Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08

races that were TO take place the
next day. but had no money to put
on 1t. Struck by a brilliant idea, he
arose early the next morning and
phoned to all his friends, suggesting
they should all have lunch together
at his hotel.
They all showed up. and when the
check came he drew pencil out OF
his pocket and said:
we are eight: with the tip. the
bill comes TO 400 francs. We owe so
francs each" 4 shower of 50-franc
notes was passed up to him. when he
calmly put them in his pocket and
having signed the bill and tipped the
waiter, summoned a car 20 take him
out to the track, where the balance
was at once placed on his trusty
steed
Toward the end of the season all
these people are hard up for ready
money, having parted with most of
theirs on the tables. To meet with
the difficulties that arise in such
cases they take most of their meals
in their rooms, where they can sign
for them. Should they go downstairs
into the restaurant of the hotel they
would have to tip the walters; but
their floor man does not expect any
thing from them till they leave.
When the season closes there are in
variably numbers of people-girls as a
rule-left behind because they are un-
able to pay their bills and move out of
the hotels. They generally take this
cheerfully and Joke about it. In Cannes
last year there were five people stuck"
in the Carlton Hotel at the end Of the
season, their baggage being held for the
amounts Of their bills.
" ing a foreign title, is known for
never leaving the table. She seems to
enjoy annoying-in small ways-the
people at the table around her. and par
ticularly the croupiers. The sort of lit
tie tricks she finds pleasure in playing
on them are as follows: She will talk to
some one when 1t is his turn to speak
or to deal out the cards. which, Of
course. gets on his nerves. At other
times she will stack up her 1,000-franc
bills, some opened out, others folded,
making it practically impossible for the
croupier to see at a glance how much
money she is advancing.
She has been known suddenly. to slip
a twenty-franc Chip under a pile of
bills representing over 10000 francs,
while the croupier has his head turned,
this for the sort of making an uneven
amount, which annoys and delays the
game. The more the people around
show that they resent this sort of thing,
the more she will persist.
One count is known for going sky
high in his bancos, and is considered a
very good gambler. He lost over AGO.
900 francs in Deauville last summer,
after winning 100000 one night plus
another 100000 at the races next day.
A Greek follows the old motto that 1t
takes capital to win capital, and always
sits down with huge sums to begin
with, which is contrary to the method
employed as a rule. An Englishman,
who lost 100000 francs in Deauville
without his smile fading, generally
keeps but small pile visible in front
Of him.
One Frenchman's passion seems to be
for roulette. In Monte Carlo he covers
at least eight Of the thirty-six numbers
on the table with huge sums. After try
ing his luck at one table, he suddenly
decides to move to another after the
third or fourth turn. 1t is curious to
see the crowd which follows him from
one table to the other, interested in his
way Of playing.
The biggest banco pulled off for some
time at baccarat was made by a motor
car manufacturer, and amounted to
100000 francs.
The author Of recent play, which is
written around the Deauyille gambling
rooms, claims 1t was written by him to
cover his gambling losses. II found
that society once had cost me a great
deal, so I wrote a play about it which
made me earn back all that 1 had
spent" he said.
Likewise / have made the green
gambling room tables pay me what /
have lost on them"
Another of his plays is connected
with the expensive restaurant life
There again he says that it is repay
ing him all the money he has squan-
dered in restaurants.
THE "tapeuse," or broke girl
i gambler" is quite a type. She