Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-23
THE FAN OF ,PsAcocWs FEATHERS,
The Evil 1t Wrought For One Woman
Until the Spell Was Broken.

The Evil 1t Wrought For One woman
Until the Spell Was Broken.
~ am not superstitious," /" said an actress
recently, but l, don't believe shall ever
care to have peacock's feathers in my pos
session again. A few weeks ago l saw
| fan made Of them in one Of the shops here,
and thinking it was just what wanted
bought it. l gave $40 bill In payment,
saying would get the change on the way
out. The fan was $3.50, and when went
back to the counter the money had not yet
4 tetUrned.
II was in Il desperate hurry, for 1t was
nearly rehearsal time, but as it was Satur-
Say and we were going out on a short east
ern tour Sunday morning had to wait as
long as possible. There had been an error,
and my "a. 40 had gone astray was finally
told, but it would be forwarded to me, the
girl said. and rushed up to rehearsal, just
late,enough to incur fine.
After the trouble with the money, being
consequently little short Of cash in my
purse, / sent home, G. o. D., a small pack
age whose contents cost 81. This dollar
lRave to the maid at my boarding house,
telling her to pay for something that was
looming for me. While l was at dinner the
manager sent for my two trunks to go to
the station, and the stupid maid assumed
this to be the place for my dollar and paid
1t over to the expressman, who, not under
standing, pocketed it as the expressage for
the trunks. So when the package did come
1t took another dollar to get it, and there
was no way to get the first one back.
'iNothing happened on Sunday, except
that my berth was over the wheels, and
4 left package of the late papers had just
,bought in the New York waiting room,
but on Monday, not feeling well, bought
a bottle of an expensive tonic, and had
hardly got out of the drug store when it
lslipped from my hands aud fell breaking
Ito bits, As the tonic was not for external
luse this outward application only soiled
my gown, and had to 20 right back and
pay over another 81 ,25 for more Of the med
icine.
1--WE were to play three nights in the
place, and left some of my things around
the dressing room after Monday nights
performance.
when l opened the door Tuesday even
ing, cloud of flying down fioated toward
me. 1t was my powder puff, which had
been chewed by MICE as Thought, but
soon found that more than mice had been
abroad in the room. A little search showed
| big rathole IN one corner, and in it were
| sticking half Rnawed shoe, one of pair
| of red silk ones, made from piece Of a
dress l wore In one act. The other was
never found The rats had disposed of that
entirely, and of a pair of long, red gloves
that went with the costume. OF course
uhey had eaten all the grease paint around,
and had even jumped up from the shelf
] and chewed pair of red silk laces that
laced my dress and that had hung up on
II nail. These were chewed as far as they
could be reached.
II hnd to go on that night withoutgloves
: and in apair of old white kid boots that the
property man hastily painted red as well
rs he could.
1.-The manager of the theater told me the
place was overrun by rats, that q short
time before be had shut a ferret up one
night in one of the dressing rooms, and In
the morning he could not be found any
E where but that didn't console me for the
I loss OF my expensive and not easily dupli'
( Gated shoes.
"wednesday morning in my room at the
+ hotel ! spilled bottle of ink over thu
u front of new teagown, and then | cried
q One of the girls ran in. and in telling OF my
u list OF misfortunes | spoke of their dating
:, 4 from the purchase Of the fan. What fanS
q she asked, and showed IL TO her.
e "She instantly seized 1t and broke II
over her knee running to the window ane
i throwing the pieces as far as she could.
B. u learned then for the first time the super
: u stition about peacock feathers, and though
!. can't believe in it, had no more woes
d hey ond those OF the average mortal, after
e parted company with that fan. AndA'1l
z, never got back the $40 change. e."--Nev
B Vark Times