| Show E r 3 A 0 o n yr f y f f f ij MONTE EXCITING 0 f jt MARTIN GENERAL DIRECTOR of the department the WILLIAM y copyright 1908 by W 0 chapman copyright in great britain and the united by wm la queue queux 1 THE MAN WITH THE CLAWS faltas vos beux above the jingle ot coin the rustle ot notes the click ot the tiny ivory ball and the hum ot many voices that monotonous barl dent cry which has en alced so many to ruin and so few to fortune rings ever in the ears of those who tall beneath the fascination ot ahat most exacting of distresses mistresses mi stresses dame the great gilded sa ions where the light of day Is ex eluded by curtains ot black and calm son muslin where the senses are bewildered wil dered by an apparent disregard ot wealth and where the atmosphere Is heavy with that faint odor of per aspiration and perfume it Is the same invitation to play rising above all other sounds year in year out sun days and week days messieurs baltes vos beux to frequenters 0 monte carlo I 1 require little introduction they know roe perhaps as a familiar figure of rather funereal aspect in frock coat and black tie strolling aimlessly about sometimes watching the play at this table or at that but more often keeping close observation on one or other of the placers who like moths around a candle are attracted to the tapis vert by golden expectations I 1 am an observer by profession having graduated under mons goron chief of the paris kurete and afterwards served a term as croupier at the rou lette tables whence I 1 rose to be chef le partle and afterwards became ap pointed to ahe office I 1 now hold As chief of the surveillance depart ment my office Is no sinecure tor truth to tell the cercle des strangers Et rangers ae monaco Is the sink of europe an interesting procession of malefactors and criminals of the upper class seems to filter through our salons year by year jn blissful ignorance of the tact that when they mount the carpeted steps from the place they are simply walking into an international police lureau little do they dream that it warrants are out for their arrest it Is more than probable that in one of the large albums my private room be lelnd the bureau where they present their fictitious visiting cards to obtain their carte d admission there reposes a well executed counterfeit presents ment ot themselves together with a brief and pointed statement of their ottense in these heavy albums each devoted to a separate country I 1 have a truly cosmopolitan collection nearly very region on the face of the earth contributes its quota to my gallery of celebrities for whenever a delinquent Is known to have obtained a consider able sum ot money by his crime his description or hla photograph is at once forwarded to me tor the fatal fascination which the roulette wheel upon those guilty of the more serious offenses Is truly astonish ing messieurs baltes vos jeurl rose sharply as I 1 approached the chair of the chef de partle and at the same instant the croupier reversed the red and black wheel and with a twist ot the thumb launched the ivory ball on its way along the circular ledge the excited players threw their all ver and gold on the numbers the dozens the rouge the noar and the impair then they waited breath lessly suddenly lust as the ball was losing its impetus a tall dark bearded rath er handsome man with a pair of black piercing eyes which seemed to with an almost unnatural bril liance thrust bis gloved hand into bis pocket and carelessly tossed some notes upon the table without counting them at the same time exclaiming Rem lere in an instant the croupier spread them open saying francs premiere dou balne scarcely had these words been ut when there arose the inevitable warning imeln ne va plush for a second there was a dead allence as all eyes watched the tiny ball while it ell with a rattle and final click into one of the small sockets on the cylinder and ere it had touched the number the croupier announced in the same sharp voice neuf rouge impair et manquel and with his rake commenced to draw in the losses the man who had flung down bis notes so carelessly muttered some thing to himself as if counting and took the six thousand francs be bad won handing back the three thousand be had staked saying premiere colonne the moment the strangers notes were placed on the small square at the end ot the table beneath the num her 36 gold and silver were showered upon it by those determined to follow the play of this favorite of fortune the wheel was spun the ball ejected and a few moments later in the breathless tension which followed arose the words rouge pair et manque again the stranger had won the smaller stakes were paid first then the croupier handed him six notes each for a thousand francs this time be placed all the notes in his pocket together with the three thousand he bad staked and producing a note for a hundred francs tossed it on zero the chance was too small to suit the majority malo rity of the players and only a couple of alve branc pieces were placed beside it feln ne va plus sounded almost before the stakes could be placed on the ball gave a little jump then tell with a sharp click click click brente beux deux cried the croupier loudly with that roll of the r which frequenters ot monte carlo know so well the stranger with a muttered