The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-17
THE CHRISTMAS OPAL.
Sr PROVED Az uyLUcRr JEWEL,
POSSESSING A sTRAS0E PowEE.
An Ola Turk Warned Me Against Inc
stone. Claiming That II was onjoreo-
Result OF Scientists Experiment.

Up TO my twcnty-seccnd year eonsfa'-
uisted myself that my nature was ao-
so,u,ety free from superstition 'Iwas ono
of Tho few characteristics In when loon
a epeclai pride. 1 had no scrup'es aoou'
sitting down with twelve guests at oi"-
,er ON Friday. the thirteenth day OF '"e
,,,o,,h Immediately after passing a run
erai without turning around. a Se'les "
experiences strange. yet none the less
En-. vroueht a change and now ! nave
a deal OF sympathy fer those WHO D'''''~
In signs and Omens. -. a,d 7
xyhIle Al college my roommate ana
took q fancy 10 the same woman We pe
came rivals In this respect oihF' HV ,~''
the advantage In intellect and PERSONALITY.
natural musical talent on my part
tawever appealed 20 the sentiment OF tne
woman. She was devoted 10 the art apo
beld eli else Inferior Without meaning
any disrepect. she might have been ciasseu
under the head Of Musical cr',nks.
This congeniality Of taste WAS the S"'1
influence In establishing a common "u-
ulration between us. AID my ci"ss-i''a a.
who as note other than san "'
- n promising young medical stuatn'
..l,,ctantly surrendered the contest il
my favor. 80 with
San Jerome's defeat went hafa VIZ"
him. His highstrung. sensitive tenhP..@
rnent. Inherited from Spanish anceS' >,
81, the blow keenly. He determined I"
amo.her the gloomy effect OF his unsOc
csssft,I suit I'm the excitement or iraV"
An the East. All my arguments 10 as
.nade him from his decision proved ~
tuo shall never forget the Nnoly
-,,anner in which he SHOOK my hand when
bidding me bood-bye at the ralifodu
station - 49,. 90
caSonalIv" said he. gloomily, as the
train steamed out.
The Package from tho East.
geveral months passed. / heard nothing
<-o,a san Jerome. one evening-the day
before christmas Eve ] was seated IN
my study. before a glowing fire that gave
the room a coy appearance. TOT an
hour 1 had been racking my brain win
that complicated problem-what 10 Sc
lect as n Christmas present Tor my nance.
Her tastes were so different from those Oh
other women. I was az a loss 20 decide.
NV cogtations We're finally disturbed
nv The iauitor of the second floor, native
TURK who had become Angiicized He in
formed me that the postman had left a
rather unusual looking package a couple
Of hours since. Turning topsy turVy
chaos OF books papers. chemical appaTa-
tus. and n general assortment or sporting
tndispensibles piled upon the table n
carefully wrapped box with foreign post
mark was about the last object discover
ed Opening this / found smaller
nackaRe and a letter dated Constants
nonle" 1t was from San jerome, giving
me some account Of his impressions and
experiences in the East and describing
al some length the country and people he
had seen The concluding words were
these:
ssThe opal enclosed will make suitable
Christmas trifie for Claire. You know she
has a sort of mania for the things The
stone is very odd one OF its KIND. IL
was picked up by one OF the guides on
the banks OF the Euphrates, near Ere
rum. The place is said TO be near the
original site of the Garden Of Eden This
rnny add some value 10 the jewel, though
the natives poor thingsD believe firmly
in a strange legend that Eve once wore
a necklace OF these jewels.
Believe me, Old Fellow, sincerely your
chum. .,
The stone was an unusually large one,
and had a peculiarly lustrous appearance
even In its unpublished condition. When
turned 20 the light 1t gave a pale flesh
colored tint, that changed to purplish,
,early hue on being withdrawn. At
- times. Il became slightly reddish.
Strange 20 say, in the dark II had
delicate display OF variegated hues some
thing like those Of q diamond. When
near the fire the jewel looked as though
Il would bleed II cut.
"A rare. valuable stone" remarked the
jeweler who polished It; never saw one
like IL before"
A Series of Mishaps.
The oh Turk at the college dormatOry
warned me against the stone. which he
declared was unlucky. I laughed at his
superstition. Claire was delighted with
tho Jewel. II was set in a wrought
iron band Everybody pronounced 1t
unique, and locked upon it as rare
curlo.
one evening while preparing for the
nights study. a box accompanied by
note was handed me. A dynamite eX-
plosion could not have astonished NE
more than the contents Of the latter:
"Thursday-A. NJ
Ere you receive this I shall be in an
other State. / was mistaken, my pro-
fessed regard for you was only an in
fatuatlon for your music. Your ring /
return Have eloped with my fathers
secretary. Forgive me.
CLAIRE"
Upon recovering from the first shock.
almost hated myself for permitting
what was In reality a timely escape TO
prey upon my mind. once j recalled the
warning of the old Turk, but smiled care
lessly at the thought.
The turn matters had taken. / shall al
ways believe, was the cause Of my failure
on examination day. / returned home
only TO learn that Claire was cruelty
deserted by her husband who had fled 10
escape the authorities for some crime.
Later / ascertaincd that the unfortunate
woman had been disinherlted by her
father and YVES an inmate of nunnery.
What little N Oney L had was invested
in business enterprise At the end OF
two MOI tbs. however. the concern filed
deed of assignment Again the Turk
warning flashed through my mind but
had little faith In the foreigners pre-
Judice
l pawned the Jewel In spite OF my at
tachment 10 IL. The pawnbroker was
convicted of larceny two weeks after
wardb This set me 10 thinking / de-
termined 10 watch the career Of the
opal. BY mere accident l learned that
the man who purchased the ring was
badly hirt In a railroad collision. He
had given the treasure 10 a chorus girl.
member Of comedy company Ia which
was playing MINOR role The girl
committed suicide In Philadelphia The
Turks warning came back TO me- An
unaesoantahie fascination the stone pos
sessed caused me 10 disregard the words
OF ths oasterncr. 1 purchased the ring.
My funds now justified me in returning
10 college to make another effort for my