The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-08-05
AN oMIKoUs OPAL.
Strange s1BerstItions nat Are A.
Tackled to Gift 70 FaithIess
king OF Spain.


The way Of Spanish royalty since
Alfonso XII came to the throne ha1
been a thOrny one. All manner Cd
things have threatened to upset uhe
throne, and very little happiness has
been the lot of any Of the members OF
the royal family during the last %
years OF more.
Spanish people are ignorant and su-
PerstitiOus, and they believe that all
the trials that have come to the reign
ing house are through the influence OF
a cursed ring which has brought moth
ing but sorrow and misfortune ever
since It came into Spain. It is a ring
with a wonderful history, and to-day it
hangs about the neck of the patron
saint OF Madrid, the Holy Virgin Of
AlmadenO, suspended by a thin gold
thread.
It is an opal Of very large size and Of
the most brilliant coloring, with
a spark Of living fire in its center. It
is set in fligree gold and has no other
jewels about it.
The ring belonged to that famous
beauty and adventures Comtesse de
Castiglione, who was the most beauti-
full woman Europe ever knew, and who
was in the glory Of her loneliness and
power during the reign Of Napoleon
III, the emperor being her abject slave
and arOusing the most violent jealousy
on the part Of Eugene.
This dazzling woman always was
present at all functions at the TuiIer-
les, and displayed her superb shout
n -
the loneliness Of her corsages. Every
diplomat and every statesman in
France was at her feet, and among the
most ardent admirers was Alpho1so
XII, then an outcast, a Pretender.
The bewitching comtesse did not
spend much time on him at first, but
when she found his chances for becom-
ing king Of Spain were good, she
smiled on him and his head was com
Pletely turned. When he went to his
throne, the comtesse was to follow
later, according to agreement, and the
king promised her high position at
court and his exclusive royal favor.
In the meantime the king had fallen
sincerely and deeply in love with one
OF his own royal blood, and his mar
rage took place amid much pomp and
circumstance, and the beautiful com
tesse in Paris was forgotten
It does not paw to Pique a woman ike
this beauty Of Castiglione, and her
hatred was terrible.
A few months after the kings mar
rage he received a package from the
cOmtesse, containing a beautiful opal
ring Of rare coloring. It was called
wedding gift and a memento Of the
friendship the king had held for the
comtesse.
The king showed it TO his wife, Queen
Mercedes, who was charmed with its
beauty and begged TO keep it. Al
phOnso gave it to her readily, and she
slipped it On her finger. From that
moment she pined away, and in few
months died.
The ring fell from her dead hand,
and the king, who could not bear to
see 1t, gave 1t to his grandmother,
Queen Christina, who died a few
later.
Next the ring was given to Alphonso's
sister, the Infanta Maria del Pillar,
who wore it but a few days before she
died Of a mysterious illness. The king
then gave the fatal jewel to his sister
in-law, the youngest daughter Of the
duke and duchess de Montpensier, and
IN three months the young princess
died.
After these serious fatalities the |
king determined to keep the ring him
self, and he slipped it on his little fin /
ger. From that moment his health /
commenced to fail and in p hours he /
was dead, and the doctors pronounced /
his case one Of the strangest on record, /!
his whole physical system seeming to |
have crumbled away, every organ Of
the body having suddenly succumbed /
to the most marked senile decay. /
couldn't ever quite account /
for 1t and the matter was hushed up. 4
Queen Christina, who is not in any 4
wise superstitiOus, took possession Of 4
the ring after her husbands death, but /
the other members Of the family. with 4
dark Spanish superstition. begged her
to destroy it. This she refused to do,
but, to prevent It doing other damage,
she hung it about the neck Of the pa
trOn saint, where 1t Is to-day.
The Spaniards, however, are not sat
SIZED yet, for they declare that the
fatal ring influences the saint to evil
things, and nothing but a series Of mis-
fortunes has come to the lot Of Spain
since the ring was hung on the statue.
They credit this war trouble with
Cuba, the Philippines and the United
states all to the ring, and the queen re-
gent has been begged to destroy It or
send it out Of the country.-N. z.
Journal.
killing Mierobe. byFu,nr