Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-17
Az opaleseen. superstItitIon.

81 always like to hear you fellows
talk" said tall, lean man standing up
and stretching himself, after the drum
mer had finished a story. Now, I'm
not a liar, but | am superstition"
The drummer didn't say anything.
"As l said" continued the tall man,
''pm superstitious, and I'll tell you
why. Fifteen years ago was travel
Ing for New York house and as a
token OF esteem for my good work, the
firm gave me fine opal ring. l wasn't
superstitious then, and teok 1t with
great pleasure. But somehow after
that, seemed 20 have lost my grip,
and my trade fell off until was COM
pletely discouraged. One day my wife
suggested the ill-luck of the opal, but
laughed and kept it on my finger.
Things kept getting worse, though,
and one morning, when / awoke, the
opal was gone. Ny wife said she had
thrown it into the river. ! was pro-
voked with her, but couldn't help my
self then aud didn't care TO later, for
business began to look up and for six
months was in great luck. During
my vacation / went about 200 miles up
the river fishing and hunting with q
party in tents. One day we caught q
four-pounder and in IL, by George, we
found my opal. | wanted to throw it
away again, but one OF the party said
he wasn't afraid OF it and to let him
have it. did so, and next day he
shot himself in the arm. l said
il was the opal, and he thought so too,
and gave il to another Of the party.
who wasn't superstltious. That same
day he fell over cliff and broke his
wrist, and he hurled the opal into the
woods. Next year onother party Of us
went there again, and l shot bear,
and around one OF its claws was my
opal; got there l suppose while 1t was
scratching around for roots"
bad luck for the bear, too," sug-
gested the listener, but the drummer
was silent.
81 suppose So" laughed the tall man.
Anyway l took 1t down to a cleared
place a mile off, and buried 1t two feet
under the ground. Afterwards sum-
mer hotel was built in the neighbor-
hood, aud a couple Of years later
went there with my wife, In August
The hotel had its own garden, and at
dinner one day, we had watermelon
whole at our table, raised on the spot,
and when l cut 1t open, right there In
the red, juicy meat, was that internal
opal"
The drummer went out on the plat
form for air The tall man waited
till he cane back.
''Of course" he went on, "the gar
den was located on the level spot,
where l had buried the ring and some
way, can't say how, the roots had
gathered 1t up and grown 1t into the
melon. Well, l almost tainted, and
when l told the story Of 1t, my brother,
who was with us on his way to Cali
fornia, said he'd take itand throw it In
to the Pacific Ocean. He passed
through two wrecks getting there, and
heard no more Of the ring. The next
year received 3 caddy OF tea from a
friend In China and in the<widdle of 1t,
blamed If l didn't find the opal. Some
fish had carried II over, some Chinaman
had caught the fish and found the ring
and in packing the tea, had probably
lost it. was in Frisco at the time,
and once more l fred the thing into
the Pacific. Three years later | went
to Alaska and while there, bought a
raw seal skin from native. brought
IL home and had 1t made into coat
for my wife. Then we began 10 have
ill-luck again, or my wife did. She
fell down stairs and almost killed her
self, had long spell of sickness and at
last the room we occupied in the hotel
caught fire aud burned up nearly all
her clothes, including the seal skin
cloak, except one sleeve of 1t. That
we saved, and later when she was cut
ting It up to make a muff for our little
girl, she cut down In something hard
imbedded In the skin and once more
we found our opal"
The drummer moved about uneasily.
"The next thing" continued the tall
man
"Let up on that, will your" inter-
rupted the drummer. "The next thing
I'll be as superstitious as you are, and
you'll be as big liar as | am" and
the tall man laughed softly and let up
on 1t.