The Bismarck tribune., 1924-08-09

TO CATCH A THIEF
BEGIN. HERE TODAY
CopyIi3ht 1914 MA Service Inc

BEGIN HERE TODAY
John Ainsley, man of education
and breeding, becomes a master
crook-preying upon other thieves
At Monte Carlo he develops a desife
to meet the clever thief who stole ;
pearl necklace from the throat o.
the Baronne d'Esterelle in th'
crowded halls of the Casino.
At the roulette tables Ainsle,
watches a young Englishman anc
his strikingly pretty American bridt
them stands tall, blackbearded
Prince lends money, we have moth.
ing" says the young husband, CLAN.
cling at the black-bearded one. The
wife looks accusingly at the Prince
"You encouraged Jack" she declares
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
Because l know that his luck
must turn" said the Russian. He
smiled. "You hesitate to borrow
from me? 1t is nothing. In little
while you will make some success
full coups; your husband will repay
me; we will order champagne and
laugh together at your moment of
despair"
lcily contemptuous, she disdained
him. She laid slimly beautiful
hand upon her husbands shoulder
"Come Jack" she said again.
This time the young man obeyed
her. He rose, and they walked off
together. But l noticed that the
Russian accompanied them. felt a
pang Of pity for the young English
man and his American bride. could
guess it all SO easily; honeymoon
trip to Monte, Carlo, the fascination
of roulette: the unanticipated loss
es. the plunging to recoup, the sim
ister friend who encouraged them
to wager more than they could af-
ford. 1t is a story that has always
been told, and always will be told
when wealth Graves youth and beau
ty. Sometimes youth and beauty
escape, but how frequent are the
other times!
But after all, it was none Of my
business. l should have liked to dro
a word of warning in the young
mans. ear, but if his wife's caution
was unheeded by him, of what avail
would be the word of a stranger?
So | returned to the game. The
little incident had passed unnoticed.
They are sophisticated lot at
Monte; and everything. even death
itself, is dismissed with a shrug and
a smile.
And now the red returned. l lost
thrice in succession shifted my al
legiance, and beheld black turn up.
In disgust l rose and walked to an
other table. / arrived in time to see
the BarOnne d'Esterelle being paid
off. She had backed seventeen for
the maximum in half a dozen ways,
and was receiving from the admiring
crouplers, always insolently solicit
Gus for tips, nearly forty thousand
francs. The spectacle was disgust
ing. l had just seen a woman of
rare beauty suffering because her
husband had lost sixth of what
this profiteer's wife had won. NV
sympathy is with loveliness and
charm. So ! went to another table.
Fortune eluded me. l sought her
at every table in the Cercle Prive,
and then l looked for her in the
public rooms outside. But still she
escaped me. Glancing at my watch,
l found that it was ten O'Clock, and
SO decided to try my luck at the
Sporting Club, that other establish
ment maintained by the, Casino au-
thorities, where the fashion and
wealth of the world assemble. And
II 1T be wondered at that l had Sc
cured entree to this place, let won
derment cease. One merely men
tions the name of well-known club,
anywhere in the world, claims mem
bership therein, and is elected to
the Sporting Club. 1t calls itself ex-
elusive, but no temple of vice-and
gambling is vice-can be too rig
orous in its scrutiny of applicants
for admission. After all, the ulti.
mate test of fashion. or society. is
the possession Of money. With
enough money one can ruffle it with
the King of England. With the ap.
pearance of money, one can ruffle
it with the Kings cousin at tn.
tables of the Sporting Club.
So l descended in the elevator t.
the underground passage that lead.
from the Casino, through the Hote
de Paris, to the Sporting Club. and
in another elevator rose to the
gambling-rooms.
Duchess and demimondaine, mar
quis and munitions maker. prin
cesses, entrepreneurs, brewers. mil
llonalres, royalties, actors, authors
chorus girls and perhaps even sucl
others of my own profession as ma,
De found in any cosmopolitan ga
therlng-they were all in the Sport
ing Club.
went first to the cosy little bar
with it's inviting tea-tables at which
SO little tea is drunk. I ordered .
glass Of milk, / find that the bev.
erage is soothing to the nerves. an,
nerves need soothing when on.
CANDLES, even though for small
stakes. While drank it, SURVEYED
the, little room. And there in tn,
alcoye saw the American girl, he,
husband, and the big Russian whom
ne had called "the Prince" The,
were evidently ending discussion
For l saw the Russian hand tn,
young man a sheaf of bank-notes
saw the girls expression Of despon
dency, and noted the grin of tri
umph on the Princes face. The
Jaws OF the wolf were near, 1 felt
to the Write throat of the quarry
Then the young man leaped to hi.
t1eet, and rushed for the roulette
room. The girl would have follow
ed, but the Russian whispered t,