The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-13

| been staked on red, and had now doubled
up to 1920 He replied that he had only
asked for change, and declined to ac-
| cept the winnings. The authorities argu-
ed the point, and said his money would
not have been returned If he had lost.
AS matter of fact, 1t probably would,
but he was obdurate until his wife rush
ed up and told him not to be a fool! He
built an unsightly fountain in the gar
dens of his pleasaunce with this wind
fall.
l myself have dreamed numbers and
seen them come up in succession, but, as
in the dream, something prevented me
from backing them. l even put my money
on, and was impelled by some mysterious
force to withdraw It, Another time
dreamed that seven would come up three
times In succession, and | determined to
plunge as soon as it came up once. But
it did not come up all the morning.
Towards the end of lunch l felt an i'm
pulse to return to the rooms, but l had
| guests and was delayed. When l reach
ed my usual table friend gave me her
seat, and on the card on which she had
noted down the numbers / found that
few minutes previously, number seven
had come up three times in succession.
Thus did I miss winning at least two
thousand pounds.
1t is the fashion to sneer at systems
no less to roulette than to insurance. If
| it is safe for a company to lay odds
| against death and shipwreck, 1t may be
| profitable to bet that red or black will
| not recur unduly. / believe the longest
known run on an even chance is about
| thirty; run of twenty would be nine
weeks wonder. Hang about until you
| find an even chance has repeated itself
ten, or even five times. then begin
doubling up against 1t, and you ought
| to win more often than you lose. Or, If
you find that there have been seventy
reds and thirty blacks during the last
hundred spins. it ought to be safe to begin
backing black for the restoration of the
| equilibrium. But not one gambler in a
| thousand can play a system The COM
| bination of capital and courage Is too
| rare.
| Apart from systems, there are many
| profitable methods Of play The best is
to begin with small stakes, and plunge
| only when you have won some of the
banks money. I remember teaching a
young man a pleasing plan. He risked
thirty francs on a combination of twelve
| numbers, which are all together on the
| cylinder He won sixty francs, which
he left on, pocketng his original stake.
| Next spin he won 40 francs and pock-
| eted sixty The set of numbers con-
tinued to be favorable. and presently he
nad forty-elgnt louis on tne tapie ana
| forty-fve louis profit in his pocket. Then
his wife happened to come up. and was
| aghast to see him with SO much gold
| exposed. Good gracious, Henry she
cried. ''how can you risk all that? You
know how hard up we are. Take it all
! off at once" But 1t is all winnings"
he protested. 'I don't care what 1t is.
I won't have it thrown away. Don't be
an absolute donkey He obeyed with
| great reluctance, and the numbers came
up again four or five times more But
for this unfortunate Intervention. he
would have won several thousands of
pounds with capital of twenty-four
shillings. But for an angelic disposition.
he might have been tempted to crow
| or curse
One popular delusion about Monte Carlo
is that there is nothing to do there ex-
cept gamble. AS matter Of fact, there
! ! Is Is si.nest every kind of recreation within
easy reach. Theatres. operas, concerts.
tennis, golf, polo. pigeon-shooting. racing.
aviation are either there or thereabouts.
| Indeed. even lovers of the simple life,
| like myself. can always find happiness in
pilgrimages through olive groves to the
fortified villages of the Saracens. In the
society of flowers and sunshine, in the
music Of caressing and mysterious sea.