The Denison Review

[Original.]

Some forty years ago an American who had made a fortune in organizing wrecked railroads appeared at Baden Baden, Germany. Baden Baden at that time was what Monte Carlo is now, the gambling resort for all Europe. The American, Benedict Wuffles, was in fact a smart fellow. He had unlimited means, with which he set to work to break the bank at Baden Baden, and it was not long before he found the secret of how to do so. His play soon attracted universal attention, and his operations were watched intently by every one present till he had accomplished his object.

Then Mr. Wuffles suddenly sank into a condition of ennui, awaiting some other point of attack for his tremendous brain.

One morning he was sitting on a bench in the grounds where the casino stood, when a lady with her maid came and sat on a neighboring bench. The women spoke in the French language, and Mr. Wuffles did not understand what they said, but there was one word he had learned while gaping at royalty in Paris, the prefix "highness," or "altesse," in French. Wuffles noticed that the lady's maid constantly addressed her as "altesse." The first time she did so Wuffles pricked up his ears. The second time he moved restlessly in his seat, and after that he got up and walked before the lady in order to observe her face. He saw a very beautiful woman. Then he sat down again. Presently her highness arose and moved away, leaving her handkerchief on the bench. Wuffles seized it and followed her, appearing suddenly at her side holding his hat in one hand and in the other the handkerchief.

"Oh, monsieur!" exclaimed the lady and followed up the exclamation by rattling off a lot of French.

"I don't understand, altesse. I don't speak French. I am an American."

"Oh, I see," replied the lady in broken English. "I am much obliged for my handkerchief, but I am troubled that you should know my rank. I am traveling incognito."

Well, to make a long story short, the lady turned out to be the Princess Marie Ernestina Amelia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Weimar-Holstein- that is, she was the princess to Wuffles and her maid, though to all else at Baden she was plain Fraulein von Witzenburg. She was stopping at a hotel, but soon after Wuffles met her rented for a month a small furnished villa. She had heard of Wuffles' coup at the casino, and, all Europeans being either gamblers or interested in gamblers, she conceived a great admiration for the American. She invited Wuffles to her villa, and Wuffles plumed himself in the anticipation of a love affair, but she soon showed him that, although she permitted him to call on her, she did not forget the difference in their rank. An attendant of some sort was always present at their meetings.

Her highness desired to know Wuffles' method of breaking the bank, and he tried to explain it to her, but she couldn't understand it, and, to tell the truth, the success was largely due to his unlimited means, which he knew by instinct how to handle.

"You shall break the bank again," said the princess. "I will be there to see, and after it is all over you shall come to sup with me, and we will celebrate the event."

Wuffles agreed, and the next evening he appeared at the gambling tables, while the princess sat behind watching him. He would bet on one card, losing and continue to bet without change on the same card, doubling the amount, till he won. This was all of his plan that was apparent, the rest of it being based on certain mental calculations of probabilities. Nevertheless he seemed confident that he would break the bank and did so about 2 o'clock in the morning. He stuffed his winnings in his pockets. The princess slipped her little hand within his arm and led him to her carriage. In ten minutes they were in her supper room before a table loaded with delicacies. Two or three acquaintances were also present for propriety's sake.

Wuffles was in glory. Once he forgot the difference in rank between himself and his hostess and squeezed her hand, but was sharply recalled to himself by a hauteur that chilled him to the marrow.

"Pardon me, your highness," he said. "I forgot myself."

The princess smiled kindly and in token of her forgiveness offered him her own unfinished glass of wine. Wuffles drank it off in an ecstasy.

The next thing Wuffles knew it was morning. He was in bed, and a man was standing over him with a paper in his hand. It proved to be an unpaid bill for rent for the villa, made out in his name.

"But where is"- He must not give up the princess and hesitated.

"Oh, they've gone. The woman took the house in your name. She said she was your wife, but I knew better than that. She's been here before."

Wuffles stared at the man a few moments. Then it rushed upon him that he had been "done." But he was good grit, and his pride kept him up.

"All right," he said. "I'll pay."

He knew well enough that his winnings of the night before were gone and did not look for them. Instead, he told the man to come to his hotel later on and he would receive his money.

Before Wuffles left the villa he had also agreed to pay for the supplies "the princess" was indebted for-she had paid none of them, besides running up sundry miscellaneous bills, all in Wuffles' name and he at last paid for the supper which had been ordered to celebrate his coup at the casino.

ELLIOT WALKER.