Evening star., 1921-05-08

n ONTE CARLO is probably the
M most luxurious pleasure city
in the world, yet the fashion
able Americans who seek its
attraction soon tire of so much sweet
ness-as clerks in pastry COOK get
stalled on cream puffs.
Monte Carlo is cream pun
So. YOU see a queer sight. The IAN
ouid fashionables become laborious ex-
pIorers. The idle rich go motoring lar
and wide, to seek 'different' cookery
from the best cuisine in the "orlo -
as they say of the Hotel de Paris, and
they finish by acquiring picnic real
estate in veritable Peter Pan towns:
Romance will be served!
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Carroll OF Car
rollton, they say, have bought or are
negotiating for a 600-year-old play
house" in Roquebrune-the town that
slid.
Ralph Curtis and the Bellamy Stor-
ers are supposed to be already real es-
tate owners in romantic pirate Eze-
which. though all but deserted of its
population. remains the town that cam
not forget
And Henry Clewes. jr., who already
owned. and is restoring the ancient
chauteau of Theoule. with its TWO Sara
cen towers, on the bay of Cannes, has
gone cahoots with another American
in buying an entire ruined city. with
out population. 1t is Olivula. the Rid
die You cannot find 1t on any map
or in any history book, yet it is right
there. on the heights, above Eille-
trance bay. within rifle shot of the
Duke of ConnaughtS villa.
IRON the terrace at Monte Carlo
you can see Roquebrune, brown
splash on the mountainside. plastered
precariously against the slope. about
half way down. But legend says the
first thing that inha bitants of Rogue
bruno tell you) that the town was once
away up there and shpped-slithered
down in the night, castle. town and all.
The inhabitants were not even awak-
ened from sleep: no stool was over
turned. no door swung open; the mug
of wine left overnight stood unspilled
on the table. No dog barked and no
found their native town had journeyed
far down toward the sea-houses, foun-
dations. cellars. wells of water-the en-
tire earth surface slid and left vast
bare scar up there, which You can see
today for proof.
The motor carryaIls of the Upper
Corniche all go through Roquebrune' $
lowest street, outside the walls, and
stop to let the tourists gape. IT Is a
cheerful little town for one OF its bad
pas,-clcan. trim' full up. $50 property
is dear.
The supposed Carroll house. gay with
carved woodwork and diamond panes
considered to have a front shaped like
a grinning face" was offered for s2'5oo
last year, though it has never been
fun to furnish it up epoch" and give
some week end parties in it.
Mrs Seth Barton French and the
Duchess of Marlborough are said to be
hesitatins between houses on streets
that, as Alice in Wonderland would
saw, are 'curiouser and curiouser.
They go where they please. so long as
they 90 uphill. They are delightfully."-
mysterious: they have so many unex-
pected turns and twists. odd corners
and quaint hooks. ute often they dip
cry squares.
The homes form medley Of all
shapes and sizes. heights and widths.
but all are old and queer things surely
happened in them. There % are Wlekea, c.,ita
iron bound doors that open into cheer
full sitting rooms.
i 4 4
nNE small street. the Rue Pie,
~ loses all control Of itself. dives in
sanely under another street-houses.
road and af1-and rushes downhill to
apparent destruction. Then it fetches
up serenely in real piazza with flow
ers and a. nice fountain. as If laughing.
what a ioke on everybody,
There is another street. where Jack
and Jill must surely have climbed when
they went to fetch that pail of water.
You remember, Jack fell down and Jill
came tumbling after. No child with a
bucket could do otherwise in Rogue
bruno. On the crown of Roquebrune
sits the old castle Of the Lascaris. 1t
is full of vaulted rooms and stairs and
secret passages and splendid dungeons
where any visitor can play that it is
real-because~ it was. once.
1t is impossible, says Sir Frederic
Treves. to take Roquebrunes dark
past seriously. 1t is a town for boys
and girls to play in. 80. of all these
romantic rock towns. whose old days
were packed with crookedness and
badness. Here is relatively, says Mr..
Einstein-relativity of frightfulness
and romance. Local time-the time
of Roauebrune-shifts them s in the
shell game. What was hateful on the
Aisne here passes in another world.
.,;s Ia, rlrA