The Washington herald., 1909-03-21


was grim and concentrated. and only
spoke in undertones TO the nearest crou-
pier.
There he was 10 be seen sitting every
day until ! o'clock, Sundays Included, his
eyes never of the wheel or the table
Before him lay an old-fashioned wallet
well filled with gold, and in a loose heap
a supply Of 5-franc pieces Sometimes he
would sit for hours without undOing his
purse strings or venturing a single piece;
at other times he seemed TO find his game
or think his luck had come, and he would
play deliberately, like an old chess player
or hundreds I observed I think he was
the most successful and steadiest gambler
In the Casino during my time. I noticed
he waited about twenty spins OF the
wheel before yenturing, and II he lost
three times he stopped for a considerable
interval, resuming II certain numbers ap-
peared
some Reckless Players.
He seldom played on the even chances,
but generally on fayorite combinations OF
numbers. especially the second dozen-13
TO "A. OF single numbers. was his
favorite. and one morning It turned up
twice IN succession. when he scooped In
175 francs each time At the same sitting
he put large stakes on the second dozen.
and in a short time made 5000 francs
Many players carry and consult elabo-
rate notebooks containing average Sc
quences OF numbers. but this man car
ried everything in his head. He was a
professional gambler and spent his time
between Monte Carlo. Nice. and Ostend
He seemed very lonely. and to have no
friends
There were many terribly reckless play
ers. A Russian nobleman. an italian
count. a wealthy American. an aristo-
cratic French lady. and another mys-
terious Britisher were among those who
made things hum. Each had a system
which they backed daily with thousands
OF dollars. only 10 see their money show
eled away by the inexorable croupiers.
After some Of these had lost heavily.
evidently all they could risk. they gave
one the impression that they had finished
some important necessary task. and look
ed on at the game in a wistful. melan-
chOly way. ! heard one Of them borrow
70 francs TO pay for his lunch. though
only the day before he started with q
pocketfUl OF thOuSand-franc notes
pretty Partisan actress attracted my
attention.; she had come for a month.
and was evidently well known to the
officials. and a favOrite She also had
her fayorite table. Day after day she
lost at roulette, so she changed 20 another
table. when good fortune came to her.
Seated with a wooden disc before her
with Il carved on II, she played a varied
complicated system, and IN three days
she won back all her losses and 8. go 10
the good: and wise woman. she smilingIy
bade adieu 10 her acquaintance, giving
r good dOuceur 10 some Of the crOupierS.
These men are above suspicion, and be-
sides. they are changed every half hour:
but some players give little presents 10
officials. who are often helpful 10 new
couers. the short-sighted and the absent
minded.
One day a cOmmOtion was caused and
all rushed 10 the table I happened 20 be
sitting At. 4 stout military-lookinE Ger
man stood with great bundles OF large
notes In both hands and at every turn OF
the wheel he played the maximum stakes
came Up. and eight times he won: and
when ne changed 10 red. so did the wheel
This man must have won many thou
sands Of dollars that day. but he never
appeared again.
Moved to Monte Carlo.
Very different was another plunger.
who. carrying all before him during his
first week. continued his reckless course
until saw him latterly playing with the
minimum francs. Like others. he took
Il as a matter Of course. and so long as
he had money could not resist the tempta-
ton 20 try fckle fortune
Frau Y was an attractive Austrian lady.
whose husband left her at Nice a year
before with the promise 10 return and
take her and the children home. But he
never came. He lost a fortune AT Monte
Carlo, and his affairs getting into serious
condition, he absconded. So the wife and
children removed 10 the vicinity OF Monte
Carlo. and each month when the remit
tance came bills We're paid and the bal
ance used for gambling.
The excitement was part OF her life
and a sort Of consolation she said she
could not resist. Sometimes she made a
tidy sum. with which the family had a
tour or visit TO Paris; but oftener it
was case of waiting In penurious anx-
iety for the next remittance.
One day while / was at lunch the
who wished an interview He was a
young gentleman from Berlin. who had
got into sore trouble. His tourist ticket
was circular one. taking him round half
Europe. but he had only covered a quar-
ter Of the tour before getting stuck in
Monte Carlo
IL was his first visit. and. winning a
little at first, he lost his head and his
money. too. He then telegraphed for
cash, and again he played and lost all
He next borrowed from a friend by let
ter, as he wished TO conceal his doIngs
and when the next $500 came he could
not resist the temptation to try to repair
his losses So he spent another day alter
nately winning and losing. but by evening
he had parted with HIS last franc.
They Sent Him Away.
He now wished to sell his ticket and
part Of his luggage, but counseled him
to ask the Casino bureau to pay his ex-
penses to an italian town (Which they did
and there await the helm
OF his friends. There was no use getting
more money sent here. 1 said
He took my advice. fear that months
holiday was the least pleasant In his ex-
perience. but. as he remarked on depart-
ing. he had learned more human nature
there than was possible in any university.
A good-looking young lady. evidently of
good family, appeared one morning. She
was unaccompanied, and properly resery-
ed. but feverishlyswatched the play. Then.
In shy and timorous way, she placed
her silver piece on the cloth. and it won
an equal amount Again she tried and
won, and 1 saw her eyes grow big and
her cheeks flush with nervous excite
ment.
She certainly had luck that day, and
she came again, this time with a supply
Of gold. Like others. she already i'm
agined she knew how to do it. and had
some rough idea OF playing certain num-
oers as likely TO follow others. But she