Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-07

L lit is the friends you make
there"
She had just returned to Paris from
the Riviera and the tennis tourna-
ment. and we We're sitting at a table
in Nontmartre cafe. She is very
wealthy American woman, full Of
doubt and great good sense.
IAN experience" | asked.
NO" she replied, "only an observa-
ton. Or rather, the experience | had
was with the money you lose at Monte
Carlo. ! had atrociouS luck at rou-
lette. But I was lucky AS for the
friends you make there, / made not
a single one. 1t was merely the case
of some one / know quite well. |
| imagine she doesn't deserve much
sympathy, though. She is English
enough to be cold and old enough to
| know better. AS it was, she was for
| She parted with 100, 1000 francs or so,
but think of what she escaped.
"She was playing in a casino at
! Cannes one day. and the chap next to
! her got into conversation with. her.
You know how easily acquaintance
| ship begins at the gambling table. 1t
| is one of the ways you make those
| terrible friends down at the Riviera.
| He said he was an Austrian count,
and they became quite friendly. The
| interesting part of it was that when
| she told me about it afterward | real
| lied that I had heard of him.
"Of course you will say right off that
he was a fake count. That is what
everybody thinks and that is what the
police thought until they investigated
him. He is quite genuine. 1t makes a
strong point for him. because people
doubt his title right away, and atAthe
proper moment he can prove 1t quite
, impressively.
"A real title with so many fake ones
around counts a lot. That, by the
way, points to one of the trickieSt dan
gers that woman travellers meet at the
fashionable watering places. You have
no idea of what really distinguished
antecedents the crooks often have ana
can prove"
| She did not have to tell me that. 1.
myself had run across couple or IN
iteresting gentlemen of the sort. One is
professional cabaret singer, the only
dance hall performer that | know OF
who is of truly illustrious lineage he
| is the grandson of royal duke ana is
perfectly worthless. He is Thoroughly
in funds now after having swlndled the
daughter of an American multl-mll-
lionaire who became infatuated WIN
! MIN. Inen II1eTe Is d pdl III uIhi y "''
liant lover, a chevalier and former
military officer. who swindled the Mes
sina earthquake fund and later great
war charity in London. Truly, there
is subtler peril for woman In the
crook who claims splendorous dlgnities
and antecedents-and can prove II.
applauded Mrs. Burns sagaclous Cd
servation and observed that she ought
ito write thesis of warning on the SUP
ject of the crook who is all he pretends
to be--and then some; and then oroad-
cast this admirable essay to women
who travel to the continental resorts:
II will" She replied, but In the
! case of our pilfering count IT WASH
merely the genuineness OF his title
that was persuasive. He is only thirty
four, but is perfectly dissipated and
| worn out He looks to be nifty. HIS
face is CHASTITY and haGgard, his
| mouth droops weakly, his eyes are
| vacant. That all helps. You have
heard of the woman playing the ro-
mantle invalid. Well, why can't the
| man do the same? Our friend, the
count. does He plays the lyrical part
| of the dying man. The scars Of
dissipation make him look as though
he were truly desperately i'll. Women
always like the pleasure of pity.
suppose it is something extraordinary
| and an elation to feel man weaker
than yourself Sorhe count borrows'