The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1908-09-26

90 francs, ! think"
How do you get on with them"
/ asked. being aware from observation
hat he had grown bit careless OF
ate 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 million, and
we're going for the tables with the
maximum-win or lose"
You're desperate" | laughed. add
ing: Save enough for the viatique."
Now. that's cruel" he said with a
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. Good night" 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
have been made from time to time
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
10000 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 bullying with notes they
had won. Before Drummond was q
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. 4"
Time after time he won the re-
spectacle sum of 6,000 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
| francs en- plen on the number "a,
and a 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 bundle of
| 500-franc notes, which she tried to
push into her already filled wallet but
could not.
will you remain playing?" l heard
Helen say to the captain. I'VE are
bank this before they close. We shan't
be more than ten minutes"
How much have we won today
he inquired.
Zone 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 coup.
About an hour had elapsed. I was
busy in my room writing a report
when an attendant entered breathless
ly with scared face summoning me tc
the office of M. Bornier, the director
general where, to my surprise, found
Drummond standing before him, pale
and agitated, together with the chez
de partie and two of the croupiers
Upon the directors table lay pile o.
1,O00-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 1t spurious, but SO well done as al
most to defy detection. Play was
instantly stopped, and, by the order.
Of the chef de partie, the captain was
conducted to M. Bornier. In reply to
his interrogation. he explained thai
the notes were those given him tina,
morning by the elder Miss Treherne
and 1t was possible that she had beer
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 hote