Connecticut western news., 1883-09-19
smith CrawIey's Opal Whose Radiance
 or Dulincss FOrctOId His Luck.
From the Chicago Hcrald.l

I WI rVhetVtV | From the Chicago Hcrald.l l "Some years ago, as you are proba- bly, aware, there was a man who be- longed to the sporting fraternity of Chicago, named Smith Crawley. He was professional gambler, and had the name of being very successful one. He always wore on his shirt bosom a large stud with an opal setting-the fin est gem of that kind that I have ever seen, and one which I was so anxious to possess that offered him a large price | for it. He would not part with it on any consideration. He claimed that he owed all his success at the gaming table to that opal; that it was an unfailing talisman, which indicated, by it's color and brightness, what luck was in store for him. He invariably consulted it be- fore sitting down to game of cards. If his luck was bad, the gem was dull red color; but if success availed him, it sparkled with various bright tints. don't want you to think that I took Crawley's word for this. My interest in this particular opal was so great that on several occasions ac- companied him to his resorts, at his own solicitation, to test the truth of his assertion. found that what he had told me was absolutely true; that the amulet actually underwent the changes he had mentioned just ill pro portion as his luck changed. If it was merely coincidence, heunvaryhngrepe- tition of it was something wonderful"
 cone night went withnim, said the jeweler, earnestly, "to a well-known gambling house on Clark street. The game had no fascination for me and never played, but Crawley was pleasant lfellow to pass a leisure hour with, and, besides, I had not given up the hope of inducing him to part with that stud. | The talisman indicated favorable con dition of things, and Crawley took a hand in game of poker with the pro prietor of the house and several other men, I stood near his chair and watched the game. The stakes were unlimited and the bets ran high. Fortune favored Crawley from the first, just as he knew it would. I glanced frequently at the opal; it seemed to increase in brilliancy each moment, until it glowed, and sparkIed and scintillated with variety of radiant lights that were beautiful in the extreme. had never seen anything like it; it's effect upon me was something \ like the charm of n serpent, as remem- ! Der. and Il found 1t dinicnlk to remove
 my eyes from 1t for moment. l was
 the only person ill the room, except the
 owner himself, who knew anything about
 the alleged potency of this gem. Craw- lev never revealed the secret to any of
 his fellow gamblers, as that would have
 warned them against playing with him'
 He won constantly; his opponents lost
 heavily. He was in talkative, playful
 humor the others were silent and
 serious, with that white, intense look of
 calm excitement q don't know what else to call it) which have so often
 noticed on the faces of gamblers when engaged in an absorbing game.
 Suddenly there was sharp, snap
 ping sound that was heard throughout the room. Crawley dropped his cards
 and sprang to his feet, pale as death.
 What had happened? The opal in his z bosom had bursted-had gone to pieces , like miniature bombshell-and out of it's gold setting it fell to the floor in q
 dozen fragments
 sI had often heard of opals bursting
 without any apparent cause, but this was the first. time had ever been T witness to such phenomenon. Of , course it caused 8 great deal of surprise , and curiosity among the other players,
 and for while everything else was for !. gotten in a discussion of the remarkable y occurrence.
 Q "Crawley, after recovering from the 8 first shock, which seemed to almost :; stun him, tried to make light of the d matter and to shift the conversation to c other subjects; but could see that he 8 was terribly shaken up over the loss of c his talisman. He carelessly informed d a friend that he could easily replace the T stone with another of the same kind, and 1t then with forced calmness, began to c talk of something else. But smith
 Crawley was never successful gambler
 after that. Without his opal, or 'guid- , ing star, as he used to call it, he had no confidence in himself, and was compelled to go it blind in every game he en- , tered"
 "Where is this man now?s'
 "Dead. He lost all he had here in a months time and went West. He got
 down so low in Gunnison, Col, that he y was shot while in the act of stealing a e ham one night. This occurred within l. year after the mysterious breaking oi
 the opal"