The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-07-31
UNLUCKY THIRTEEN.
Constance A. NJ. Cotterell.1

Constance A. N. CotterelLl
am Jealous man. There is no use In al
tempting TO deny It; but tonight there viii
be, there can be. no one of whom / need b
Jealous Lord MacPhoole certainly-but-
Here Jenkyns throws open the drawing.
room door and announces me: "Mr. Trevor
"Oh, Trevor. how dye dol" says my host,
laying his hand on my shoulder.
shrink inwardly from his touch, but
smile politely; for though hate the old
man. love his daughter.
II believe we shall be thirteen" he goes
on. "Kent has failed us at the last mo
ment But you don't mind, do your
Iprotest have not the slightest objec+
uon.
@No, I thought not" says Nr. Bellairs,
with horrid smile-in any ons else but his
daughters father, disgusting lser. @su-
perstition is the last thing you young men
60 in for nowadays, chr
assent TO this original proposition
HSomebody was saying, just before you
came In. that Trevor fought shy Of thir.
teen at dinner. But you say you don'tr
From my old nurse imbibed many curl.
ous superstitious horrors, Of which I have
never been able TO rid myself, but how can
confess to this ogrei boldly deny any
such weakness and, to my unutterable re-
lief, he moves away.
1t IL marvel TO me how such q monster
can have such q daughter as Evelyn ]
think to myself her mother must have been
an angel Of beauty and goodness and prob
ably died of horror at nearer acquaintance
with the ogre. I am just settling this ques-
ton entirely to my own satisfaction,
when the door openL Though my back is
turned, know 1t Is Evelyn. She mods. and
smiles kindly as she passes me-
For the space Of that second breathe the
sir OF Paradise But she goss on into the
other drawing-room, and hear her
greeting her guests, and laughing and
talking gayly. Then Isee Lord MacPnoole,
that fatuous idiot sitting by her, and she
seems positively to enjoy his weak jokes He
ID horrid Radical, and to ms they have
low. democratic favor. What right has he
to think he may amuse goddess with bis
feeble witt From my inmost soul / loathe
tho facetious fellow.
To add to my discomfort, those foolish old.
world superstitions rear their heads. Never
In my life have ma 10 one of thirteen. OF
course there Is nothing In it. tell myself
How could there bei Nevertheless I grow
more I'll at ease How do ! know ii
ID not truei Who has ever proved
III And Evelyn says something
which makes MacPhoolc laugh. How
can she condescend to be amused with such
an empty creaturei .. 's2.a. I.
Ah, Joy he is leaving her side with some
last Joke, most likely as stale and old as the
hills The chair next her Is empty. Why
should not 1t ..#a 'l5|" .t
Thinking to leap at once to heaven from
the place Of torment, rush into the other
room.
"Mr. Trevorln cries q voice have heard
called sweet To me 1t Is the voice Of an
owl, q crow. "o -7 A..
Taking not the slightest notice, / continue
my way, headlong. She sees me coming. Is
It only fattering self deception, or docs she
smile with pleasurei At this moment feel
some little impsdiment in my NAL career.
"0h, dear, Mr.. Trevor" 1 hear Miss
Fortescue cry, @you have knocked down my
fan. Are you growing blindr
Muttering anathemas on that hate
full fan, pick 1t up and 10
turn It to her. She then proceeds, 90 1t
seems 10 my excited imagination, to inquire
minuteiy into the health OF eve:y member
; OF my family. I have always thought my
self squire Of danes and Miss Fortescue
II both beautiful and charming; but never
the less feel that could. with cheerful
alacrity, apply the first torch to her funeral
pyre. ....... .n5.l..,
At last she Il satisfied. turn to leave
her, and behold that piggling MacPhoole In
the act Of sitting down again by Evelynl
She only sent him for . fre-screen Who
but I, her bond-slave, should wait On herf
Who else fetch her hrescreensi a.aa ....ss
n Freely. unrsssrvedly do j consign Miss
Portsscue to outsr darkness, there to wan
der with her fan forever. ....,,sa..s
Unconscious Of the horrible fate awaiting
her, hear her entertaining Lambert Kerr
with accounts Of dance to which she went
last night SIT desperately down by q
small tabls and open an album On the
drst page behold the monster and Miss
Fortsscue. Bangl shut 1t and clasp it
/. @Chesr up. Jack, old fsllowp . kind,
merry voice says close to my ear. 4You
are TO sit next but one TO her At dinner. I
have been pumping Jenkyns" "'
Chalmers, you are triumph" say CRATE
fully, as he sits down. ~-'s7
"You seem awfully down. he continues.
leaning his elbow on the table. as it that
an MacPhools you are Jealous of Only .
minute before you came In heard her COM
pare his laughter to tbs cracking OF thorns
under pot" .goaHN .E.a .a4i-
swell" allow, grestiy relieved.
II hardly supposed she would take
! him, but--hang it ALL Chalmers, We are 70
b thirtsenp Ha'tA W H F&&ta E7#-1 s-M
-T aAnd what of thati" He stares at me,
and then bursts into an incrsdulou, laugh
aYou don't mean to say you are growing
supsrstitioux, Jacki Poor fellowi"
I aN-no," say, @but still, you know, one
does not Like 10 run counter TO established
bslisfs" ,.as-s.s sstgs4sE
aEstablishsd beliefsI' he laughs again
II have never had much sympathy with the
tsndsr passion myself. but IL IL can turn q
reasonable man Hike you into an old woman
I shall objure 1t altogether. / live by my
witS, and can't afford to tride with theml"
SChalmers@ say, sngrily, 4you are
cold -biooded-" sa Ht@
aAnd, think. Trevor he returns, point
sdly, ayou are trine too hot-bloodsdP
Hs goss away. The nsxt minute hear
him laughing with Miss Fortescue and
Lambert Kerr--at ms. dare say.
RI But do not cara In ths other drawing
vooms zee Evelyn EtiIl talking to Mao
Phools. She n there; ksrs am ], not thirty
I fsst away, yet an impassabls gulf divides
N II h like horrid nightmars.
Tnsn I ses NacPhools leave her. and
Chalnsss my old familiar friend. darts
from soms lurking plaos and. with hsnd-
ish smile of triumph In my direction, tAkss
he empty chair. or courss Il may b. my
fsvsrsd fancy, but at this moment his faes
appears 10 me more dtabolical than sver
nnsn's was bsfora think of Miles 6sand-
n. end curss ths hour whom admittsd my
frisnd 70 sharS TIE secrets Of my bosom =
b telling her Of my sgrsgious follyf bne
IauStm I5 be witty at my exponss thsnI =
Ssv hours ago my greatest clum. ana uowl