word which sounded very much like an oath turned away having lost for the first time but richer by many thousand francs than halt an hour before those around the table envied him hla luck and many mostly of the english tour ast 1st class admired his self control in leaving immediately after hla first loss it every one did so there would be fewer ruined fortunes and the bank would profet less A dozen times as I 1 strolled back wards and forwards the length of the rooms lounging here and there I 1 caught his full face and profile it was that 0 a man strong willed excited beneath a calm exterior and debating within himself whether he should continue playing the face was not the original of any in my collection from table to table he strolled pausing to glance at the play antl he passed out into the great atrium at that moment filled with the crowd emerging from the concert room As I 1 went out by the entrance door I 1 whispered to grenat the head door keeper pointing him out and ordering him it he again entered to look at his card and at once send bis name to me ell I 1 asked grenat a few moments later gnats his name emale was the reply at once I 1 entered the bureau of the administration and from the register discovered that a card of admission had that afternoon been issued to one emale who had given his na as french and his address at the hotel lies at men tone again I 1 went into the gaming rooms where I 1 found him standing watching one of the center roulette tables through the remainder of that aft ernson he lounged leisurely about the rooms sometimes interested in the play but never risking anything high er than a five trance piece until near ly seven 0 clock when he obtained bis hat and coat and left the casino As soon as I 1 saw bis intention I 1 also obtained my hat and took a short cut through the gardens to the steps lead ng down to the railway station at the top of the steps I 1 overtook an old decrepit man hunchbacked and shab by who leant heavily on his stout stick and was about to descend he had been speaking with a man whose dark figure I 1 saw disappearing in the direction of the casino beneath the light I 1 glanced at the deformed man s face it was the successful player in the darkness of the gardens he had as fumed his ragged overcoat turned his soft felt hat into another shape and with an altered expression of heavy care and inexpressible sorrow had effected a transformation that was little short of marvelous indeed were it not tor the tact that I 1 heard him cough and recognized t as the cough of the man who had won so many thousands at the tables even I 1 should have tailed to identify him in that instant I 1 became convinced that my suspicions were not un founded and further that the m astery was deeper than I 1 had imagined at the station instead of remaining on the platform for mentone he crossed the line and entered the omal bus train lor nice while I 1 also mounted into a first class compart determined to see where he really lived my curiosity being now thoroughly aroused that there was some deep purpose in this complete disguise I 1 felt confident but what it was I 1 could not imagine when he got out at ace be had taken off his overcoat and carrying it over his arm walked erect in nat ural attitude I 1 followed him down the avenue de la gare across the place massena and on to the promenade where he disappeared into the hotel des anglaia anglais he had given an incorrect address and it was strange that a first class hotel should care to take in a man who wore such shabby trus ers after 20 minutes or so I 1 in quiren at the bureau of the hotel and discovered that the stranger who had thus aroused my curiosity was known as mons and that in the reg r 1 passe cried the croupier almost next instant I 1 watched his face although he had won no smile of satisfaction played about hla thin lips his was a gray ashen countenance from which all hope and all desire seemed to have fled his winnings five thousand francs were pushed towards him but he twisted the notes together and thrust them into the outside pocket of hla jacket with as little care as though they were circulars his manner had changed from the previous day he was now pale to the lips whereas he had been ruddy and healthy looking and his pallor was heightened by his white silk cravat secured by a gold ring again and again he played with unvarying success until with sudden resolve he transferred all bis winnings to an inner pocket and then tossed a single five franc piece upon the cen ter dozen the ball fell upon number eight he lost then with some muttered words of discontent he turned away it seemed as though having won thou sands ot francs he begrudged the loss of a single silver coin I 1 did not follow him tor the mys tery irritated me and I 1 had already several other important matters on hand nearly a week passed before I 1 saw him again he was playing at the table where we had first met and his personal appearance had considerably improved this time I 1 resolved to speak to him therefore I 1 went to my room slipped on a smart tweed coat and vest which I 1 kept in readiness tor emergencies and lounged back to the table taking up my stand behind him when he played I 1 also put down my modest alve franc pieces until he als corned that I 1 was following his