Medina High School - Mirror Yearbook (Medina, NY)

Page 19 text:

Qlibe jllllirrur years l1ad been steadily growing, had dwindled away, because of re- peated losses at the Market, to seventy-five thousand francs. He could not bring himself to risk that which was all that reirained between him and the poor farm. He held out against the growing desire to play, for three weeks, until at last he could resist no longer, and while riding home on the train from Monte Carlo he finally decided that he would play the follow- ing Saturday, but he promised himself that he would play only one number in an evening. So it came about that on Saturday evening, two weeks before the grand party, M. Joli was announced at Monte Carlo. People were accustomed to see M. Joli, the stock broker, enter the gambling parlor and watch the game, so when he timidly asked the banker, M. Poinceau, if he might take a number, the old habitues of the place looked up in surprise. He laid down seventy-five thousand francs on number three. The banker Was dumbfounded. But-t-t, M. Joh, he gasped, are you not betting a little high, and on an unlucky number at that? , Will you take my bet, or not? asked Eustace. Why, certainly Monsieur, certainly, replied the banker beginning to get hold of himself again. So the wheel was spun. Number three wins l cried the onlookers. M. Joli retreated with one hundred and fifty thousand francs in his pocket. The following Saturday he again appeared and placed his one hun- dred and fifty thousand francs on number seven. Everyone stepped back to watch the play. The wheel was spun and it stopped at number seven. M. Joli hrd won again. He returned home with three hundred thousand francs in his possession. The story of M. Jolils phenomenal winnings spread abroad. People everywhere talked of it. What would happen this week? W'ould M. Joli be pre sent at the annual ball on December thirty-first? Un New Year's Eve Monte Carlo was packed to overflowing. Never, in all its existence had the castle seen such a crowd. Hundreds were there to see the noted broker win again. There were only three couples 011 the dance fioor. The throng swayed back and forth between the roulette Wheel and the hall. Ten o'cl0ck! Was M. Joli never coming? The great clock on the stairs tolled out 10:30 P. M., and still the broker did not put in his appearance. Ah! M. Joli at last, ten minutes to eleven. He made his way into the grand salon and placed three hundred thousand francs on number eleven. The gentlemen and ladies crowded about. It was a battle be- is Seven

Page 18 text:

ill Ulibe jllllirrnr NU1llliEIf TW1'IN'7'Y-TIIREE on ea: 11 New X 1.11 s L1 1, .1 bltlllll ball, the big event of tl1e Sea- Qggfil son The Wealthy of all l'ldlIl01lS Went Ollt there 011 tl1e evening of the thirty-first and bet fI'0lll twenty-five to fifty thousand francs. These people were envied illl'l looked 11p to in all circles for the next year. Of course the roulette wheel was the chief center of interest, but there was all orchestra and a numbei' of fancy dancers to entertain those who would not or could not gamble. At midnight the preceding year the lights had suddenly been extinguished, and all the people looked 11p to see the little New Year chasing old Father Time across the balcony i11 the grand salon. It was a Illflttel' of 11111cl1 conjecture as to wl1at would happen this year. There was a young stock-broker living in Paris at the ti111e tl1at tl1is story opens. He was good-looking Hlld had inl1erited a fortune at the death of l1is p21I'911lLS. Eustace Joli l1ad all tl1e aecoutrements for being a killer i11 society except tl1at he preferred to make money rather than to spend it. He lived on his income Zllld allowed l1is princely fortune to lie idle in the bank. Every Saturday night l1e took the train to. Monte Carlo a11d spent the evening. He never gambled but see1ned to receive as much enjoy- Il16llt from Wiltl'lll1lg tl1e game as the most excitable managed to get from playing. He Wo11ld sit for hours at a time and never take l1is eyes fI'0Ill the table. Eustace was nursing a pet SCl10ll16. He had an idea tl1at l1e co11ld beat the Wheel by playing certain nuinbers in a certain order. Each Saturday night l1e sat at tl1e table and played an imaginary ga111e. In his mind l1e placed l1is money on a 11umber and then waited breathlessly to see Whether l1e wo11ld Win. He played these numbers in tl1is order- 3, 7, 11. Each time l1e won i11 l1is pllH1lt0l1'l game and l1e became encour- aged, even to tl1e point of playing the wheel, just once. This was in tl1e 111ontl1 of July a11d at about tl1at time came repeated drops at the Bourse, so that Eustace did not feel that l1e was able to to play. Nevertheless l1e continued to make l1is weekly visits to Monte Carlo and to play l1is imaginary gaine-always the san1e numbersw 3, 7, ll. One evening i11 early November l1e counted 1117 What he would have Won, had l1e really played, it 031116 to tl1e astonishing total of fOlll' hundred thousand francs. If I had only played the real money, sighed Eustice. Tl1e next morning as l1e was riding home, M. Joli f11lly decided to play tl1e first number of l1is series tl1e following Saturday evening, but when l1e looked at his bank book, l1e discovered tl1at l1is fortune which for SCVQII PIUNVARD PHILLIPS A T THE ti111e whcn Monte fl2ll'lO,XVElS in all its glory, there was, ' 0 71- '71 P ' 1 1 9 I 1 K U . ' 0 A 1 Z I 1 n l 1 l 1 1- X

Page 20 text:

1-H P 05132 iflllirrnr tween M. Poinoeau, the banker, and Eustaee. The wheel spun amid perfect silence, round and round, past eleven and finally halted at number twenty-three. ' M. Joli watched it stop, he was dazed. The brillianoy of the room blurred, before his vision, into one great darkness. He was slipping- slipping-slipping-. 'lr if 'lf if if If fl ll fl The train lurohed and Eustaoe just saved himself from falling to the fioor of the coach. What a terrible dream! I will never try my numbers at Monte Carlo, said M. Joli half aloud. Let's see, what were they-6, 4, 9? Oh, I've forgotten. Well, I can be thankful for what that dream showed. I guess it is impossible to beat the roulette wheel. ' Eight