The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-13
Atmosphere Of Monte Carlo More
Serene Than Usual In a Bank
Is Overshadowed By Convention Smile and Chatter
With Indifference to the Fate of Their Money-Lucky
Winnings On Last Piece-Gossp of Systems

OF all the thousands of novels and tales
which lay their scenes at Monte Carlo
scarcely one seizes the atmosphere or
even condecends to accuracy of detail.
This is strange, for a man or woman
who elects to write fiction about Servia
or mining camps or the sea or crimi-
nology strains strenuously after local
color, colates facts with formic patience,
relieves the tedium of adventures by all
the technical terms which textbooks can
provide. Perhaps the explanation is that
Monte Carlo, like the stage, Is over
shadowed by conventions. No suburban
could believe in it unless he were daz-
zled by lurid seas and skies, distracted
by wild scents, excited by haggard gamb-
lers on the brink of suicide.
AS a matter of fact, the Casino atmos-
phere is more serene than that of the
average bank. Players smile and chatter
with sublime Indifference to the fate of
their notes and glittering four-pound
pieces. The game is played exactly like
a game. No doubt tragedies occur from
time to time. Reckless people lose more
than they can afford. Prospective bank
rupts come out with a foolish expecta-
ton of turning their last hundred into
fortune. But such desperadoes are no
more typical here than on the race course
or the Stock Exchange.
Nowhere else is the gamester's free
masonry more conspicuous In ordinary
life great intimacy is required to war;
rant requests for loans unless among the
shameless Over the green cloth coins
become mere counters, and are readily
borrowed from all but the most can
tankerous. l have even seen gold prof
fered by absolute strangers. OF course,
this change in values Is demoralizing.
How can you haggle with an innkeeper
or deny yourself the oldest vintages when
you have been stalking hundreds of francs
on every turn of the wheel? Demorals-
ing, but also delightful, to say good
bye for once and all to sordid consider
ationS.
A born gambler need never worry SO
| long as four shillings remain There
are no limits to the potentialities of the
| last dollar. l have myself turned one
golden piece into $500 during half an
hour However unlSind fate may seem
| for day or month there is never any
reason why she should not suddenly smile
with infinite indulgence. A man may
| be cadging for cocktails in the morn
ing and lavishing banquets few hours
| later.
| Here is an episode which had from
the lips of distinguished writer who
has gone to world where croupiers no
| longer spin. He had been living very
| lavishly at the best hotel in Nice, his
ACCOUNT WIS eAuduStcui anu a
huge bill remained unpaid. He borrowed
five louis from the porter. and went over
to Monte Carlo after dinner In the train
coming back, he emptied notes and big
gold pieces and louis and silver cart
wheels from every bulging pocket. and
stacked them and counted them all the
way homo. AS he took his departure
next day, surrounded by bowling and
scraping menials, he reflected cynically
how very different would have been his
send-off but for the miraculous stroke
of luck.
And luck moves in many mysterious
ways. l remember seeing a lady stake
what she imagined to be four-shilling
bet on number 81. To her horror she
discovered. just too late. that she had
inadvertently staked four pounds instead
of four shillngs. To her joy and amaze
ment the ball rolled into No. 80, ana
she received f14o instead of f7 She lef,
her "a on, and the number came UP
again to the tune of another E14o
Again, a certain rich man (such are
the prerogatives of the rich) handed a
$40 note to a croupier, asking in broken
French for change, and turned to con-
tinue conversation with some ladies.
Presently he was asked what should be
done with "the mass as it had now ex-
ceeded the maximum. The note had