MONTE CARLO.

NZ Truth, Issue 252, 23 April 1910, Page 8

MONTE CARLO.

AN AMAZING STORY. Adventurers Projected Coup. Prince as a Dupe. Startliug Revelations Concerning a Bogus Vanderbilt.

"Reyuolds's" ha 3 been placed m. possession of exclusive information concerning the exploits o£ an amazing adventurer of international notoriety who recently, un2er the assumed name of Frederick Vanderbilt, atteaipted to victimise Prince Franz Josef ' Bragfmza, a son of the Duke o£ Bragauza, wtob lives at tlie Chateau' of Seebcnsteio, m L-ower Austria, to the tune of over £300,000. Only meagre references have appeared m the Press with regard to this extraordinary affair. Tbe full story, the first instalment of which appears below., forms a. sensational chapter m the life of. one of the most audacious and accomplished, rogues of modern times.

Lackensteen, whose mother was a woman of color, has passed under a variety of aliases. He adopted Vandeibilt as his latest so as to po.se as a member of the well-known family oi American millionaires. How he managed toy this subterfuge to project a gigantic coup which only miscarried at the last moment will, with other remarkable de-, tails concerning his career, be now for the first time related m print. , Monte Carlo m the height of the reason, hathed m dazzling- sunshine ami effervescing with gaiety, lias a subtle glamour all its own. The newcomer, mingling with the crowds of lovely women and well-groomed men, is bewildered by the spectacle. It requires no effort to. persuade himself that he has for the time being entered a charmed circle where the sole object of everyone is to surrender themselves to the unchecked^ pursuit of pleasure. His untutored osar detects no false note m the voices of the laughing throng. Here, lie believes, IS TO BE POUND THE ESSENCE OF , LIFE. And no one will consider it their busi- , ness to disillusion him. He may not remain long enough to penetrate beneath^ the surface of glitter and sham. Well, and good. But if he does outstay his i welcome, then he is only learning whafci all his predecessors have learned, that"where, on the surface, luxury and Ugb±heartedness appear paramount, the undercurrent of sordid intrigue and crime,' is r by ■'; contrast, all the stronger.. And. so it is m Monte Carlo; If, ah. the one hand, it is acknowledged. 'as -the^ Mecca of the pleasure-seekers of the ■ world, yet, on the other, it is conspicuously the resort of every cosmopolitan rogue who has the brains and the - enterprise to play for high stakes— not at the tables. AMONGST THE FOOLS. So to Monte Carlo, m due course, drifted one Lackensteen. It was simply an accident of circumstance that ' he had < not made it his occasional headquarters much earlier m his career. But he had managed to keep busy m other parts: pf tihe world until mifldle age, and mace.] than once when on the point of making a trip to the most favored spot oa tile liivicra, had found it inadvisable to siiaw himself m a resort whcre t although contain of finding many new faces, it was unpleasantly possible that he mi glut meet with some old ones which would he distinctly unwelcome. , Sauve, self-possessed, and ingratiating m manner, Laclcenateen had seldom found it difficult to obtain an opening m some game of life which, oiiered opportunities oi substantial recompense for the spice of danger involuted. As he sat m a ciishiojiwl basket-chair, carefully placed on the lawn of the hotel garden so that the glare oi, the sun was avoided, he ruminated . pa. the fact that whatever chances he Had taken he had never,. INVETERATE GAMBLER THAT, HE WAS . m some respects, squandered his providences at the tables where so many of t>he visitors to lylonte Carlo werei at that moment attempting the vain task of vanquishing their iuexorable opponent — Biie Bank. He dug his heels viciously mto ijho turf. They were fools, these ..people', who flung their money so recklessly into the gambling machine. Why^.sbould he not profit from their folly just as much as the shiewd proprietor o£ the Casino ? He had exploited cleverer men and women often m the past. If he lelt Monte Carlo empty-handed, then, indeed, it would be necessary to realise that Laukenstecn had lost his former cunning. Surely, he told himself, the man who had got the bet tec of some of ''the aa t financiers ml London and had filled his pockets at the expense of men wJbto were credited with being amongst the most knowing business ; experts m the great capitals of Europe, i should be equal to relieving one or . two •of these Riviera spendthrifts of : theix 'superfluous cash. He would hear what the prospects were ; very soon now, for the. time appointed j for his interview with the one person to be relied upon fof the necessary information concerning the projected coup which he had been turning over m his mind lac 'some days had already arrived". He pulled out his watch and then glanced irnpatieiitljr towards the terrace. She was late. It was unusual for her.. Punctuality was one of her saving, graces.: •• A FASCINATING WOMAN.. Fortunately— for his temper was not of, the < besfc— lris patience was not severely tested.. His watch had not been back im .his pocket more than three minutes Defore a woman dressed m the height ofr fashion, approached from the far side o£ the garden where a tall hedge of flowering shrubs hid from view the main approach to the hotel. She had a perfect figure, which one of the most famous Paris dressmakers had ' taken a delight la sho.wiQg oil to the greatest advantage, and! she walked with the epsy grace of on& accustomed, to court, attention without appearing to- invite it. Het features, were

