The Cairo bulletin., 1911-05-10
The game was at Its height at Monte
Carlo. The main table WAS lined with

| The game was at Its height at Monte
Carlo. Tho main Ia bic was tined with
people tossing coins upon the green
cloth that covered 1t. Clusters OF
| lights Illumined the scene. There
were men and women, too, Of various
ages. from the STRIPPING to the septu-
genarian. One old woman with white
hair sat with a paper In her hand COW
cred with memoranda consisting prin-
| cipally of figures. 1t was Il scheme
| that she had worked out or some Que
| had given her for sure winning. She
| scarcely ever bet more !han franc at
one time and usually lost. There
were men in evening dress and men
| whose coats were frayed at the elbow.
while here and there girl scarcely
/ out of her teens was betting with not
| cheeks and glistening eyes.
A lady--she might have been any
age between twenty-five and thirty
five-in an evening costume Of ax-
quisite fabric and construction. enter
ed the room and. handing her wraps
to an attendant. went to the main III.
Bile. where roulette was being played.
Seating herself. She begun to play
with silver five franc pieces. No
sound broke In upon the falling NJ the
coins on the table. the monotonolis an.
nouncements of the man who conduct
ed the game and the ra:1liIg If the
BALL One having no interest In II
would wonder how SO many People
could he so silently intent u:o1 So
UNMARRIED a proceeding
Presently the recent arr val hegan
to toss gold napoeons on the cloth in
stead of five franc pieces Indeed her
betting increased till she became the
one person at the table who engaged
the crowd of lookers-on. Some of
those who were standing behind her
moved around to the other side. where
they faced her. She wore hat with
very wide brim and adorned with
large black feathers. one Of which fell
over the front and with the brim
completely shaded her brow. In addi
ton to this. veil extending to the
chin rendered 1t impossible to dis
tinguish her features.
| She played with varying fortune. At
| first she won. Then she lost more
than she had gained. Next she began
| to win slowly. and Mt certain point.
having gained thousand francs she
left the amount she had bet and her
winnings on the number she had
covered. There was quite a pile OF
| gold there, and when the ball was
spun and settled into its place the
croupier covered the stake with an
other pile five times as large. A spasm
was seen to pass over the lady, and
she quickly placed her hand on the
| lace about her throat. as II to pun 1t
away that she might breathe easter
Her fingers remained at her neckwear.
and she bent over the table till her
chest leaned against 1t. about to gather
In her winnings, as every one supposed.
But she must have changed her mind
her eyes, though they could not be
seen. apparently fixed upon the gold.
The conductor. taking 1t for granted
that she had determined to risk the
whole amount on the same number as
before, made the usual announce
ments. the ball was spun and. after
rolling and jumping and hesitating and
backing and filing. at last settled into
its pocket. Amid EXPLANATIONS the
conductor announced the number that
had won, and the lady's heap OF gold
was added to by another tive times its
size. She gave no evidence of the ex.
element natural to such winning. She
did not start; she did not make an In
voluntary change Of position.
What wonderful self control" ex-
claimed one Of those looking at her.
"She must be an old hand at 1t" re.
marked another.
"Great heavens" cried several al
once. shes going to risk II all again"
The gamekeeper. who meanwhile
had been waiting for the lady to re-
move her winnings, seeing no inten-
ton on her part to do so. reluctantly
made the call for bets. the machine
was whiried. and amid III depressed
EXPLANATIONS the ball gave the lady
another pile Ave times as great as that
before her on the table.
Twice again the pile was increased
by the same arithmetical progression,
and the bank was broken.
At that moment man entered the
room. advanced quickly to the table
and touched the lady on the shoulder
She did not look to see who was call
Ing her attention. She sat apparently
with her eyes glued to the immense
golden pile before her.
, "Clarissa." he said in a trembling
} voice.
There was no reply. .
The crowd about the table now be