Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-07


day, and the next was an omnibus
train that dawdled along and landed US
in OStend at 8 o'clock IN the evening.
We avoided the $20~a-minute places on
the digue and found accommodation
in a small house in straight and mar.
row street not far from the harbor.
The pursue our quest that night was
impossible. In that paradise Of stone
the thing to do is to visit the Casino.
Somerfieid and I passed into its CLASSY
halls at 10 o'clock and found 1t cflocks
ablock.
A concert was going on In one large
hall carpeted, q dance In another one
uncarpeted, roulette In one saloon, ana
boule In another.
We wandered through till we found
ourselves in o quiet, almost deserted
room-a sort OF reading and writing
room. We were about to wander out
Half minute! I've got an idea"
He walked up to the oficial and spoke.
heard the man say:
"Mais parfaitement, monsieur. Par lei"
Somerf1eld beckoned to me, and the
man led us into an adjoining room. He
unlocked cupboard.
What year," he asked.
Second half of 1926" said Somer-
field.
And presently the man had dragged
out large volume, the file Of the Caril-
lon for July to December, 1925.
The man busted the file, placed 1t on
table and left us.
Somerfield turned over the leaves till
he reached the issue Of July 23d. It
contained nothing that interested US.
The issue Of the gath Of July had
similar appearance It looked as If we
were to draw blank. Then line caught
my eye:
appearance Of a monk tonsure
glanced to the head of the column.
1t consisted Of paragraphs OF news, COM
ments and impressions.
traced the topic back to its Begin
ming, and afterward made this rough
translation:
"a dramatic episode took place last
evening at the Kursaal The hero Of
the occasion was a tall EnglishmAn who
took his place at the table in the large
sale toward midnight. He played with
small counters at first and won q petty
gan the drama.
Standing behind him. like o Nemesis
at his elbow, was another EngIishmAn,
calm, gray-eyed and cold, who seemed
to be his friend. Nemesis touched him
on the shoulder and signed to him to
leave the table with bis gains.
THE player n1uttered o curse, shook
of the touch, and staked the whole for
tune, with an impetuouS gesture. The
gray eyes of his monitor cleaned like
steel The player won.
Again that monitory touch upon the
shoulder. Again the nuttered curse.
Again the impulsive gesture. The mass
of counters remained on the table. The
whole winnings had been Staked once
more.
"All eyes were conferred on the tall
man who sat with head in hand star
ing at the table as though he would
hvpnotize the ball by some mighty
effort Of his personal magnetism.
Hundreds eyed him curiously and
whispered to one another-the players
who had ceased to play, the spectators
crowding around, an American doubt.
less wondering why so much excitement
about so little, white-haired gentle.
man with the air of predicateur OF
Geneva, slightly scandalized, beside
him another Englishman, tall and
gaunt, loking like a tonsured monk,
aScetic and disapproving, q number Of
| Frenchmen intrigued, our own COM
patriots injured in their sense Of thrift.
"All waited for the me va plus and
listened to the rush OF the ball. It
was as If the player guided 1t by an
Again the warning hand. Again the
contemptuous gesture. The player,
stalking his whole gains each time, won
| seven coups.
"Then, as though he had consciously
exhausted. his magic in reaching tho
mystic number, he rose-poSseesor OF
fortune, and, with his monitor. was
escorted away.
1T is said that his winnings reached
J the enormous sum of million francs.
/ The player is unknown at Ostend and
cannot be traced"
When we came to the end Of the
paragraphs we looked up to find the
| official standing behind US.
| He looked over our shoulders.
"Ah," he said, YOU are reading the
report of the great seven coups Of
| 1922"
"You remember that?" I asked.
VERY well, monsieur. And the most
| curious part of the history is not there"
He pointed to the newspaper.
! mo. mesSieurs. the most curious
part Of the history is afterwards. They
go to their hotel.
They say to the manager, Here b
lot of money. Count it. Lock It up.
| Give us a receipt for it. Do It now,
without delay. We take q few thou-
sand for ourselves. We leave the rest
| in your care Very well.
THE next day, they 60 away. They
have not come back The money re-
mains still in the coffrefort Of the hotel,
waiting forsthem.