welL moulded, but inclined to be too sharply defined. HER "EYES WERE HER CHIEF CHAKM. . When she smiled they lit up with a brilliance that had exercised an irresistible fascination over many men who had boasted that they were proof against alt the wiles of womanhood. -But they were : eyes , which could take on a very different '..expression if their owner's anger were Croused. Their grcyness would become inexpressibly hard and sinisteri „ reflecting | the cruel .nature prtlinarily .hiddeii /by a. ! veneer of all'abili.ty. ' ,' •; : The' woman sank into the. accommodate ing depths of the lounge chair proffered fkev, and, leaning, over till her face almost .touched that of the man, she said, m- a ! low voice, ' "''■■' "YOUR CHANCE. HAS COME.. I HAVE: ARRAiNGED AN. INTRODUCTION; TOi THE PRINCE. ; It will not be here.. Perhaps m Paris ox' .London, perhaps m BerUn, but probably' iin Vienna. There is no time to be lost.. ; You must come with me now,; and tonight I leave Monte Carlo. You must' j start m the morning. Walk with me tothe lounge and we can talk plans as we- ; '.go. But, remember, you are 'Vanderbiituntil further noiaco." "I understand," her companion replied^ : with a quiet assurance that plainly in-** idicated 'he knew the' port he- was gping? ;to play.. They passed through the- spacious hotel lounge chatting . lightly. To tile casdai observer they appeared a typical pair p£ \ well-to-do ; visitors with no cbhcertt at thei moment beyond taking their fill of\ tiie i delights of Monte Carlo. : A tall young man. of distinguished apipearancc was seated alone at a small ' table sipping absinthe. His eyes brightened with pleasurable anticipation when he saw that the newcomers were coming towards him. "Count," said the woman, with an engaging smile, "I am pleased to see you again so soon, i want to introduce my ohi friend, MR VANDERBILT OF NEJv" YORK*." The man shook hands, and the three cook versed together for ten minutes or so* when they parted; the -man who had beenjaddxessed as Count spoke with great cbtdiaiity. *'X you do come to Vienna ; goou, Mr Vander^itt, you must let me Know, it ; will _giye "me the greatest pleasure to. sho.w you all the sights." . The other replied that he would be : sure to acipiaint the Count of his airti val were he able' to iind, time to visit Austria. There were pressing financial , interests requiring his attention m Paris and /London, and, therefore, his mo-ve~ ments, v^erc uncertain, but; he hoped he nvmld be aiile to arrange to be m Vienna so«n. ; / . • • '%< _■•-.. - As Mr "•VandeEbilt/' and his fiair companion passed down the steps of the ho-, tel they tailed to notice that, they had attracted the interested atteMion of two SflUiet-looking Englishmen. One of these, • while " Vanderbilt" \s;as within eacsuot, ■ opened a large elasp-itnife, and fct^ the ! blade snap too quickly. It. had a strong spring, and made a sharp metallic sound as It closed. M Vandcibiit'' looked round. I with a curiously startled expression on. his face, but he saw nothing to explain. what he hati heard. ' "What? Has he had the bracelets aa ! some time, then I" asked, the companion. ■of the man who had manipulated the clasp knife. v ; y'~ . u Hather ! I recognised him,' m a moment. Come inside and have si' drink, and i I'll tell you all. about him,' and when we get back to London 1111I 1 11 show ' you his r&> ; cord at the Yard. We must try to nntf out what ganae'- he is up to heip." But the Scotland Yard detectives did not have an opportunity , "of, renewing ; their acquaintance with, the redoul>table |"VanderJ)ilt" on that,, pecision,,, for he. i left Monte Carlo nex± day. y The. firs* laaove had been begun m the daring game: ! which only ended a few weejt's ago v and would have resulted, if 1 ■ plans had been carried to a successful ( issue, m Prince Franz Josef of Braganza ienig victimised to tde tune of over [ £30«vfl«tt>— ".Reynolds." ; <