The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-01-09
1kk10EXXlXXxXXkxI.
TEE THIRTEENTH GUEST.
a Tale for the superstitious.

were assembled in room in the Able
marie hotel, New York, impatiently
awaiting the arrival of Hudson Sedley
the thirteenth guest.
They had been invited to a dinner
given by Hubbard Vernon, and he
nervously paced the room, ever and
anon gazing at his watch, and inward.
" cursing at the hardness Of Sedley.
Every one present, even the writer
Of this story, observed that he was
much annoyed, and at last he gave ex.
| preston to his feelings by uttering
| these words:
IF Sedley does not come soon, we
shall have to sit down to dinner with
that ill-Omed number-thirteen."
Oh, what silly rot!' exclaimed Jack
Denton. Surely, Vernon, you do not
place any faith in that old woman's
superstition?''
Indeed I do" said Vernon; II am
deeply affected by what you are pleas
ed to call an old womans supersti-
tion. am. in fact, so powerfully af-
fected by it that 1 would not sit at
table with thirteen for any considera-
ton"
Would nothing induce you to do
so?" asked Gerald Sinclair with what
l considered ill-timed banter.
Nothing" said Vernon, firmly; and
growing somewhat heated at the tone
and smile of Sinclair, he added: 81
feel so strongly on this matter that l
would rather the devil himself should
fill seat at the table than sit down
to it with thirteen"
"Aha!" cried Sinclair, 'the devil is
Invited but will his satanic majesty
come ?"
While the tones Of his voice were
still vibrating, the bell rang A mo-
ment later the servant announced:
"Mr. Sedley" r.: f. .r#a IL.
"Ah," said Vernon, much relieved,
mere he is at last. How are you,
| Sedley? You are doubly welcome, for
just before you came we were specu-
| Mting as to whether your absence
would not make it necessary for us to
to sit down with thirteen at table,
II was detained" said Sedley briefly.
II ask your pardon"
There was something odd about his
tone. noticed it, and I saw that Yer.
non did 3d. too. But he replied:
Don't mention it, old fellow. It's a
delay which might have happened to
any Of u.s." .:s..
But as I grasped Sedley's hand ]
| met Vernon's eye. don't know ex-
| actly whether it was that or Sedley's
hand which startled me. But if Yer
mons look was peculiar, Sedley's hand.
grasp was even more so. 1t was quite
clammy, snake-like. Ugh! I can re.
member it still.
We gathered at the table, and it was
my lot to sit opposite to Sedley. Be.
side me sat Sinclair. But although he
seemed in unusual spirits and was
more brilliant even than was his wont
the conversation tagged. There seem
ed to be some spell upon us, for all
the guests were gay fellows, and. as a
rule, at dinner parties where there are
no ladies', the merriment is apt to Ne
unchecked.
AS for myself, whenever I attempted
any sally 1 would catch the eye of
Sedley, and it invariably exercised an
unpleasant effect upon me- I could
not divine the cause. Ordinarily, Sed-
ley was as jolly fellow as you would
meet in days stroll down Broadway,
but to-night-weH, I couldn't under
stand it. l gave it up, and devoted
myself to my dinner.
AS If to complete the ill-fortune of
the evening, the conversation persist
emily turned on thirteen. The various
superstitions with that number We're
discussed, and they were many. It
seemed from the amount Of curious
! lore brought forth by this discussion
that the evil properties of the number
are by no means confined to the table.
1T is said Of the Turks" remarked
/ oo 1,n CTR ,-r1o 80
| sherry, 1T is said Of the Turks that
they consider the number thirteen so
unlucky that they have almost ex-
plunged it from their vocabulary"
$50 it seems, then" remarked Ver-
| non, that the prejudice against thir-
teen is not confined to the number of
| guests ?" ~.
by no means. Yet that supersti-
ton is widespread one. AS every
one knows, it's origin is generally at
trlbuted to the Last Supper, at which
| there were thirteen-Christ and the
twelve apostles-and from which Ju-
| das, with the Savior's words of accu-
sation still ringing in his ears, went
| forth to deliver up his, Master to the
death. But the superstition is in re-
| atty much older, and is mentioned in
the Morse mythology. This vulgar su-
perst1tion prevails in the minds Of
many who firmly believe that it is not
only unlucky to sit with thirteen at
table, but that the last man to seat
himself will die before the year is
OUT
| Sedley lifted his head and fixed his
eye on Sinclair. Until now I had never
noticed what extremely unpleasant
eyes Sedley had. They were cavern
GUS, piercing, green eyes, and there
was a sinister CLEAN about them that
night which actually made me uncom-
Portable. But apparently no so Sin
Clair
s'The vulgar superstition, you say?''
began Sedley. 1t was the first time
he had spoken, and involuntarily a
hush came over the table. ''The vul-
gar superstition, you say? Do you not
believe it, then 2"
Believe it? MOI" sneered Sinclair.
ut is an old womans chatter. It is
1T only for the consideration of chill
dren and FOOLS"
by the way said Vernon, looking
around the table with an attempt at
pleasantly, who was the thirteenth
man to sit down to-night?"
L y ~ = IL - =