play and glanced back at me inquiringly M bleur has good fortune I 1 observed quickly yes he answered with a laugh dut my luck has changed see I 1 ve just lost and he nodded towards a five franc piece beneath the croupier s rake together we turned away M bleur Is to be congratulated I 1 said it Is remarked in the rooms that he never loses 1 I lose sometimes he answered with a dry harsh laugh 1 ve just lost but it Is only five francs whereas while I 1 have been standing with m bleur he has won twenty eight thou sand francs I 1 observed you count it eh he snapped well I 1 dont A loss Is a loss it might have been a maximum instead of a minimum but you have won and you should ba content I 1 am he answered I 1 ve just lost five francs on twenty nine a number which wins always it I 1 stake upon it therefore I 1 play no more r f T I 1 offered him a cigarette as we strolled up and down over the tes belated pavement of the atrium and endeavored to obtain from him some facts regarding himself but to all my artful inquiries he carefully remained dumb I 1 had assumed the character of a garrulous tourist and babbled gabbled on about myself of course telling him a fictitious story it was near the dinner hour and at roy invitation we dined at the hotel de paris opposite my mysterious friend was I 1 found an educated man who had seen a good deal of the world but at dinner still another fact struck me as curious he always wore gloves and to day they were light I 1 gray suede ones even now while eating he retained one glove the left band one 1 I suffer from acute rheumatism he explained noticing my surprise that he did not remove the glove 1 I met with a severe accident while c cling three years ago and my hand has never been the same since the doctor orders me to wear a glove al ways for the least cold affects it fortunate that it was your left hand I 1 answered while at that in stant our eyes met and I 1 fancied I 1 detected in his a curious look of sus does it pain you now I 1 asked yes it gives me some bad twinges now and then this afternoon while playing I 1 was in great pain this answer was exactly what I 1 wished him to give I 1 happen to be a medical man al though I 1 don t practice I 1 said after IT WAS THE successful PLAYER later be had inscribed a landed proprietor living near bayonne I 1 took my dinner leisurely at the holder atter warda returning to monte carlo utterly mystified next day I 1 had many affairs to at tend to and completely forgot the curious incident until about tour 0 clock in the afternoon when a cough behind me sounded familiar and there I 1 saw the mysterious stranger stand ing at the right hand roulette table just within the entrance attired gayly in a suit ot light gray with a pink carnation in his lapel he was watching the play intently it was how that cough attracted me I 1 reasoned with myself but could not account tor it true I 1 had only first heard it on the previous day yet it now seemed curiously familiar from his nervous action I 1 saw thai ho intended playing therefore 1 in order to watch him more intently I 1 whispered a word to the chef de par tie and took his place on tho high chair behind the croupier the ball was already in motion when the stranger placed a note tor a thousand francs upon a of tho last six numbers rouge pair et dinner have a glance at it it you like oh you re very kind he replied with a smile certainly you 11 be dong me a great service it you can recommend any treatment that will allay the pain I 1 feel it right up my arm to the shoulder V ell see what its appearance Is I 1 said and we continued eating our filet vant adour As the meal progressed I 1 became more impressed by the fact that it was merely my friend a eccentricity that had attracted me while he seemed to entertain some absurd prejudices he also appeared to be ut terly careless of the future for when I 1 asked him where he was going he looked at me blankly across the table and answered that he haan hadn t the least idea 1 I drift about he added 1 I have drifted about europe all my life 1 I ha vent traveled very much I 1 said 1 I came along here from blar altz do you know it no he answered I 1 ve never been south of bordeaux these words were an admission that the entry in the register of the hotel des anglaia anglais at nice was false I 1 bad elt convinced that he did not come rom badonna because of hla north rn accent he was concealing his identity after dinner we strolled across the lit place to the cafe and eat to take our liqueurs lique urs and listen 0 o the band it waa there he drew off ala glove not however without a light hesitation and exhibited to me i withered claw like hand it was in leed hideous I 1 did not wonder thai ie preferred to keep it gloved the lesh had wizened and died upon fin ers and palm until it bad assumed a lark brown color while the bone hone white beneath the skin a veritable skeleton hand with long un rimmed nails the hand of a demon ather than that of a human being even in my ignorance of the ice of medicine I 1 saw that such a ter ible disease was not the result ot and expressed but nay friend merely shook hla head and pulled on the glove again saving you re not the first doctor who has old me that yet two great special ats in paris agreed as to the cause and treatment I 1 must admit however that |
