money disappears
at the tables here and at Monte Carlo
I believe she is frightfully in debt and
has half ruined the due. Paul will be
compelled to marry South American
heiress. and" with a sagacious shake OF
her wise old head, Il shall be sorry for
her.
"Oh. Mrs Tudor. but why?"
"Ah. from the tone of your voice. my
dear young lady, I gather that you have
seen Paul. 1 grant you his good looks.
his good manners and his good nature,
but you might as we'll try to cage
swallow. or the west wind. as Paul de
Sarazin. Come. the curtain is going up
again; that was tiresome wait. TO
her. but not to her fascinated listener.
who would have gladly prolonged the con-
versation for hours.
After the next act Mrs. Tudor rose with
alacrty and said:
Now come along. Miss Forde: follow
me and mind the step at the corner.
Together they descended the stairs.
passed through the room where the little
horses were still whirling, and onward
to another apartment. Here two large
tables were closely invested by an i'm
mense crowd.
Keep close to me-" urged Testers con-
ductor. and presently you will get a
peep-oh. here is an opening; will
squeeze in. and you. who are so tall, can
look over my head"
Hester looked and beheld a large OBJ
long table. covered with green cloth.
There were no numbers: in the middle at
one side. in a peculiar round chair,
gentleman was seated with pack of
cards in his hands. opposite him was a
croupier. before whom were piles of col
ored counters-red and white and green.
These he gathered or distributed with a
wooden wand resembling an immense pa
per knife The banker the man In the
round chair dealt two cards to each
side of the table-after the stakes were
made-then two to himself. When all
three pairs were turned up the nearest to
nine won. 1t was evidently simple
game. On the present occasion the
banker turned up five and four, and
the croupier's long paper knife scooped
in quantity of colored counters
1.-The red ones are worth twenty
francs explained Mrs. Tudor, 1.-THE
larger ones one hundred francs, the
green ones five hundred francs"
cold MrC q
rose. and the Fin de la taille" was an
nounced by the chef des jeux, that is
over: now the bank will be put up to
auction and go to the highest bidder
There, Already it has gone to the
Count Alcaros-he plays for big stakes"
and she indicated q slight, dark man. who
had taken his seat and pushed roll of
notes over to the crOupier.
lie banque est adjugee a quatre cent
louis" he called out. "Quatre cents louis
la banquet
Now you will see some high stakes"
continued Mrs. Tudor. do observe this
prim little Englishwoman putting on ten
louis-she looks like q parsons WIFE
Hester glanced round and noticed peO-
pie adventuring large stakes. others mere
ly one counter. Here were men of all
ages, yes. and matrons and mere girls.
Some looked perfectly collected, others
hollow eyed and haggard. A handsome
young Englishwoman. with great feath-
cred hat. staked two large green pieces.
chester maze q mental nOte liIdl tIieSo
two pieces represented S4O) She had
also heap of winnings before her. Close
by. an elderly woman, with dyed red hair
and the remains of splendid beauty, was
languidly extracting counters from a gold
bag. Hester noticed that her hands were
exuuisite-a blaze of rings. The lady
wore an air of complete insOuciance.
and held a cigarette at the corner of her
mouth.
The Duchesse de San Telmo: she has
just lost one hundred louis" whispered
Mrs. Tudor.
Hester drew in her breath and stared
with all her eyes. She noticed the duch-
esses elaborate French hat, her Orna-
ments, her jeweled cigarette case and.
above all. her face There were hard
lines by her mouth and pouches under her
eyes. which were dark. proud and sleepy,
and yet had the air of seeing everything
around her. Hester watched her eagerly.
and fevershfy hoped that she would win
for she was Paul's mother.
The interest she developed in the lady
cards was absorbing. but, alas for her
good wishes. the duchesse lost, and lost
and lost: always with a most complete
equanimity always with cigarette in
the corner of her mouth. Hester was so
deeply engrossed in her fortunes that she
scarcely glanced at any one else; but
once. when she did raise her eyes, she
was not a little surprised to behold Mrs.
Britten at the opposite end of the table
Mrs. Britten, wearing the white boa and
accompanied by her friend Sir Peter
Potts. The lady was so occupied with
him and her game that she had appar-